Flying Site Assistance - 2004/08
Here is a great success story. As with others I’ve included in my column, it contains some useful ideas concerning people you might contact to get low- or no-cost materials for your field-development project.
I got the information for this article from Joe Beshar — who got it from Dave Hostetter — who got it from Rich Hardt. It’s not a rumor: Rich Hardt is “the horse’s mouth,” and he welcomes your questions concerning the project. My thanks to Joe and Dave, and to Rich who wrote the following piece.
Development of the Wyoming Modelers’ Park
Site selection and organization
In 2000 a few RC fliers got together to talk about finding somewhere to fly. At the time they were flying from a pasture on the Griffin Ranch in Lander, Wyoming. The site was okay, but no development was allowed and you never knew when 100 or so cows would come wandering through.
The group contacted a local group of RC car enthusiasts, which started the idea of a combined RC park. Several sites were identified in Fremont County, Wyoming. Riverton is the largest town in the county with 9,000-plus residents and Lander is next with slightly more than 7,500 people. The county, while very large, has only about 30,000 residents and many live on the Wind River Indian Reservation.
A site on the Wyoming Honor Farm (prison) was identified as a possibility. Investigation found the prison management open to the idea. The site is 26 acres of nonproductive farmland with 400 acres of adjacent overfly area on the northern edge of Riverton.
Prison management found that the Department of Corrections could not lease the land directly to the modelers. Through discussions, they found the land could be leased to the City of Riverton, and the City could sublease it to the modelers. Thus, an arrangement was put in place and the Wyoming Modelers’ Park Association (WyMoPa) was formed.
Early development and facilities
The group originally had 11 members in the fall of 2000. We moved onto the site in the spring of 2001. With our own funds and sweat we built an off-road RC car track and graded a dirt runway, and we used those facilities that summer.
We worked with various community groups to develop support and raised money through demonstrations and a raffle. We submitted grant applications to various sources. Our main sources of funding have come from the local school district’s recreation fund and the county’s recreation fund.
In the summer of 2002 we paved the runways. Current paved facilities include:
- Main east/west runway: 450 × 50 feet
- North/south runway: 350 × 50 feet
- Paved pit area: 150 × 100 feet
We also built roads and parking areas. A local oil-well drilling company dug a 650-foot well for water.
In the summer of 2003 we extended and improved roads and parking areas. Using rotomill material from local highway projects, we rebuilt the off-road car track to Remotely Operated Auto Racers (ROAR) standards (ROAR is the AMA-equivalent organization for car racing). With cooperation from Pacific Power, the local electrical company, we installed underground electrical service to various parts of the park and began an underground sprinkler system for the grassed park area.
Recent and planned projects
This summer we received further support from the school district and county recreation funds and are taking bids for a 180 × 75-foot paved on-road car track. It will be NASCAR-styled with banked straightaways and curves and a paved center to extend into road racing.
We will continue to complete roads and parking areas with more rotomill from local highway projects. We are also purchasing two standard and one handicapped-accessible portable toilet.
We are currently working with the Wyoming National Guard to plan an RC boat lake. They will provide the engineering and construction of the lake as a “practice activity” in 2005. Once the lake is done, we will begin to develop a central pavilion as well as covered pit areas at the flying field, the car tracks (which will also serve as raised drivers’ stands), and the boat area. The central pavilion will provide a place for club activities and a shelter area for visitors. In the future, the pavilion will house permanent restrooms and cooking facilities.
Membership, programs, and youth outreach
We started with 11 members and now have 115. We provide RC aircraft instruction and RC car instruction, supplying beginners with all of the equipment needed. We use Kadet LT-40s for flight instruction and T-Maxx buggies for car instruction. We will provide the same for boaters when the lake is finished. Our boaters are interested in gas and electric speedboats, sailboats, and scale RC warship battles.
Last summer a local summer youth program held a program called Young Aviators. Twenty fifth- through eighth-grade boys participated. They built five Sig LT-40s (kits, not ARFs) that are available for them to fly when they come to the field. This summer that program plans to offer an Amelia Earhart program for girls.
This is a quick overview of what we’ve accomplished. I will be happy to answer any questions you have.
Contact Rich Hardt at (307) 857-0505.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
