Flying Site Assistance
Coordinator
- Joe Beshar
- 198 Merritt Dr.
- Oradell, NJ 07649
- Fax: (201) 261-0223
- Tel.: (201) 261-1281
Finding—Preserving—Maintaining
HERE IT is, December 29, 1999. The temperature is in the 20s. (Yes, I am flying.) The air is full of the jitters, not about my flying, but of Y2K and New York Times Square riots. New Year's Eve is about 60 hours away. When you read this, hopefully the jitters will be history and I'll still be around. I wish you the best for the millennium.
Al Johnson — Leader Member, Oxford, PA
Leader Member Al Johnson of Oxford, PA writes:
"In 1993, we were hit by an attempt from Upper Oxford Twp. to try to enforce a 40 dB noise limit—ridiculous, yes, but they had this on the books and we were unaware that it was enforceable. They hit us on the day of our Fly-In, which, in my way of thinking, is Gestapo-style tactics.
"We were shut down for about a year. Our property owner is one tough 'old bird' and he challenged the ordinance with a threat to take it to court, no matter how much it cost!
"It worked! The township backed down and offered to sign an agreement not to bother us again, if we followed a few rules, and that our annual event was unrestricted as to noise, etc.
"Our field is a 1,500-foot private airport, to which a 1,700-foot runway is being added in the opposite direction. The property is beautiful and well-kept. The owner is now 80 years old! He works on his antique tractors and mows with them as though he was 40! The man is an unending source of aviation stories and jokes."
Chester V. Brady — FSA Volunteer, Clinton Twp., MI
Chester V. Brady, FSA volunteer, 43440 River Bend Blvd., Clinton Twp., MI 48038, (810) 469-3079, writes:
"Let me introduce myself. I am 77, a semi-retired mortician, AMA #5178, Leader Member, Contest Director, and IMAA #1015. My accomplishments include obtaining flying sites in and around the city of Detroit, starting the Skymasters R/C Club of Michigan 36 years ago, and I helped obtain permission from the Department of Natural Resources to fly R/C models at a DNR state park. This opened the door for many RC clubs in Michigan to do the same.
"I obtained flying sites for other club locations and am currently pushing to obtain a flying site for the Southeastern section of Michigan. I obtained a site at Stoney Creek Metropolitan Park to fly off of water and we fly every Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and we also got permission to fly on these same days from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The site is covered by AMA insurance and all is well.
"Can I be of any assistance to anybody in the state of Michigan? I can tell the site-seeking people who to see and other avenues to seek. Persistence is what pays off, and it is not easy.
"So, send me your bulletin and any and all info you can, and I will do my part to help find and keep flying sites."
Palm Springs Air Museum — Model Program (submitted by Buzz Waltz)
Flying Site Assistance volunteer Buzz Waltz, Cathedral City, CA, sent this in:
Model Program: The Palm Springs Air Museum is famous throughout the region for its static displays of vintage aircraft. Now, though, it's helping to launch a program that will—quite literally—fly. The museum has teamed up with the Coachella Valley Radio Control Flying Club on a traveling educational program to bring aviation history alive to desert schoolchildren.
"The model aviators will go to the schools and do their presentations, and they will have a museum docent go along to discuss the history of their aircraft," explained Sharon Maguire, the museum's marketing director. "A tip of the wings to the museum and the flying club for coming up with the idea for this innovative and edifying partnership."
Tri-City Radio Controlled Airplane Club (submitted by John Larson)
Flying Site Assistance volunteer John Larson, Beloit, WI, sent in this article:
"Local Airplane Club is Looking to Land" by Debra Jensen-De Hart
"Interest in flying machines just never seems to die.
"Even when the airplane is a radio controlled model and the men are, well, mature, the remote controlled toys keep the Tri-City Radio Controlled Airplane Club off the ground.
"The problem is they may soon need to find a new place to practice their hobby if a proposed housing development for the Heron Bay subdivision in the Town of Beloit becomes a reality.
"So the club members are actively looking for a new home (or makeshift airport), and on Tuesday night they lobbied for land on the former Kopplin Farm next to Big Hill Park.
"About a dozen members of the club attended the City of Beloit's Parks, Recreation and Conservation Advisory Commission meeting and talked about their mission.
"They are requesting to use an area about 300 feet by 300 feet plus space for parking on the farm land the city owns. Presently the group leases about four acres from the township for $1 per year.
"Noise levels the planes could generate was a main concern discussed at the meeting. During a premeeting demonstration, Ed O'Donnell of Janesville flew his model outside the Baraboo Council of Girl Scouts Program Service Center located at the edge of the farm and next to Big Hill Park.
"Angela Moore, executive director of the Girl Scouts in the Stateline Area, said she thought the noise level was not unusual.
"'They are amazingly quiet, more so than I remember,' Moore said.
"Rob Baller, resident and biologist, observed that he often has heard the models flown in the township, and he cautioned some people might find them irritating.
"Les Fassett, park's director, said neighbors of the farm had been notified about the club's request, but none showed up at Tuesday's meeting. However, the neighbors will be contacted again to allow them to voice their opinions before a decision is made on the matter, he added.
"Meanwhile, if people want to check out the site for themselves, the club members often are flying their models on weekends in the township off Walters Road, and often every day in the summer. Usually only two or three pilots fly at a time to prevent crashes.
"There are about 60 members in the club, including a couple of women, but usually no more than 15 people at a time, members said. The club has liability insurance of $2.5 million."
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
