It is with the deepest sadness that I share with the R/C Model Airplane Community of San Diego that my Father, Larry Kosta Sr passed away peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday June 18th, 2019.
He will be greatly missed by his family and his friends. Dad flew model airplanes for as long as I can remember. Some of my first memories in life are of going to Lakeside next to El Capitan High School, there at the river bed to fly Models with his friends, like Chuck Brown and Jack Irey. I also remember stopping at Lou Proctor’s house. Lou’s cats come to mind here for some reason.
Dad also flew full scale planes, getting his pilots certificate at the tender age of 16 in a J-3 Cub. During his life, he owned two different airplanes, a late 1950’s H35 “V” tail Bonanza that he acquired in the 70’s where he got his IFR ticket. He had the Bonanza for about 15 years and then a few years later, in the early 2000’s he bought an Avid Flyer with a Rotax 912 engine, that had an Armstrong starter! The wings folded back and he towed it back to their little ranch just north of the Ramona Airport.
Dad stayed pretty active later in his life, riding his motorcycle to the bowling alley and flying model airplanes and helicopters until he was 85 years old or so. Finally, Mom talked him into selling the motorcycle which was kind of a relief to most of the family except him. I used to think to myself that he had to have been the oldest dude in San Diego to be riding a motorcycle on the freeway!
Larry Sr along with his wife, my Mother, Deanna started a blueprinting company in 1963 called Advance Blueprint. My sisters and I still work there today with it’s new name, Advance Reprographics.
Well Dad, the tower has issued you your final clearance to taxi for takeoff, you’re cleared for VFR on top, for evermore.
