ON OCTOBER 13, 2007, it was my
pleasure to attend the dedication of a flying
site located in south-central Arizona, slightly
more than 50 miles from my home.
What was especially gratifying about this
dedication is that it occurred almost 21
months to the day after I had attended a
meeting with the landowners, town officials,
and members of the Sun Lakes Model
Airplane Club (SLMAC) in an effort to
secure a new flying site. The club was in the
process of closing its existing flying site
because of residential sprawl and had the
foresight to start looking for a replacement
site early in the process.
It is interesting to note that the club
members themselves weren’t the only ones
thinking about a new flying site. Their
families were in the hunt as well.
In this particular case, Karen Tilley, the
wife of SLMAC president Tom Tilley,
overheard an individual talking about a
family farm in Florence, Arizona. The
conversation took place during a Halloween
party in 2005. Big deal—someone has a farm.
There are many farms in this area.
Karen knew the club was going to lose its
field, so she mentioned the comment to Tom.
Tom struck up a conversation with Gary
Felix, the man who made the farm comment.
They started talking about model aviation.
Gary was interested enough to accept
Tom’s invitation to visit the club field so he
could see model aviation firsthand. After that
morning meeting Gary took Tom to the
family ranch to “meet the parents,” Katie and
Paul Felix.
By the end of that meeting, the Felix
family had enough interest in the prospect
of a model aviation facility on their
property to schedule a meeting with the
SLMAC leadership, local town officials,
and other family members to see if there
was a fit.
Soon after that meeting, which was held
on January 11, 2006, the club was given the
green light to develop a flying site.
Tom mobilized the club members and
planning was the order of the day. But wait!
Planning is nifty, but what about the dollars
to support those plans? Good fortune often
complements good planning.
As the club was describing its vision to
the Felix family, Paul, the patriarch of the
clan, came up with an offer to use laserguided
graders. In cooperation with another
farmer, they leveled the flying site for the
club. From rolling scrub to perfect runway,
just like that.
While site preparation was underway,
sons Mark and Louis Felix were always
present with water trucks. If dust is a
problem, it’s elsewhere in Arizona.
The intervening months have seen the
installation of temporary fencing, soon to be
replaced with chain-link barriers for pit,
pilot, and spectator areas. Drip irrigation for
6,000 square feet of donated sod is in place
around the pit area. Substantial shade is
provided by ramadas moved from the old
field. Portable toilets? Sure! The equipment
needed to maintain the site is stored in a
lockable container.
The gradual closing of the old field and
the steady development of the Felix Ranch
site were coordinated so that virtually no
flying time was lost. Where possible, the
objects from the closed field were moved
and reused at the new site.
The chance meeting at a Halloween
party, which ultimately led to the
development of the Felix Ranch field, was
whammy number one.
The Felix family envisions the
development of a liberal arts institution—
The College of John Paul in the Desert—as
a future enhancement on their property.
They recognize the educational and
recreational aspects of model aviation as a
good fit with their long-term dream.
They invited members of the local clergy
and local government to the dedication
ceremony. Serendipity! Florence Mayor
Tom Rankin was an honored guest, and he
was impressed with the facility and the
flying activities.
As luck would have it, the Town of
Florence is considering a request for another
flying site on city property across town. As I
left the mayor, he indicated that he knows
what model aviation is all about now and
he’ll actively push to get the flying site
proposal approved. Double whammy!
Paul and Katie Felix, along with each of
their children, have been instrumental in
shepherding the Felix Ranch flying site to its
current state. The SLMAC members have
contributed mightily to the effort as well,
whether with cash or with personal effort.
According to Tom Tilley, Joe Ralston,
the club’s field general, had his hands in
nearly everything. Gordon Grohs was the
resident engineer. Jim Storts was always
there. The core group—10-12 members—
was always willing to make the drive, pick
up the tools, and make it happen.
Edition: Model Aviation - 2008/01
Page Numbers: 181