Bob Banka - Doing One Thing That No One Else Does

Orvil Redenbacher, the popcorn king, once said that the way to success was to do one thing and do it better than anyone else.  That is certainly the overriding motto of our speaker this morning.  Although it took him a long time to get there, Bob Banka, has built a 22 year present and long future by doing just one thing – and being the only one in the known universe to do it.  He has compiled the largest collection of airplane photos and 3-view line drawings of airplanes and he’ll sell any one of them to you from a ¾ inch thick catalog.  “One of the most important things about flying scale model aircraft is building them to scale.  Everything from wings to decals need to be exactly the right size and put in exactly the right place. ”

How did he compile all these photos and 3-view (top, side, and head on) drawings?  “By wading through about 3 tons of airplane magazines.  One at a time, collecting as I went.  Also by going to air shows and airports, anywhere there were planes.”  He showed us a couple of his albums – a page is shown above – the P51D, the P51D Mustang, the P51D Cloud Dancer – each carrying someone either actually, or in their imaginations, into the wild blue yonder.  All to perfect scale.  “And if you need that information, I’m where you have to come.”

And come they have over the past 22 years.  In Orange County alone there are probably 4 to 500 model airplane pilots.

The problem is, business is down.  There are still the same number of enthusiasts, but now the Chinese are supplying them with model kits – all to scale – that the hobbiest can put together in minutes.  “Where they used to spend months hand crafting these models – building something they could really be proud of.  Now they get a kit from China with four of five pieces in it – a little glue here, a little glue there, and it’s together for the hobbiest to fly.  Instant gratification is the name of the game now.  My business is down 75%.  But that’s okay.  I’m fully vested and invested, and the 25% remaining keep me going.”

If you would like to build a P51D, or some other really neat plane, and build it the old way, the hands on, meticulous, to scale way, give Bob and call.  He’ll be all to happy to help.