Written & Submitted by EGF (06/1996); Transcribed by NR (08/1997); Edited by SS (2002), Reformatted by JS (09/2009)
Career
- c. late 1930s: Joined the AMA when in high school
- An organizer of the Washington Crossing Free Flight Club
- Owned and operated a small hobby store in Trenton NJ
- Competed in many AMA meets
- He also served as a contest director at local meets while his wife, Ginny, assisted in score keeping and other behind-the-scenes duties
Alfred R Jacobson: He was known as “Jake” to family and many friends and to a few others as “Al.” He was born on October 30, 1919 in Trenton, New Jersey and received his secondary education in the Trenton school system.
He became a model airplane enthusiast in junior high school and joined the AMA when in high school. Building and flying model airplanes became a life long hobby and he pursued it with tremendous vigor and interest. Al was not content to build and fly stock models. He was selftaught in the science of aeronautical design and proceeded to develop and design his own aircraft many of which were of championship caliber.
Throughout his AMA years, he received numerous calls and mailings requesting a copy of plans for a particular model that had won him a trophy. Never did he request payment for his plans – it was his heartfelt opinion that if he were to sell his designs, modeling would no longer be a hobby.
Al was an original member of the Trenton Flying Club and was an organizer of the Washington Crossing Free Flight Club, and served as club president for several terms. He flew hand launch and towline gliders and Radio Controlled (RC), but Free Flight was his love and specialty for which he was best known.
Before World War II, he owned and operated a small hobby store in Trenton, NJ and eventually moved to Princeton, NJ. He enlisted in the Navy in 1942 and boot camp training at Samson, NY. His Navy training kept him close to aircraft. He had the opportunity to pilot a Navy blimp out of Florida on coastal submarine surveillance patrols and eventually shipped out to the South Pacific where he performed duties in aircraft maintenance and as a ships gunner during many combat engagements. He served aboard a destroyer and a seaplane tender. After three years of active duty, with one of those years at sea, he was discharged in October 1945.
He attended and competed in many AMA meets and has a room full of trophies, which attest to his top flight achievements. He also served as a contest director at local meets, while his wife, Ginny, assisted in score keeping and other behind-the-scenes duties.
Years ago, he had his private pilot's licenses and said he enjoyed model flying much more. His retirement years were totally absorbed with his hobby.
And for Al flying here on earth ended in Feb 1992.
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