Hi, everyone! By the time you read this, the weather should be improving across the US, but especially in the North. It has been a brutal winter for those of you living north of the Mason-Dixon Line, and I know everyone is itching to get that new model out to the flying field for a test flight.
This is a good time of year to take a good look at your flying site and determine what improvements are needed. If your flying site has a grass runway, then you might consider spreading some sand to fill in low spots, fertilizing it, and watering it. You may even need some new grass seed or sod in a few places.
If you have a paved runway, some new cracks may have developed during the winter, and maybe this is the year to resurface it.
Don’t overlook your field support items such as tables and start-up stands. A few replacement 2 x 4s and screws could get them in shape for the flying season. Fencing and signs should also be inspected.
Did you know that AMA has a Flying Site Development Improvement Grant Program that provides money to help clubs improve their flying sites? This program has been in place for several years, and AMA has assisted countless clubs with funds. The deadline to apply for the 2014 grants has passed, but you can prepare now to apply for the 2015 funding. Any improvements you make this year can be included in your application for 2015. You can view the 2014 grant application at: www.modelaircraft.org/files/2014FSAGapplication.pdf.
Perhaps your club has been considering obtaining a new flying field. My job is to assist clubs in this endeavor. I recommend that you spend some time on the Flying Site Assistance portion of the AMA website at www.modelaircraft.org/membership/clubs/fsap.aspx. Here, you will find plenty of information to help you organize and begin your search for a new flying site.
AMA’s Getting and Keeping Flying Sites is where you should start. Download the book and review it. A video of a seminar I gave on this publication is available. The book is divided into two sections.
When looking for a new site, it is best if the property can be rented or leased at little or no cost. For most clubs, their biggest expense is flying site rental. If you could get a flying site with no cost, wouldn’t that be better? This typically is the case if you can get a flying site that is controlled by federal, state, county, or city government. This is where I recommend that you start your flying site search.
Getting and Keeping Flying Sites has information on how to search the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) website for potential sites. Several years ago, AMA and the EPA signed a memorandum of understanding that cemented a relationship with the EPA to recommend the use of EPA Superfund lands that have been remediated for model aircraft flying sites. This relationship has led to many new flying sites for AMA chartered clubs at little or no cost to the clubs.
Many of these sites are landfills that were not properly covered and the EPA stepped in to correct the problem. The land is unusable for most purposes, but it is perfect for the modeler! Because of this relationship, more of these properties are now available.
In addition to EPA lands, county landfills are great spots for model flying fields. Contacting your county commissioner or township council member is a good place to start. Creating a relationship with this person could pay dividends to the club now and in the future. Show the official what model flying is all about, and you will have an ally.
In closing, I wanted to share a flying site success story with you.
Hi, Tony. I thought I would share how we obtained and operate our model field.
To begin with, we were a small group of pilots who also liked to fly RC. We got permission to fly at our airport as long as we were safe. We carried a hand-held aircraft radio to monitor full size [aircraft] traffic, and we would land and wait until the pattern was clear. The airport is located on federal land (Army Corps of Engineers) and one day the Corps manager saw us flying and called a halt.
Most of us were volunteers when the Corps wanted to do lakeshore cleanup or fish habitat repairs, so we “negotiated” with the Corps’ manager and were assigned a plot of land. Now, the Corps does not negotiate leases with individuals, so we had to form a nonprofit corporation. We also had to form an AMA club to get the liability insurance. All [of] this took about 18 months to finalize with the state and feds. It was a struggle to get and keep enough members to qualify for AMA club status. Today we average about 25 members.
We borrowed an old grader, (I was a Seabee in World War II and still remembered how to operate one), and leveled the field ourselves. We designed and built the sun shade, installed a row of used tires between the pit area and the runway, and obtained a lot of used carpet material to cover the pits. We dragged the runway every few weeks, or more often when the weeds sprouted. We made a deal with a local farmer, and he would spray weed control on the runway and all we paid for was the material.
Our only problem is trying to attract younger members, because most of us can remember when we were only in our 70s! We generally have a fun-fly and cookout four or five times a year, and our dues are only $20 a year. Like most volunteer organizations, the same few people do most of the work and the rest show up for free hotdogs at the fun-fly.
—Bill Hebestreit
Kern Model Aircraft Kontrollers