Aviation captured the excitement of children and revived the memories of veterans as they walked past the display of more than 30 model airplanes Sunday at Fairlane Village mall.
"Every child wants to have a plane like this," Cullen Dixon, 15, of Frackville, said. "It's nice to get out of the house and do something different."
The Tuscarora R/C Club displayed their model planes, some even built from scratch, on Saturday and Sunday at the mall to get more people interested in the hobby.
"I first got interested because of shows like this," Dixon said. "That's why we are here, to help get more people interested. There's just a whole world that they don't know about."
Dixon said he has been building and flying model airplanes for four or five years and is the youngest member of the club.
"I lost my mother a few years ago and it gave me something else to put my mind to," Dixon said.
He said his grandfather's friend first showed him a model plane. When he first joined the club, older members gave him three planes they made to help get him started.
"It's important to have a club because they help you out with any of the problems you might be having with your plane and show you new things," Dixon said.
Kids also lined up to use two flight simulators that the club uses to train new members.
Jerry Buehler, 81, of Hazleton, said he has been building model planes from scratch for more than 70 years.
"Once you get into it, you can't get out," Buehler said. "It's a hobby that really gets under your skin."
Randy Grube, 49, of New Ringgold, said he has been building planes with his son for the last eight years.
"My son was interested in aviation and I bought him a kit," Grube said. "When he was flying it I thought this was something that I could get into. Everybody loves a hobby and kids are impressed with making things fly."
Grube said his son, now 22 years old, is currently a student at the Pennsylvania College of Technology, Williamsport, and wants to be an aviation mechanic. Grube said he served in the Navy and Buehler said he was a pilot in the Air Force.
"In those days, if you worked on it you had to fly it," Buehler said. "I still have a lot of airplanes to build yet."
There were also a few helicopter displays at the mall Sunday.
Ron Schwartz, 74, of Port Carbon, said he always wanted to work on helicopters and became a mechanic in the Navy.
"When I was a kid, I built stick models with rubber bands and threw them out the window," Schwartz said. "When the people stop to see the models and talk, they get hooked. It's a good hobby."
Schwartz said he built and flew model airplanes with his grandson, who is now 21 years old and is in the Marines.
"Whenever he comes home for a visit, we usually go to the park and fly them," Schwartz said.
He said one plane can last a long time, but if you lose a plane you have to be able to laugh.
"If you get upset, you might as well get out of the hobby," Schwartz said.
For more information about the club, visit www.tuscarorarcflyingclub.com or the group's Facebook page.