Flying Site Assistance - 2010/01
California Dreamin' Now a Reality!
Wes De Cou | [email protected]
Some folks say that if you keep your nose to the grindstone and your shoulder to the wheel, you’ll most likely wind up with a bloody nose and a sore shoulder.
Joe Martin, a modeler from Ventura County in Southern California, called me on October 30, 2000, with a request for help in securing a new flying site for his club: the Conejo Valley Flyers (CVF).
On September 11, 2009, the following letter and pictures showed up in my e-mail. The story spans nine years. Some of the initial participants are no longer here to enjoy the ultimate success, but everyone who was a part of the near-decade-long effort of the CVF to secure a first-class flying site can take pride in the fact that because of their tireless effort and unstinting belief, their goal has come to fruition.
The quest to get the land upon which the field is built was the subject of a previous article. The culmination of the club’s effort is described here. It’s about the group effort that got the surface on the runway.
This is information many clubs can use, especially if they are looking for a relatively low-cost, eco-friendly, hard surface for their runway. It’s a story of the inquisitive minds, inventive nature, and “can do” spirit of modelers who really want to fly!
“It is important that we give credit to the club members who persevered even in 102° heat, willing to work until the job was done.
“We used a product called Soiltac, a synthetic material formulated to be diluted with water in various ratios (we used a ratio of 7 to 1). It resembles Elmer’s glue in both sight and smell.
“Aside from the creative equipment designed and built by a fellow club member, the biggest problem we had was bringing water to our site because we have no running water available. Wes Minear utilized his pickup truck, transporting our water supply in 50-gallon drums.
“The following items were needed to accomplish each step and task for our new runway:
- Water
- Soiltac (currently used by the National Forest Park Service and eco-friendly!)
- 50-gallon spreader (designed/built by Wil Trautmann)
- 500-pound roller (designed/built by Wil Trautmann)
- 4 x 6-foot soil sifter/grater (designed/built by Wil Trautmann)
- Push brooms
- Snow shovels
- Fines (sifted dirt/soil with no rocks)
- Elbow grease and back-bending labor
“The devices used, while not patented, were as follows. Our sprayer unit is approximately 5 feet wide with a 50-gallon feed barrel, pressurized with a small 12V battery-powered air compressor. After the Soiltac material is diluted (the viscosity has to be compatible with the sprayer being used) it is then sprayed on the swept and compacted dirt (fines) and allowed to soak in for about 3 minutes.
“After the soak time, the filtered dirt, minus the rocks, is deposited onto the wet soil and allowed to cure for about 5 minutes more, which is then followed by the 500-pound, 5-foot-wide roller used to compress the dry fines into the Soiltac.
“The result makes for a flat, smooth surface hardening after 24 hours. Care must be taken that only dry fines are under the roller since any of the moist material will adhere to the heavy roller.
“The final surface produced is hard enough to drive a vehicle on, water repellent, and is biodegradable, eliminating the expense of any city/county permits. The cost is relatively inexpensive compared to concrete and or asphalt. We purchased two 50-gallon drums for $913 plus $152 shipping.
“The 100 gallons of material gave us approximately 6,000 square feet of coverage, depending on the soil saturation rate. Our runway is 400 x 50 feet, which we plan to finish as soon as more funds become available. Our first goal is to cover an area 200 feet long by 30 feet wide.
“Wil Trautmann’s old-time technology and ‘git ’er done’ contributions to the club’s new runway and field is highly appreciated by all fellow club members. Many thanks to Wil.
“Wil designed and built a wooden support frame using 2 x 4-inch boards, inclusive of a steering device and four wheels. He also designed and built an attachable/detachable spray bar, which, under pressure, delivers an even stream of the diluted Soiltac material.
“On the topside, Wil created an ingenious funnel device allowing for quick and easy filling.
“Attached to the top of the spreader is a small 2-horsepower, electric pump supplying pressure to the tank. As seen in the photos, once the spreader was put into operation, it was quite effective!
Wil used the shell of a Teflon-coated standard water heater, filling it with a combination of sand and wet cement. From his background on the farm, Wil constructed wooden bearings on each side, and then attached a custom-made aluminum handle for pushing/pulling purposes. The roller can also be attached and pulled behind a vehicle.
Equally as creative, at first glance the sifter reminds one of their childhood days, making a Soap Box Derby vehicle to go downhill using ropes connected to a front steering column. The main structure is constructed of 2 x 4-inch wood, with horizontal supports covered by some of Home Depot’s finest wire mesh. Wil also incorporated a swiveling scraper to help smooth the surface as the dirt was being filtered; it automatically neutralized uneven build up of the “fines.”
I’d also like to recognize Marcel Gillette who, to our good fortune, does this type of work for the government as his means of livelihood. His guidance, expertise, and hard work have saved the CVF thousands of dollars!
Wes Minear deserves recognition as well. As our new club president, he has given countless man-hours, personally dedicating himself to helping to make our project a success.
I could recognize many other individual club members, but in an endeavor such as this, it takes teamwork to make it all happen. If I had but one phrase to best describe the Conejo Valley Flyers, it would be team players.
“The contact at Soiltac.com we had was Hailey Balcaen, telephone (307) 630-3791, ext. 3209.
“And now the noses and shoulders are forgotten. Flying at a great field from a great surface is the order of the day.”
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
