District XI - 2012/03

ama news ama news ama news ama news ama news ama news ama news ama news ama news ama news ama news ama news ama news 158 Model Aviation March 2012 www.ModelAviation.com
Flying Sites: One of the chief reasons
for belonging to a club is to have a
place to fly. After you have a place to
fly, the trick is to keep it. This applies
to all sites whether they are privately
owned or public land with authorized
flying.
There are many ways to lose a site
as I am sure you know or can imagine.
I want to suggest that you look at
the possibilities and then attempt to
curry favor with those who might
one day pass judgment on your use
of a field. Put on and publicize a day
of introductory flying for youngsters
or contribute to the cleanup of an
adjacent sports field and make sure the
community knows that the local model
club did this.
When something bad happens,
perhaps people will remember that
the same modelers do a lot of good
things for the community, too. Even
if nothing ever happens, you will have
done a worthwhile community service
and will be smiled upon.
A Local Example. Rick Magnuson,
secretary/treasurer of the Olympic
Radio Control Association (ORCA),
writes to remind us that his club flies
from a field leased from a timber
company. The field is part of a 7,000-
acre area that is under consideration
for divestiture by the current owner.
The club is concerned about
continuing to use the field after an
ownership change. The land is now
under an 18-month purchase option
to a land conservancy organization
for the purpose of setting up a
nonmotorized hiking trail system
under the guidance of the county’s
planning commission.
The conservancy option involves
trails linking preserved natural areas,
called the String of Pearls, with an
existing and new trail system. The
near-term goal is to have the county
adopt the trails association master plan
into the county’s comprehensive plan.
This would formally adopt the String
of Pearls plan and open the door for
grants to purchase the 7,000 acres and
also allow for land swaps.
Because this potential land purchase
would likely impact the flying field,
ORCA became involved. ORCA
member Peter Havens, a Certified
Environmental Professional, took the
lead. He prepared comments for the
county’s board of commissioners,
asking for recognition of our AMAsanctioned
flying as a land use
compatible with the trail system.
He prepared a summary that
was used in an oral presentation to
the commissioners. As a result, the
String of Pearls plan was changed to
recognize “a mix of recreational land
uses,” including existing users such as
ORCA. The board of commissioners
passed an ordinance accepting the
String of Pearls into the county’s
comprehensive plan.
Club Reaction: The comment
report submitted by Peter Havens to
the Kitsap County Commissioners
was professional. He pointed out that
ORCA is an AMA chartered club that
operates within the AMA safety code.
He provided a copy of the code as part
of his presentation.
He stressed the improvements the
club had made to its leased site and
how these improvements had assisted
the other users such as hikers and
runners. Improvements included an
unlocked portable toilet which the
club maintains. Peter pointed out how
the field is used as an overflow parking
area for events in the nearby town
and how the club does the cleanup
afterward.
Peter pointed out that the club
does not consider events involving
large crowds a compatible joint use
but does see great compatibility with
nonmotorized trail users. ORCA and
the various hiking and running groups
have already been involved in several
area and trail improvement activities
to everyone’s benefit, including
ORCA.
This is the first step in the 18-month
process that potentially will lead to
ORCA having a more secure flying
field. More to follow.
Until next month …
Associate Vice Presidents: Rick Allison, Issaquah WA; [email protected]; Darrell Anderson, Great Falls MT; [email protected]; Bryan Batch, Spokane
WA; [email protected]; Chuck Bower, Langley WA; [email protected]; Al Culver, Wilder ID; [email protected]; Bruce Harlow, Myrtle Creek OR;
[email protected]; Jerry Holcomb, Vancouver WA; [email protected]; Gene LaFond, Wenatchee WA; [email protected]; Reeves Lippincott, Wasilla AK;
[email protected]; Chris Rankin, Bend OR; (541) 330-5692; [email protected]. Frequency Coordinator: Phil Tallman, Medical Lake WA; phillip.tallman@
gmail.com. RC Coordinator: Steve Cook, 500 E. 7th Ave., Apt. 10, Ellensburg WA 98926-3195; [email protected]. FF/CL Coordinator: Dick Salter, 3126 184th Ave., SE, Tenino
WA 98589-9524; [email protected]. Webmaster: Chris Rankin.
District XI—Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington
Mike Mosbrooker
Vice President
[email protected]
533 Birch St., Oak Harbor WA 98277
Tel.: (360) 679-9139; www.amadistrict11.org
Olympic Radio Control Association’s flying site.