District IV
David Mays, president of the Gaston R/C Flyers, reported on two recent events his club held in Gaston County, North Carolina. The club formed in 1963 and has roughly 50 members.
Webb Street Fly-In (Brooks Field, Bessemer City)
Brooks Field, where the Gaston R/C Flyers held the event, is a converted landfill now provided for club use by Gaston County Parks and Recreation.
“We held an event at our field on Friday, October 9, in which the Webb Street School brought 65 students and 20 teachers out for an introduction into aviation. This was all part of the class wrapping up after reading the book The Mystery at Kill Devil Hills.
“The Webb Street School is a school for students with physical and intellectual disabilities. The ages ranged from 15 to 20 years old. We started with a 45-minute discussion on the first flight, airplane components, and an introduction to propeller-driven aircraft and helicopters. The introduction was followed by a 45-minute air show.
“These students were the best spectators and cheering team that anyone would want to perform in front of. The roar of 65 cheering students is incredible and satisfying.
“The students brought bagged lunches and had a picnic on the airport grounds. Following lunch we flew three trainer airplanes with special training boxes attached. Each pilot was accompanied by a teacher and every student had the opportunity to touch the controls and fly the models without fear of damaging one.
“The kids seemed to have loved the event and we members of the Gaston R/C Flyers are still talking about the incredible day that we had spent with the students sharing our passion for aviation with a wonderful group of kids.
“Attached are a few pictures of the Webb Street Fly-In. I can’t have too many closeups because of the privacy clause that the students have, but this will give you an idea of what our day was full of.”
Event highlights:
- Date: Friday, October 9
- Attendees: 65 students and 20 teachers
- Activities: 45-minute presentation, 45-minute flight demonstration, picnic, hands-on flying with trainers and training boxes
- Safety: Each student accompanied by a teacher while flying
Vernon Haynes Old-Timer Fly-In
The Gaston R/C Flyers also hosted their eighth annual Vernon Haynes Old-Timer fly-in on Sunday, October 25. There was a better-than-average turnout for the event.
David wrote, “We had 20 registered pilots with about 50 airplanes on the field. This event is for the older-style aircraft that we refer to as Old-Timers. Most of these aircraft were designed back in the 1930s and we have built these airplanes with modern materials and control systems.”
Following are a few pictures taken at the event.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
