TODAY THE LAKE Sawyer Hawks RC club in Washington has
a beautiful field consisting of a wide runway of close-clipped
grass on the top of a rounded hill, well above most trees and free
from obstructions on all sides. There is a clubhouse, a storage
facility, and numerous tables for preparing airplanes and gliders.
This did not come about overnight. It was more like a process
of development, which included a good deal of moral suasion on
the part of the membership.
The story began when the Boeing Company announced that the
RC field its employees used was being closed and the property
was going to be sold. The club, which was the Boeing Hawks, had
a membership of approximately 150. When we were told we had
to leave, the executive committee decided that all the facilities
there, consisting of a clubhouse built by the members, tables, and
a storage shed, would be bulldozed, crushed, and deposited in a
landfill.
Some of the more active members requested that they be
allowed to dismantle and haul away all the buildings and store
them at their own expense, with the idea that we would use them
in the future. This was agreed to, and a work party dismantled the
structures and took everything away.
There were no flying fields available at that time, so we formed
a committee to find potential sites. The city of Black Diamond,
Washington, had designated a park on the shore of Lake Sawyer,
so the committee contacted the proper people to see if we could
have a strip and a beach where we could fly from land or water.
The city’s Parks Department agreed to our request, but after
further study it was announced that it didn’t have a budget for the
development of the park; consequently, that plan fell through.
At that time our members formed the Lake Sawyer Hawks RC
club independent of the old Boeing Hawks organization. We
proposed that our group allow anyone to join as long as he or she
was an AMA member.
The search continued and an unused former landfill was
located. This piece of land, which belonged to the county, was
fenced with a locked gate that would afford considerable security.
The Solid Waste Management people were contacted, and a
proposal was made wherein we would use the land for radiocontrol
flying and would not impact the integrity of the seal that
covered the solid waste.
After a number of meetings, a contract was prepared and AMA
authorized the flying site. The plan was that we would have our
own sanitary facilities, serviced at our own expense, and the club
membership would perform such maintenance as mowing the
runway and surrounding grass. This would result in no cost to the
county for anything dealing with our activities.
Above and at the top are aerial photos of the Lake Sawyer
Hawks’ new flying field. Above you can clearly see the structures
and the mown strip.
On Children’s Day club members helped kids build and fly more
than 250 AMA Delta Darts. This was an enthusiastic group.
Unbeknownst to club president Marlow C. Anderson (left),
members named the field in his honor. Vice President Dene
Webster congratulates him.
This dedicated group of club volunteers engaged in repairing benches and painting buildings at the club site.
An item our president instituted was a logbook indicating when
someone flew, the type of aircraft flown, and the engine used.
Dues paid by the members allowed us to buy a riding mower, buy
fuel for the mower, and pay for maintenance of the sanitary
facility.
It wasn’t long until we had more than 60 active members
flying, and all went well for approximately a year.
As an expression of our appreciation we decided to hold an open
house for the county executive, but the date established for the
event was September 11, 2001. That celebration never took place
because of the terrorist attacks on our country.
A considerable amount of publicity regarding that celebration
had been placed in the local newspaper, and a few weeks
thereafter a furor rose among the residents of the surrounding
area. However, in the previous months nothing was said and no
complaints were made regarding the noise created by our flying.
Our logbook had more than 1,000 entries.
In the meeting that ensued there were a number of exaggerated
claims that we were interfering with the quiet of a neighborhood
and that during a barbecue the complainants had to shout to each
other to be heard.
Following the meeting all aeromodeling activity was shut
down for one year. Our attempts to negotiate an accommodation
were largely rejected in spite of pleading and suggesting that we
conduct noise tests using certified instruments. Little could be
done to placate the neighbors.
Our club did not languish during this period, but petitioned the
county to permit us to fly. In two days at an RC exposition we
gathered more than 350 signatures and sent them, with a cover
letter, to the county executive requesting permission to fly. We
repeated this with another 350 signatures the second year.
Each letter included a reminder that our flying would cost the
county nothing and that we would keep the grass mowed and the
flying site in pristine condition. We reminded the county that this
was an important recreational activity.
Every week our executive committee would call or visit the
county executive’s office requesting a decision. Shortly thereafter
the responsibility of the decision was passed on to the Solid Waste
Department, and things began to happen in our favor.
After a year had gone by we were permitted to fly Electrics
and gliders only; this went on for some months. When spring
came, after many letters to the Solid Waste Department people
they proposed that our activity at the field be taken over by the
county’s Parks and Recreation Department.
With that we were allowed to fly glow-fuel-powered airplanes
Just a few of the airplanes that flew during
the open-house celebration.
AMA Programs That Help Clubs
The AMA Flying Site Assistance Program has established a
network of volunteers to serve as the Academy’s eyes and ears.
Their job is to help make modelers and clubs aware of movements
within their communities that can have a significant impact on
their flying facilities.
Things such as the closing date of a landfill or the formation of
a citizens’ group to design or modify a park or recreation area can
have a significant impact on a flying club. These activities are
usually reported on the back page of a newspaper or mentioned in
passing in a news broadcast. If known about in time, these things
would allow the modelers to have a vehicle by which they could
improve or bolster their position in the community.
The task of providing flying sites for the increasing number of
modelers is becoming more challenging as time goes on. It is
simply a matter of collecting such information, passing it on to
AMA’s flying site assistance coordinator, and having that
information distributed to the modelers for their involvement.
Anyone who is interested in being involved with the Flying Site
Assistance Program should contact one of the following AMA
flying site coordinators.
Districts I-VII: Districts VIII-XI:
Joe Beshar Wes De Cou
198 Merritt Dr. 202 W. Desert Flower Ln.
Oradell NJ 07649 Phoenix AZ 85045
(201) 261-1281 (480) 460-9466
(201) 261-0223 (480) 460-9434
[email protected] [email protected] MA
—AMA staff
Flying Site Development/
Improvement Grant
AMA has a committee to administer the
distribution of funds, in the form of grants,
to clubs in support of their flying-site
development and improvement projects.
The purpose of this program is to provide
up to 10% of the total cost of a valid flyingsite
development and/or improvement
project.
The limited funds are dispersed on a
yearly basis, with applications to be
submitted no later than March 1 of each
year and grants being awarded May 1 of
each year. Grant application forms and
instructions, in downloadable form in PDF
format at www.modelaircraft.org/712.pdf,
are available for completion by the club
president.
For more information regarding the
AMA Flying Site Development/Improvement
Grant Program, visit the AMA Web site or
call the Programs Department at (765) 287-
1256, extension 270. MA
—AMA staff
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Gliders and electricpowered
models could be flown any day. Sunday would be
reserved for special occasions for which permission would be
obtainable from the Parks and Recreation Department.
All the while we kept in the back of our minds that the landfill
was public domain, although we did not press that point. We also
entertained the possibility of pushing for a Board of Arbitration,
which could have been a lever to use in getting action if other
resources failed.
The preceding is a brief description of what took place and in no
way describes all the work done by the club members and ad hoc
committees who spent a great deal of time and money to achieve
the goal of obtaining our flying facility. We currently have a steel
shipping container that provides us with a place to store and
secure our mower and model airplanes owned by the club.
Once again our membership has grown across the age
spectrum, which includes active and interested people. Whenever
we need a work party, we have a great turnout and jobs are
accomplished with excellent results by people who know how to
do things.
Members bring electrical power generators and power tools
that make things happen efficiently. An astounding amount of
work is completed quickly.
We now have a five-year contract with the Parks and
Recreation Department. Keeping a logbook solved many
problems regarding complaints. Each
month copies of our logbook are
transmitted to the Parks and Recreation
manager.
The last time a complaint was lodged, a
check of the logbook indicated that no one
was flying that day. Since that time all
complaints have stopped.
Members who contributed to our club’s
success in our endeavor were Marlow C.
Anderson, president and primary driving
force behind our success; Dene A.
Webster, vice president and major
contributor to our success; Charles (Dan)
Vencill, treasurer; Amy Kuipers, who
provided space to hold meetings and
printed matter; Dave (Skip) Nason and
Amy Kuipers, secretaries; and I served as
corresponding secretary.
Other movers and shakers were Reese
Burnett, Richard Joslin, Dennis Long,
James and Betty Gray, Ken Hutchinson,
William Myrwell, Buddy James, and
Thomas C. Schwartz. MA
Arnold C. Anderson
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/02
Page Numbers: 41,42,43,44
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/02
Page Numbers: 41,42,43,44
TODAY THE LAKE Sawyer Hawks RC club in Washington has
a beautiful field consisting of a wide runway of close-clipped
grass on the top of a rounded hill, well above most trees and free
from obstructions on all sides. There is a clubhouse, a storage
facility, and numerous tables for preparing airplanes and gliders.
This did not come about overnight. It was more like a process
of development, which included a good deal of moral suasion on
the part of the membership.
The story began when the Boeing Company announced that the
RC field its employees used was being closed and the property
was going to be sold. The club, which was the Boeing Hawks, had
a membership of approximately 150. When we were told we had
to leave, the executive committee decided that all the facilities
there, consisting of a clubhouse built by the members, tables, and
a storage shed, would be bulldozed, crushed, and deposited in a
landfill.
Some of the more active members requested that they be
allowed to dismantle and haul away all the buildings and store
them at their own expense, with the idea that we would use them
in the future. This was agreed to, and a work party dismantled the
structures and took everything away.
There were no flying fields available at that time, so we formed
a committee to find potential sites. The city of Black Diamond,
Washington, had designated a park on the shore of Lake Sawyer,
so the committee contacted the proper people to see if we could
have a strip and a beach where we could fly from land or water.
The city’s Parks Department agreed to our request, but after
further study it was announced that it didn’t have a budget for the
development of the park; consequently, that plan fell through.
At that time our members formed the Lake Sawyer Hawks RC
club independent of the old Boeing Hawks organization. We
proposed that our group allow anyone to join as long as he or she
was an AMA member.
The search continued and an unused former landfill was
located. This piece of land, which belonged to the county, was
fenced with a locked gate that would afford considerable security.
The Solid Waste Management people were contacted, and a
proposal was made wherein we would use the land for radiocontrol
flying and would not impact the integrity of the seal that
covered the solid waste.
After a number of meetings, a contract was prepared and AMA
authorized the flying site. The plan was that we would have our
own sanitary facilities, serviced at our own expense, and the club
membership would perform such maintenance as mowing the
runway and surrounding grass. This would result in no cost to the
county for anything dealing with our activities.
Above and at the top are aerial photos of the Lake Sawyer
Hawks’ new flying field. Above you can clearly see the structures
and the mown strip.
On Children’s Day club members helped kids build and fly more
than 250 AMA Delta Darts. This was an enthusiastic group.
Unbeknownst to club president Marlow C. Anderson (left),
members named the field in his honor. Vice President Dene
Webster congratulates him.
This dedicated group of club volunteers engaged in repairing benches and painting buildings at the club site.
An item our president instituted was a logbook indicating when
someone flew, the type of aircraft flown, and the engine used.
Dues paid by the members allowed us to buy a riding mower, buy
fuel for the mower, and pay for maintenance of the sanitary
facility.
It wasn’t long until we had more than 60 active members
flying, and all went well for approximately a year.
As an expression of our appreciation we decided to hold an open
house for the county executive, but the date established for the
event was September 11, 2001. That celebration never took place
because of the terrorist attacks on our country.
A considerable amount of publicity regarding that celebration
had been placed in the local newspaper, and a few weeks
thereafter a furor rose among the residents of the surrounding
area. However, in the previous months nothing was said and no
complaints were made regarding the noise created by our flying.
Our logbook had more than 1,000 entries.
In the meeting that ensued there were a number of exaggerated
claims that we were interfering with the quiet of a neighborhood
and that during a barbecue the complainants had to shout to each
other to be heard.
Following the meeting all aeromodeling activity was shut
down for one year. Our attempts to negotiate an accommodation
were largely rejected in spite of pleading and suggesting that we
conduct noise tests using certified instruments. Little could be
done to placate the neighbors.
Our club did not languish during this period, but petitioned the
county to permit us to fly. In two days at an RC exposition we
gathered more than 350 signatures and sent them, with a cover
letter, to the county executive requesting permission to fly. We
repeated this with another 350 signatures the second year.
Each letter included a reminder that our flying would cost the
county nothing and that we would keep the grass mowed and the
flying site in pristine condition. We reminded the county that this
was an important recreational activity.
Every week our executive committee would call or visit the
county executive’s office requesting a decision. Shortly thereafter
the responsibility of the decision was passed on to the Solid Waste
Department, and things began to happen in our favor.
After a year had gone by we were permitted to fly Electrics
and gliders only; this went on for some months. When spring
came, after many letters to the Solid Waste Department people
they proposed that our activity at the field be taken over by the
county’s Parks and Recreation Department.
With that we were allowed to fly glow-fuel-powered airplanes
Just a few of the airplanes that flew during
the open-house celebration.
AMA Programs That Help Clubs
The AMA Flying Site Assistance Program has established a
network of volunteers to serve as the Academy’s eyes and ears.
Their job is to help make modelers and clubs aware of movements
within their communities that can have a significant impact on
their flying facilities.
Things such as the closing date of a landfill or the formation of
a citizens’ group to design or modify a park or recreation area can
have a significant impact on a flying club. These activities are
usually reported on the back page of a newspaper or mentioned in
passing in a news broadcast. If known about in time, these things
would allow the modelers to have a vehicle by which they could
improve or bolster their position in the community.
The task of providing flying sites for the increasing number of
modelers is becoming more challenging as time goes on. It is
simply a matter of collecting such information, passing it on to
AMA’s flying site assistance coordinator, and having that
information distributed to the modelers for their involvement.
Anyone who is interested in being involved with the Flying Site
Assistance Program should contact one of the following AMA
flying site coordinators.
Districts I-VII: Districts VIII-XI:
Joe Beshar Wes De Cou
198 Merritt Dr. 202 W. Desert Flower Ln.
Oradell NJ 07649 Phoenix AZ 85045
(201) 261-1281 (480) 460-9466
(201) 261-0223 (480) 460-9434
[email protected] [email protected] MA
—AMA staff
Flying Site Development/
Improvement Grant
AMA has a committee to administer the
distribution of funds, in the form of grants,
to clubs in support of their flying-site
development and improvement projects.
The purpose of this program is to provide
up to 10% of the total cost of a valid flyingsite
development and/or improvement
project.
The limited funds are dispersed on a
yearly basis, with applications to be
submitted no later than March 1 of each
year and grants being awarded May 1 of
each year. Grant application forms and
instructions, in downloadable form in PDF
format at www.modelaircraft.org/712.pdf,
are available for completion by the club
president.
For more information regarding the
AMA Flying Site Development/Improvement
Grant Program, visit the AMA Web site or
call the Programs Department at (765) 287-
1256, extension 270. MA
—AMA staff
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Gliders and electricpowered
models could be flown any day. Sunday would be
reserved for special occasions for which permission would be
obtainable from the Parks and Recreation Department.
All the while we kept in the back of our minds that the landfill
was public domain, although we did not press that point. We also
entertained the possibility of pushing for a Board of Arbitration,
which could have been a lever to use in getting action if other
resources failed.
The preceding is a brief description of what took place and in no
way describes all the work done by the club members and ad hoc
committees who spent a great deal of time and money to achieve
the goal of obtaining our flying facility. We currently have a steel
shipping container that provides us with a place to store and
secure our mower and model airplanes owned by the club.
Once again our membership has grown across the age
spectrum, which includes active and interested people. Whenever
we need a work party, we have a great turnout and jobs are
accomplished with excellent results by people who know how to
do things.
Members bring electrical power generators and power tools
that make things happen efficiently. An astounding amount of
work is completed quickly.
We now have a five-year contract with the Parks and
Recreation Department. Keeping a logbook solved many
problems regarding complaints. Each
month copies of our logbook are
transmitted to the Parks and Recreation
manager.
The last time a complaint was lodged, a
check of the logbook indicated that no one
was flying that day. Since that time all
complaints have stopped.
Members who contributed to our club’s
success in our endeavor were Marlow C.
Anderson, president and primary driving
force behind our success; Dene A.
Webster, vice president and major
contributor to our success; Charles (Dan)
Vencill, treasurer; Amy Kuipers, who
provided space to hold meetings and
printed matter; Dave (Skip) Nason and
Amy Kuipers, secretaries; and I served as
corresponding secretary.
Other movers and shakers were Reese
Burnett, Richard Joslin, Dennis Long,
James and Betty Gray, Ken Hutchinson,
William Myrwell, Buddy James, and
Thomas C. Schwartz. MA
Arnold C. Anderson
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/02
Page Numbers: 41,42,43,44
TODAY THE LAKE Sawyer Hawks RC club in Washington has
a beautiful field consisting of a wide runway of close-clipped
grass on the top of a rounded hill, well above most trees and free
from obstructions on all sides. There is a clubhouse, a storage
facility, and numerous tables for preparing airplanes and gliders.
This did not come about overnight. It was more like a process
of development, which included a good deal of moral suasion on
the part of the membership.
The story began when the Boeing Company announced that the
RC field its employees used was being closed and the property
was going to be sold. The club, which was the Boeing Hawks, had
a membership of approximately 150. When we were told we had
to leave, the executive committee decided that all the facilities
there, consisting of a clubhouse built by the members, tables, and
a storage shed, would be bulldozed, crushed, and deposited in a
landfill.
Some of the more active members requested that they be
allowed to dismantle and haul away all the buildings and store
them at their own expense, with the idea that we would use them
in the future. This was agreed to, and a work party dismantled the
structures and took everything away.
There were no flying fields available at that time, so we formed
a committee to find potential sites. The city of Black Diamond,
Washington, had designated a park on the shore of Lake Sawyer,
so the committee contacted the proper people to see if we could
have a strip and a beach where we could fly from land or water.
The city’s Parks Department agreed to our request, but after
further study it was announced that it didn’t have a budget for the
development of the park; consequently, that plan fell through.
At that time our members formed the Lake Sawyer Hawks RC
club independent of the old Boeing Hawks organization. We
proposed that our group allow anyone to join as long as he or she
was an AMA member.
The search continued and an unused former landfill was
located. This piece of land, which belonged to the county, was
fenced with a locked gate that would afford considerable security.
The Solid Waste Management people were contacted, and a
proposal was made wherein we would use the land for radiocontrol
flying and would not impact the integrity of the seal that
covered the solid waste.
After a number of meetings, a contract was prepared and AMA
authorized the flying site. The plan was that we would have our
own sanitary facilities, serviced at our own expense, and the club
membership would perform such maintenance as mowing the
runway and surrounding grass. This would result in no cost to the
county for anything dealing with our activities.
Above and at the top are aerial photos of the Lake Sawyer
Hawks’ new flying field. Above you can clearly see the structures
and the mown strip.
On Children’s Day club members helped kids build and fly more
than 250 AMA Delta Darts. This was an enthusiastic group.
Unbeknownst to club president Marlow C. Anderson (left),
members named the field in his honor. Vice President Dene
Webster congratulates him.
This dedicated group of club volunteers engaged in repairing benches and painting buildings at the club site.
An item our president instituted was a logbook indicating when
someone flew, the type of aircraft flown, and the engine used.
Dues paid by the members allowed us to buy a riding mower, buy
fuel for the mower, and pay for maintenance of the sanitary
facility.
It wasn’t long until we had more than 60 active members
flying, and all went well for approximately a year.
As an expression of our appreciation we decided to hold an open
house for the county executive, but the date established for the
event was September 11, 2001. That celebration never took place
because of the terrorist attacks on our country.
A considerable amount of publicity regarding that celebration
had been placed in the local newspaper, and a few weeks
thereafter a furor rose among the residents of the surrounding
area. However, in the previous months nothing was said and no
complaints were made regarding the noise created by our flying.
Our logbook had more than 1,000 entries.
In the meeting that ensued there were a number of exaggerated
claims that we were interfering with the quiet of a neighborhood
and that during a barbecue the complainants had to shout to each
other to be heard.
Following the meeting all aeromodeling activity was shut
down for one year. Our attempts to negotiate an accommodation
were largely rejected in spite of pleading and suggesting that we
conduct noise tests using certified instruments. Little could be
done to placate the neighbors.
Our club did not languish during this period, but petitioned the
county to permit us to fly. In two days at an RC exposition we
gathered more than 350 signatures and sent them, with a cover
letter, to the county executive requesting permission to fly. We
repeated this with another 350 signatures the second year.
Each letter included a reminder that our flying would cost the
county nothing and that we would keep the grass mowed and the
flying site in pristine condition. We reminded the county that this
was an important recreational activity.
Every week our executive committee would call or visit the
county executive’s office requesting a decision. Shortly thereafter
the responsibility of the decision was passed on to the Solid Waste
Department, and things began to happen in our favor.
After a year had gone by we were permitted to fly Electrics
and gliders only; this went on for some months. When spring
came, after many letters to the Solid Waste Department people
they proposed that our activity at the field be taken over by the
county’s Parks and Recreation Department.
With that we were allowed to fly glow-fuel-powered airplanes
Just a few of the airplanes that flew during
the open-house celebration.
AMA Programs That Help Clubs
The AMA Flying Site Assistance Program has established a
network of volunteers to serve as the Academy’s eyes and ears.
Their job is to help make modelers and clubs aware of movements
within their communities that can have a significant impact on
their flying facilities.
Things such as the closing date of a landfill or the formation of
a citizens’ group to design or modify a park or recreation area can
have a significant impact on a flying club. These activities are
usually reported on the back page of a newspaper or mentioned in
passing in a news broadcast. If known about in time, these things
would allow the modelers to have a vehicle by which they could
improve or bolster their position in the community.
The task of providing flying sites for the increasing number of
modelers is becoming more challenging as time goes on. It is
simply a matter of collecting such information, passing it on to
AMA’s flying site assistance coordinator, and having that
information distributed to the modelers for their involvement.
Anyone who is interested in being involved with the Flying Site
Assistance Program should contact one of the following AMA
flying site coordinators.
Districts I-VII: Districts VIII-XI:
Joe Beshar Wes De Cou
198 Merritt Dr. 202 W. Desert Flower Ln.
Oradell NJ 07649 Phoenix AZ 85045
(201) 261-1281 (480) 460-9466
(201) 261-0223 (480) 460-9434
[email protected] [email protected] MA
—AMA staff
Flying Site Development/
Improvement Grant
AMA has a committee to administer the
distribution of funds, in the form of grants,
to clubs in support of their flying-site
development and improvement projects.
The purpose of this program is to provide
up to 10% of the total cost of a valid flyingsite
development and/or improvement
project.
The limited funds are dispersed on a
yearly basis, with applications to be
submitted no later than March 1 of each
year and grants being awarded May 1 of
each year. Grant application forms and
instructions, in downloadable form in PDF
format at www.modelaircraft.org/712.pdf,
are available for completion by the club
president.
For more information regarding the
AMA Flying Site Development/Improvement
Grant Program, visit the AMA Web site or
call the Programs Department at (765) 287-
1256, extension 270. MA
—AMA staff
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Gliders and electricpowered
models could be flown any day. Sunday would be
reserved for special occasions for which permission would be
obtainable from the Parks and Recreation Department.
All the while we kept in the back of our minds that the landfill
was public domain, although we did not press that point. We also
entertained the possibility of pushing for a Board of Arbitration,
which could have been a lever to use in getting action if other
resources failed.
The preceding is a brief description of what took place and in no
way describes all the work done by the club members and ad hoc
committees who spent a great deal of time and money to achieve
the goal of obtaining our flying facility. We currently have a steel
shipping container that provides us with a place to store and
secure our mower and model airplanes owned by the club.
Once again our membership has grown across the age
spectrum, which includes active and interested people. Whenever
we need a work party, we have a great turnout and jobs are
accomplished with excellent results by people who know how to
do things.
Members bring electrical power generators and power tools
that make things happen efficiently. An astounding amount of
work is completed quickly.
We now have a five-year contract with the Parks and
Recreation Department. Keeping a logbook solved many
problems regarding complaints. Each
month copies of our logbook are
transmitted to the Parks and Recreation
manager.
The last time a complaint was lodged, a
check of the logbook indicated that no one
was flying that day. Since that time all
complaints have stopped.
Members who contributed to our club’s
success in our endeavor were Marlow C.
Anderson, president and primary driving
force behind our success; Dene A.
Webster, vice president and major
contributor to our success; Charles (Dan)
Vencill, treasurer; Amy Kuipers, who
provided space to hold meetings and
printed matter; Dave (Skip) Nason and
Amy Kuipers, secretaries; and I served as
corresponding secretary.
Other movers and shakers were Reese
Burnett, Richard Joslin, Dennis Long,
James and Betty Gray, Ken Hutchinson,
William Myrwell, Buddy James, and
Thomas C. Schwartz. MA
Arnold C. Anderson
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/02
Page Numbers: 41,42,43,44
TODAY THE LAKE Sawyer Hawks RC club in Washington has
a beautiful field consisting of a wide runway of close-clipped
grass on the top of a rounded hill, well above most trees and free
from obstructions on all sides. There is a clubhouse, a storage
facility, and numerous tables for preparing airplanes and gliders.
This did not come about overnight. It was more like a process
of development, which included a good deal of moral suasion on
the part of the membership.
The story began when the Boeing Company announced that the
RC field its employees used was being closed and the property
was going to be sold. The club, which was the Boeing Hawks, had
a membership of approximately 150. When we were told we had
to leave, the executive committee decided that all the facilities
there, consisting of a clubhouse built by the members, tables, and
a storage shed, would be bulldozed, crushed, and deposited in a
landfill.
Some of the more active members requested that they be
allowed to dismantle and haul away all the buildings and store
them at their own expense, with the idea that we would use them
in the future. This was agreed to, and a work party dismantled the
structures and took everything away.
There were no flying fields available at that time, so we formed
a committee to find potential sites. The city of Black Diamond,
Washington, had designated a park on the shore of Lake Sawyer,
so the committee contacted the proper people to see if we could
have a strip and a beach where we could fly from land or water.
The city’s Parks Department agreed to our request, but after
further study it was announced that it didn’t have a budget for the
development of the park; consequently, that plan fell through.
At that time our members formed the Lake Sawyer Hawks RC
club independent of the old Boeing Hawks organization. We
proposed that our group allow anyone to join as long as he or she
was an AMA member.
The search continued and an unused former landfill was
located. This piece of land, which belonged to the county, was
fenced with a locked gate that would afford considerable security.
The Solid Waste Management people were contacted, and a
proposal was made wherein we would use the land for radiocontrol
flying and would not impact the integrity of the seal that
covered the solid waste.
After a number of meetings, a contract was prepared and AMA
authorized the flying site. The plan was that we would have our
own sanitary facilities, serviced at our own expense, and the club
membership would perform such maintenance as mowing the
runway and surrounding grass. This would result in no cost to the
county for anything dealing with our activities.
Above and at the top are aerial photos of the Lake Sawyer
Hawks’ new flying field. Above you can clearly see the structures
and the mown strip.
On Children’s Day club members helped kids build and fly more
than 250 AMA Delta Darts. This was an enthusiastic group.
Unbeknownst to club president Marlow C. Anderson (left),
members named the field in his honor. Vice President Dene
Webster congratulates him.
This dedicated group of club volunteers engaged in repairing benches and painting buildings at the club site.
An item our president instituted was a logbook indicating when
someone flew, the type of aircraft flown, and the engine used.
Dues paid by the members allowed us to buy a riding mower, buy
fuel for the mower, and pay for maintenance of the sanitary
facility.
It wasn’t long until we had more than 60 active members
flying, and all went well for approximately a year.
As an expression of our appreciation we decided to hold an open
house for the county executive, but the date established for the
event was September 11, 2001. That celebration never took place
because of the terrorist attacks on our country.
A considerable amount of publicity regarding that celebration
had been placed in the local newspaper, and a few weeks
thereafter a furor rose among the residents of the surrounding
area. However, in the previous months nothing was said and no
complaints were made regarding the noise created by our flying.
Our logbook had more than 1,000 entries.
In the meeting that ensued there were a number of exaggerated
claims that we were interfering with the quiet of a neighborhood
and that during a barbecue the complainants had to shout to each
other to be heard.
Following the meeting all aeromodeling activity was shut
down for one year. Our attempts to negotiate an accommodation
were largely rejected in spite of pleading and suggesting that we
conduct noise tests using certified instruments. Little could be
done to placate the neighbors.
Our club did not languish during this period, but petitioned the
county to permit us to fly. In two days at an RC exposition we
gathered more than 350 signatures and sent them, with a cover
letter, to the county executive requesting permission to fly. We
repeated this with another 350 signatures the second year.
Each letter included a reminder that our flying would cost the
county nothing and that we would keep the grass mowed and the
flying site in pristine condition. We reminded the county that this
was an important recreational activity.
Every week our executive committee would call or visit the
county executive’s office requesting a decision. Shortly thereafter
the responsibility of the decision was passed on to the Solid Waste
Department, and things began to happen in our favor.
After a year had gone by we were permitted to fly Electrics
and gliders only; this went on for some months. When spring
came, after many letters to the Solid Waste Department people
they proposed that our activity at the field be taken over by the
county’s Parks and Recreation Department.
With that we were allowed to fly glow-fuel-powered airplanes
Just a few of the airplanes that flew during
the open-house celebration.
AMA Programs That Help Clubs
The AMA Flying Site Assistance Program has established a
network of volunteers to serve as the Academy’s eyes and ears.
Their job is to help make modelers and clubs aware of movements
within their communities that can have a significant impact on
their flying facilities.
Things such as the closing date of a landfill or the formation of
a citizens’ group to design or modify a park or recreation area can
have a significant impact on a flying club. These activities are
usually reported on the back page of a newspaper or mentioned in
passing in a news broadcast. If known about in time, these things
would allow the modelers to have a vehicle by which they could
improve or bolster their position in the community.
The task of providing flying sites for the increasing number of
modelers is becoming more challenging as time goes on. It is
simply a matter of collecting such information, passing it on to
AMA’s flying site assistance coordinator, and having that
information distributed to the modelers for their involvement.
Anyone who is interested in being involved with the Flying Site
Assistance Program should contact one of the following AMA
flying site coordinators.
Districts I-VII: Districts VIII-XI:
Joe Beshar Wes De Cou
198 Merritt Dr. 202 W. Desert Flower Ln.
Oradell NJ 07649 Phoenix AZ 85045
(201) 261-1281 (480) 460-9466
(201) 261-0223 (480) 460-9434
[email protected] [email protected] MA
—AMA staff
Flying Site Development/
Improvement Grant
AMA has a committee to administer the
distribution of funds, in the form of grants,
to clubs in support of their flying-site
development and improvement projects.
The purpose of this program is to provide
up to 10% of the total cost of a valid flyingsite
development and/or improvement
project.
The limited funds are dispersed on a
yearly basis, with applications to be
submitted no later than March 1 of each
year and grants being awarded May 1 of
each year. Grant application forms and
instructions, in downloadable form in PDF
format at www.modelaircraft.org/712.pdf,
are available for completion by the club
president.
For more information regarding the
AMA Flying Site Development/Improvement
Grant Program, visit the AMA Web site or
call the Programs Department at (765) 287-
1256, extension 270. MA
—AMA staff
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Gliders and electricpowered
models could be flown any day. Sunday would be
reserved for special occasions for which permission would be
obtainable from the Parks and Recreation Department.
All the while we kept in the back of our minds that the landfill
was public domain, although we did not press that point. We also
entertained the possibility of pushing for a Board of Arbitration,
which could have been a lever to use in getting action if other
resources failed.
The preceding is a brief description of what took place and in no
way describes all the work done by the club members and ad hoc
committees who spent a great deal of time and money to achieve
the goal of obtaining our flying facility. We currently have a steel
shipping container that provides us with a place to store and
secure our mower and model airplanes owned by the club.
Once again our membership has grown across the age
spectrum, which includes active and interested people. Whenever
we need a work party, we have a great turnout and jobs are
accomplished with excellent results by people who know how to
do things.
Members bring electrical power generators and power tools
that make things happen efficiently. An astounding amount of
work is completed quickly.
We now have a five-year contract with the Parks and
Recreation Department. Keeping a logbook solved many
problems regarding complaints. Each
month copies of our logbook are
transmitted to the Parks and Recreation
manager.
The last time a complaint was lodged, a
check of the logbook indicated that no one
was flying that day. Since that time all
complaints have stopped.
Members who contributed to our club’s
success in our endeavor were Marlow C.
Anderson, president and primary driving
force behind our success; Dene A.
Webster, vice president and major
contributor to our success; Charles (Dan)
Vencill, treasurer; Amy Kuipers, who
provided space to hold meetings and
printed matter; Dave (Skip) Nason and
Amy Kuipers, secretaries; and I served as
corresponding secretary.
Other movers and shakers were Reese
Burnett, Richard Joslin, Dennis Long,
James and Betty Gray, Ken Hutchinson,
William Myrwell, Buddy James, and
Thomas C. Schwartz. MA
Arnold C. Anderson