A Flying Site Success Story
By David L. Thomas
It was early November 2003 and I was getting geared up for another great holiday season—making lists of gift suggestions (all RC) and leaving them in conspicuous places for my spouse to find and, I hoped, act on. Our club—the Blacksheep Radio Control Club (BSRCC) in South Carolina—was finishing an active and productive flying season.
We had accomplished much that year, including:
- Rewriting our bylaws to bring them in line with AMA requirements.
- Providing a static RC display for the July Fourth celebrations in Easley, South Carolina.
- Conducting a family fun-fly (with great food and super events) for the BSRCC membership.
- Hosting a premier helicopter fly-in attended by people from across the country. (Both NBC and CBS sent news choppers and we made the local evening news.)
- Holding a Warbirds Fly-In that pleased anyone who remembered the rumbling exhaust of a big radial.
It had been a good year—and then I received the letter. Blinking twice, I reread its opening words. I was shocked. "We've lost the lease on the field!" I yelled to my wife. She looked up and I repeated the news.
My mind raced with questions: what happened, and how would the club recover? As I scanned the rest of the document, it became clear the owner had other plans for the property and that no negotiation would take place to permit us to continue using our ideal site. A successful, amicable long-term relationship with the owner was going down the proverbial tubes. We were out—period. The only crumb tossed our way was that we could use the field until the end of December—less than 60 days away. At least we were given a little time to remove our belongings while we searched for a new location. The end of a nearly perfect year had turned far from perfect.
What follows is more than a chronicle of events detailing our rescue from this disaster; it is a blueprint for success that shows how good people, operating with honest intentions, can pull together for the benefit of all. It is a testament to the grit, fortitude, and determination of the BSRCC members and particularly to our elected officers. Without their firm leadership and sound judgment, this could have been the end of the club.
Leadership and the Search for a New Field
Special recognition goes to one member in particular: Charlie Davenport. He was a prime mover and did as much as anyone to contribute to this success story.
Try to imagine being an elected officer of a flying club with roughly 90 members and suddenly finding yourself without a field. Think of all the things that must be done—some immediately—to secure a new field and make it safely operational while preserving the club's integrity. It is akin to someone giving you a parking lot full of avid shoppers and asking you to provide the mall.
The BSRCC president, Joe Fusco, knew speedy action based on thoughtful decisions was required. Joe is a people person who spends a lot of time at the field and knows almost everyone in the club. He called Charlie Davenport, a local farmer/landowner, to see if Charlie could help. After looking at several questionable locations, Charlie showed Joe a few acres at a corner of his property and offered them to the club.
"I was so excited with the potential for this location that I sealed the deal with a handshake right there," Joe said.
The location wasn't perfect, but it was reasonably level, had trees on three sides that were not too close to the proposed runway, and one end was wide open. It was time to get to work.
A special meeting of the membership ratified the new location. Joe was given permission to create a special budget and authority to proceed unilaterally to make the field ready for use. The membership recognized this could not be a committee operation; the onus was placed squarely on the elected officers.
Building the New Field
There was a great deal of work to be done. After identifying and staking out the important elements of the field based on AMA guidelines, Charlie began clearing a runway for immediate—but temporary—use so members could fly as soon as possible. Arrangements were made to conduct frequency testing to ensure no interference with another field within 3 miles.
Major tasks included:
- Clearing and preparing a temporary runway for immediate use.
- Laying out and constructing a clubhouse/meeting building (a 60 x 20-foot pole barn: 20 x 20 enclosed for kitchen and meeting room, 40 x 20 open-sided).
- Adding a rear section for bathrooms and storage.
- Installing a septic system.
- Hauling and spreading more than 100 tons of gravel for road and parking.
- Erecting fences and installing signs.
- Constructing a radio-impound building and a new frequency board.
- Building new safety benches and adding shade tents.
- Removing trees near the runway end and seeding/rolling the permanent runway.
People came and went like an ant farm—cars, trucks, vans, trailers, and motorcycles. Lumber, cement, roofing, sliding doors, windows, electrical wire, pipe, toilet fixtures, kitchen cabinets and appliances, barbecues, picnic tables, fencing, posts, tools, nails, screws, and bolts flowed in. Volunteers found muscles long unused and returned day after day until the site emerged.
The permanent runway was harrowed, seeded, and rolled smooth several times. The grass filled in and was cut to a usable length. Its 100 x 600-foot manicured space announced that the BSRCC was back—in style. After major construction finished, the field’s safety boundaries were fenced, the parking lot was defined, the clubhouse/meeting room was complete, pit benches and shade tents were installed, and all the requirements for safe flying were in place.
First Flights and Ongoing Improvements
From the terrible-letter day in 2003 to the first flights on the temporary runway took less than a week. The honors for those flights go to Mike Snyder and Jim Stewart with their airplanes, and John Garst with his helicopter. The helicopter handled the chunks of dirt better than the airplanes!
Joe and Charlie deserve special credit for providing the temporary field. Big construction jobs were finished by late spring/early summer 2004, and we began using the permanent runway then. It took additional time to get it into great condition, and even today we continue to tweak and fine-tune the installation.
We have held monthly meetings at the field for more than a year. The enclosed room with its little potbellied stove is appreciated when the north wind blows in January (yes, it does get cold in sunny South Carolina!). The BSRCC has returned to its scheduled fly-ins, which are as successful as ever. Guests and visitors have provided many good ideas and suggestions for the field and activities, and we intend to expand our fly-in events.
I want to acknowledge everyone who gave their time and money. Mentioning each person by name would encompass the entire club roster and many nonmember family and friends. You know who you are, and you have not been ignored. I reserve the highest compliments for each of you; none of this would have been possible without your help. I am proud to call you my friends and fellow club members.
Thanks for the New Field!
Club officers and benefactors
- Joe Fusco, president
- Wayne Ellison, vice president
- Jim Stewart, treasurer
- Tom Van Norstrand, secretary
- Darrell Long, field marshal
- Nelson Swords, safety officer
- Mike Snyder, safety officer
- Lloyd Moore, safety officer
- Charlie Davenport, landowner
Additional acknowledgments
Many others helped in a variety of ways. The late Jim McNeill (AMA District V vice president) was a source of information, inspiration, and encouragement. Eric Meyers of Hangar 9 helped us sort out the frequency issue. The Lowe’s store in Easley gave us a break on prices and a lot of good advice. The Hobby Connection store in Easley donated materials for the site. Bless you all!
You are all invited to come to the BSRCC field and see what we are proud of. Bring your gear and fly awhile. If you see somebody strutting around with a swollen chest and thumbs, say “Hey!” to one of our volunteers.
Sources
BSRCC (864) 859-0192 www.bsrcc.com
David L. Thomas 105 Moselle Dr. Seneca, SC 29672
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
