Full flight model mania- John Gloz loves to build model aeroplanes. 67719Picture: Stewart Chambers

By Emma Sun
JOHN Gloz is known as a ‘plastic basher’ by his friends.
But contrary to how it might sound, John is no violent person.
The only plastic he ‘bashes’ is styrene, which he uses to build model aeroplanes.
The 57-year-old Pakenham resident has enjoyed modelling for almost 50 years, ever since his dad first bought him a model aeroplane kit.
“I’ve always been fascinated by aircrafts,” John said.
“I’ve sort of grown up and liked motorbikes as well, but I particularly like making World War II aircraft models.”
John is heavily involved with the Pakenham Modellers Group, where he and other members share a mutual love for modelling. They help each other in the model building process.
“I learnt a lot through the club because you meet a lot of other people with different skill levels,” he said.
“Everyone is always very helpful, and you’re always able to ask one of the experts what they did to achieve certain effects.”
His passion has led him to building more than 30 models of various sizes.
John said he was slow and pedantic for a modeller and each took him about two to four weeks.
“I like to do as good of a job as I can to make it look as much like the original,” John said.
He said space constrained him when his children were small, and that restricted the number of models he turned out.
“I also did have quite a long break when the kids were little and I didn’t have the space to spread out and leave the model set up,” he said.
“I left it in abeyance for a good few years, but now the kids are all grown up and I’ve got a bit of space so I can leave all my gear without having to pack everything up.
“I don’t have to use the dining table anymore – that’s a big help!”
John has more recently become involved in modelling competitions and has been quite successful.
He has received three prizes including two firsts and a second at the ‘Wings’ competition held at Moorabbin Air Museum.
“To be honest, I never thought my models were good enough for it, but someone said I should give it a go and I did and I’ve sort of surprised myself,” he said.
“The competitions have really opened my eyes a little bit more.”
John said modelling was definitely something he planned to pursue for many years.
“As far as I’m concerned, it’ll be until I die,” he said.
“I think, it’s like all hobbies – once you get into it and you get bitten by it, you just never let it go.”