Flying Site Assistance
Joe Beshar | [email protected]
One of the most important functions of AMA is to acquire and maintain flying sites.
Last year Tonya Howell, Remedial Project Manager for Region 7 of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Kansas City, Kansas, contacted me and expressed interest in having an aeromodeling orientation and buddy-box experience for her staff. I was elated and called Jim Cianciolo, a District VI associate vice president in Kansas City, and asked if he would be willing to host the meeting.
Jim did not hesitate to accept the responsibility and organized and led the gathering with other members of his club, the Kansas City RC Association (KCRC). I compliment Jim for his positive attitude and dedication, which resulted in an outstanding, successful, and eventful meeting. Jim wrote about the event and I want to share his article with you.
KCRC report: EPA visit to Charlie Reed Memorial RC Field
Project managers from the Environmental Protection Agency paid a visit to KCRC’s Charlie Reed Memorial RC Field at Lake Jacomo. On November 8, approximately a dozen EPA employees came to Fleming Park to check out our flying field.
Contrary to early speculation, the EPA did not come to declare our outhouses a toxic waste dump. Rather, the EPA managers were there to see a typical RC field and to observe model activities in person. They wanted to learn what makes a good flying site and how much area is required.
Why is the EPA interested in this and how did KCRC get involved? After the EPA has cleaned up a polluted area, the agency is mandated to return the property to useful service. One of the most important functions of AMA is to acquire and maintain flying sites.
In February, AMA and the EPA signed a memorandum of understanding concerning creating flying fields on former Superfund cleanup sites. A flying field has already been created in Florida and several more are being considered.
In late October, at the EPA Directors Conference in Boston, AMA Flying Site Coordinator Joe Beshar made a presentation detailing the possibilities of this win–win situation. Afterward, the EPA managers were taken to a local RC field and given a tour and a buddy-box lesson.
Tonya Howell from the Regional EPA office in Kansas City was among the participants. She was so impressed and enthused that she contacted Joe and asked how she could get the same experience for her managers in Kansas City. Joe immediately contacted Charlie Bauer, District VI vice president, and me. As an associate vice president in District VI, I was asked if we could make a presentation to the EPA office and arrange to show them our flying site.
With fall weather bearing down on us, we knew we would have to act fast. It doesn’t take much prodding to get modelers excited about showing off their airplanes and field. With just a few emails and telephone calls, the troops were mobilized. Within a week of our initial contact with Ms. Howell, we accomplished our task.
First, I made arrangements with our club instructors. We needed six trainer airplanes with buddy boxes ready. I invited all modelers, regardless of skill level or club affiliation, to be at the field to greet and visit with the EPA guests. We stressed that this was not a KCRC event but an AMA event. Our goal was to demonstrate just how enjoyable, safe, and beneficial model aviation can be.
I appointed a couple of experienced leaders to have everything organized at the field when our guests arrived. Meanwhile, Jerry Singer, the KCRC vice president, and I went to the EPA headquarters where Tonya Howell had reserved a large conference hall.
With several aircraft for show, Jerry and I made an hour-long presentation about AMA and the memorandum of understanding. At first, the EPA managers seemed a little skeptical. However, as we explained the program and then showed them how a model worked, they really warmed up. The questions and answers lasted longer than anticipated, so finally I said, "Heck with this. Let’s go to the field and fly!"
With that, we went to the field and had an outdoor fun-fly. We gave our guests a tour and demonstrated several types of aircraft. Although it was very windy, many EPA managers tried their hands at operating the buddy box. It turned out so well that Tonya Howell jokingly threatened to leave one of the managers at the field because he didn’t want to quit flying.
The managers left with a keen understanding of how a model site functions and that it can be a great use for clean-up sites. Hopefully, this is only the first step in a long and beneficial relationship with the EPA.
We have been invited to do a repeat performance in the spring and hope that eventually we will develop more places to fly.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
