THE DELTA VALLEY Modelers (DVM)
club celebrated the grand opening of its new
field on May 21, 2006. The flying site is
located on Farmington Road (Highway 4),
roughly three miles east of highway 99 in
Stockton, California.
The following report was provided by
Mike Brown, newsletter editor for the
Northern
California
Radio
Controlled
Unlimited
Flyers of
Anderson,
California.
Mike
traveled to Stockton to assist the DVM
members and CD the event.
“We hear too often of clubs losing their
flying fields to development and the DVM
story is no different. Unfortunately, the club
lost its old field on Rough and Ready Island
and had been searching to no avail, then a
generous club member decided to allow the
club use of a nice piece of land only four
miles off a major highway, right next to the
town of Stockton.
“I was privileged to CD the grand
opening. When Sunday morning came, the
weather was not cooperative but this didn’t
stop the modelers, their friends, and much of
the public from stopping by to check out the
new digs.
“I was impressed with the layout, plenty
of runway, lots of permanent shade, a small
radio impound, and plenty of shelter for the
spectators. They built what looks like a
baseball backstop in front of a set of
bleachers to keep visitors safe from errant
airplanes.
“I applaud them for their effort. For the
DVM club, safety comes first. This kind of
thinking is what we all need to emulate. It
was a large expense they didn’t have to pay
out, but it will be appreciated and will
certainly pay dividends in the future.
“Good food and lots of fun were had by
all. If ever you are in the Stockton area, check
out the DVM. They are a friendly group and
a great bunch of modelers. I hope this club
gets to fly from this field for many years to
come. It’s nicely laid out and in a good
location. The generosity of others really
makes this hobby what it is. Donations,
volunteers, and just good old sweat labor
helps keep the hobby going strong.”
The new impound and shade structure
provides shelter during inclement weather.
It was a bit wet at times but there was still
plenty of flying.
Club president Tim Cassidy announced the
raffle prize winners.
The 2006 Rally of the Giants was again held
over the Memorial Day weekend at the old
Castle Air
Force Base in
the central
California
community of
Atwater,
northwest of
Merced.
This venue has proven to be an ideal setting
for the International Miniature Aircraft
Association’s (IMAA) annual event attracting
scores of participants from around the country
with its open spaces and fantastic weather.
Contest Director Ken Shapiro (R) and Air
Boss Robert Bloomfield briefed the
participants on the day’s events at the
Sunday morning pilot’s meeting.
Local resident Rhonda Jenkins (L) and her
daughters, Beverly, Brittney, Rachel, and
Rebecca treated the crowd to a beautiful
rendition of the Star Spangled Banner during
the Rally of the Giants opening ceremony.
The Section “8” Air Force’s fleet of P-38s, P-
61s, and B-25 Doolittle Raiders attracted the
attention of the spectators as they traversed
the flightline. The northern California special
interest group presented a midday “Airpower
Demonstration” with a reenactment of Jimmy
Doolittle’s 1942 raid on Japan.
Till next time, Keep ’em safe and Keep ’em
fly’n.
District X
Rich Hanson, District X Vice President; [email protected]
Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah
Rich Hanson
Vice President
Box 3312.,
Scottsdale AZ 85271
Tel./Fax: (888) 899-3548
www.ama10.org
Associate Vice
Presidents
Darwin Barrie, Chandler AZ
(480) 946-8955
Don Goeschl, Lancaster CA;
(661) 940-6066
Don Gulihur, Santee CA;
(619) 449-8397
Marc Karpowich, Logan UT;
(435) 752-3639
Wayne Hamada, Honolulu, HI;
(808) 521-7733
Frequency Coordinators
Eloy Marez, Santa Ana CA
(714) 540-4935
George Steiner, Sacramento CA;
(916) 362-1962
(Please see last month's column for
additional AVPs and Coordinators.)
District X Volunteers
172 MODEL AVIATION
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/09
Page Numbers: 172