District IV Report - 2010/05
There has always been interest in the southeastern area of Virginia for modelers to experience the challenges of indoor flying. Many modelers would use wind-tunnel return chambers, vacant hangars, or empty warehouses just to enjoy the rare opportunity to fly within a confined area, free of wind and weather.
Boo Williams Sportsplex — Hampton, VA
Local RC modeler Dick Parsell broke ground with the management of a recently constructed venue: the Boo Williams Sportsplex in Hampton, Virginia. His efforts secured a wonderful indoor space for the modeling community.
The Boo Williams Sportsplex officially opened to modelers in January 2009. Few of us initially had aircraft suited to the spacious quad basketball pavilion, but interest grew rapidly. The first Indoor Fly-In at the Sportsplex was held on February 22, 2009.
Weekly flying sessions developed as new indoor models arrived each week. Many modelers, such as John Tate, travel about an hour each way to fly at the Sportsplex. Members of the Colonial Virginia Aeromodelers (CVA) in Williamsburg also make the trip weekly to join the growing indoor group. Peninsula-based Brainbusters Free Flight and Newport News Park RC members have participated in the sessions.
The Boo Williams Sportsplex offers a unique place to fly: no single club organizes or directs the sessions. The weekly meetings are a joint participation of area modelers who appreciate the excellent indoor flying conditions.
The Sportsplex hosted another fly-in on Memorial Day 2009. Steve Moulton, the District IV associate vice president (AVP), dropped in and spent the day with us. The Memorial Day Fly-In had 18 registered pilots and nearly 50 aircraft filling the pavilion.
Events included:
- An obstacle course
- A figure-eight pylon race (winner: John Backes)
- A limbo contest for surviving airplanes (winner: Phil Goodwin)
None of this would have been possible without Mr. Boo Williams, Mr. Hayes, and the rest of the Sportsplex staff. They have been extraordinarily gracious in allowing us to fly inside their facility each week.
If you are in the area, please visit the Boo Williams Sportsplex: 5 Armistead Pointe Parkway, Hampton, VA 23666 (757) 637-7300
Bud Donnelly Memorial Mid-Atlantic Jet Rally — Tidewater Radio Control (TRC), Chesapeake, VA
The Tidewater Radio Control (TRC) club of Chesapeake hosted its annual Bud Donnelly Memorial Mid-Atlantic Jet Rally on the Saturday and Sunday before Memorial Day 2009. The event is open to all jet aircraft.
While most models flown were turbine-powered gas engines, there were several electric fan jets and a couple of glow-powered fan jets. Twenty-eight pilots attended the two-day event, representing states from North Carolina to New York.
Pilots enjoy a friendly, low-pressure atmosphere; many return each year. TRC provided trophies for various categories, with winners selected by pilot ballot.
Event and venue details:
- Location: US Navy Auxiliary Landing Field (NALF), Fentress — RC takeoff and landing area is the paved taxiway parallel to the main runway (approximately one mile long)
- Weather: Mostly cooperative, with a slight wind down the runway; a couple of short rain sprinkles on Sunday did not slow things down
- Amenities: Food stand and grill staffed by NALF members; TRC arranged portable toilets and spectator safety fences
Contest Director Frank Rega kept the event running smoothly. The rally concluded Sunday afternoon with trophy presentations and raffle-prize awards provided by Bob Violett Models.
TRC looks forward to sponsoring this yearly event again on the 2010 Memorial Day weekend.
Article by Karl Blumenberg. Photos by K. Blumenberg and T. Gore.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
