Advanced Airframes Crew

Jose R. Soto started Advanced Airframes as a means to provide good quality building service to those modelers that need it. Jose has been building model airplanes since he was five years old and his life long passion worked through plastic display models, control line, free flight and R/C. In the military Jose was an Electronics Technician and he was discharged right after Desert Storm in 1991, he built models all throughout his career even though he was stationed aboard a ship. After his discharge, he taught English as a second language at the high school level and there he met Minerva, his lovely wife. Jose works with all mediums used in model building including composite work which he learned as he worked on a Rutan Vari-Eze with the members of the Squirrel Squadron in St. Petersburg, Florida. He also helped build a Pietenpol Air Camper and is currently contemplating building an Ison Air Bike. Jose is a Leader Member of the Academy of Model Aeronautics, a Contest Director and an Associated Vice President for AMA district V.

Minerva Soto Helps in all design aspects and building. She has an ability to work with her hands which rivals her husband Jose's and therefore she gets most of the cutting assignments. Minerva has a teaching degree and also a science degree, which help immensely when the conversions for scale drawings are calculated. Although not a fanatic of going out to the field, she has been known to climb a 1500' slope to slope soar with her husband and to drive hundreds of miles to see vintage sailplanes.

Anne Marie Soto is the official "eraser" of Advanced Airframes, she delights in helping by erasing all the extra lines on the drawings and has been known to spend hours doing it. She is also the official model for Advanced Airframes. Anne Marie has started flying R/C with her 40" Pietenpol and she always recites those famous words daddy said, "small moves, Anne Marie, small Moves". She is six years old and a great help around the shop.

Tom Reading has been a modeler most of his life, with a long military career behind him, he enjoys model building to the max. Tom has accumulated more modeling tools than most of us have ever owned and he is an expert in construction. He enjoys building and flying  giant scale airplanes and it shows, he is a Board member of the Remote Control Association of Central Florida and a friend to all modelers. He develops new techniques for doing old jobs and keeps up to date with most new construction methods.

Ed Oliveras is our CAD engineer, he is an expert CAD draftsman and model builder. He is a student of Aeronautical Engineering and an asset around Advance Airframes. He was instrumental in building HLG molds and vacuum bagging equipment. He is a young leader and strong promoter of model aviation. Ed has built everything from free flight hlg's to advanced vacuum bagged heavy lift models for the famous SAE contest held at the university level. Eddie as we call him has been with Advanced Airframes since it was started in 1998 and has proven to be a modeling expert.