[Tyler Durden]

PMI is what got me into card modeling.

Lou Dausse apparently had some American WWII fighters commissioned as paper models which were then sold in model shops which is how I came across the hobby. The first paper model I built was the PMI P-38. That was back in 2000 I think. I ordered models from him for years, and on one of my trips home on leave I contacted him to see if I could stop by his shop on the way back to ND. He said it was ok but he didn't have an actual storefront and was concerned about the neighbors seeing strange cars parked in front of his house because it was a residential neighborhood and not zoned for businesses. This was Portland btw. Some things never change... I was very impressed with his "shop". He had a room in his house that had rows of shelves all full of printed models and there must have been dozens of aircraft hanging from his ceiling. Many of them were large airliners which he liked to build. He was very kind, and I visited for a while, eventually buying quite a few kits to take back with me to ND. I continued to receive his catalog for a few more years then I believe it went online, and after I transferred into the Army I didn't have time for models for quite some time and I lost touch with him.

Its sad to hear he passed away but I am glad I had the chance to meet him in person, and I have had many years of enjoyment from the hobby that he inadvertently introduced me to.