Jet Rally 2006
by Shirley Brenon
Fast jets, high winds, and great company
Like the phoenix rising from the ashes, the Coachella Valley RC Club east of Palm Springs, California, restored its flying facility after a microburst/twister zeroed in on its field in October 2005. In addition to restoring the damage, the club members also upgraded their facility in time to host the California Radio Control Jet Association’s 2006 Best in the West Jet Rally, which took place April 20–23.
The site restoration was not a one-man job. It was a group effort that required a great deal of organization, cooperation, and problem-solving techniques.
Just three years ago the club members were enjoying their flying park’s comfortable amenities, complete with a view of the Santa Rosa Mountains and the snow atop Mt. San Gorgonio. However, on the morning of October 17, 2005, club secretary/treasurer Dick Knapp learned that all the club’s hard work had practically been destroyed by an unusual weather phenomenon.
According to Dick:
“Over the weekend of October 15–16 a series of storms moved through the Coachella Valley, accompanied by heavy rain and winds up to 35 mph. On Monday I went to check out the field.
“When I pulled into the parking area I was astounded, as two of our five sections of shade structure had been totally destroyed.
“The 2.5-inch-diameter pipes that supported the structure were snapped off at the base and one was partially torn loose from the concrete pad.
“All the remaining posts were also bent and some had started to crack at the weld. Also, the tables were blown over, their tops broken, and every chair that had wheels under it was blown out into the desert. A small building that was to house a men’s and women’s toilet was blown off its railroad-tie base and rolled some 30 feet.
“In addition, the heavy rains had totally overwhelmed the runoff water control system and the runway was covered in water and mud. On the downhill side of the runway there was severe erosion of the desert sand.”
The members were notified of the destruction, and then-club president Murray Ross called an emergency meeting of the board. It drew up a battle plan, and the members dug into their pockets for funds and began work.
With all the work ahead of them, the hobby of flying or building airplanes took a backseat. Soon an armada of heavy equipment began to arrive on the property. The din of Caterpillars, Bobcats, skip loaders, and water trucks, manned by members, replaced the sound of model engines as the parking lot was a hive of activity.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
