AMONG THE MOST enjoyable aspects of
my job are the not-too-infrequent trips that
allow me to meet and get to know modelers
from around the country. Whenever I can, I
combine AMA business with some flying at a
local club or at a contest.
This past month (October for me—
remember lead times … ), I was fortunate
enough to be in Northern California on AMA
business and had the opportunity to visit with
one of my oldest and dearest friends, Phil
Granderson. Phil invited me to stay with him
and his very charming wife, Kathleen, in their
beautiful home in the Oakland Hills that
overlooks the bay. (You really have it rough,
Phil.)
Phil picked me up at the Oakland airport
and gave me a quick tour of the area, and he
capped that off with a visit to his local
Control Line (CL) flying field in the adjacent
town of Alameda.
That field has quite a story behind it. It
seems that the Alameda Aeromodelers began
to fly on a nearby field in the mid- to late
1940s. One of the members of that club was
Bill Osborne. The club moved to the present
field soon after that, and Bill took personal
pride in maintaining the field and in teaching
new modelers to fly.
The fact that this field has survived all
these years is impressive, but more
impressive is the fact that Bill has continued
to nurture new modelers and maintain that
field through all the years since it was
established, contributing large amounts of his
personal funds for upgrades at the facilities,
including barbecue pits, tables, landscaping,
and a recent repaving of the circles!
Bill has also continued to work closely
with the Alameda Town Council and Parks
Department to keep this field alive and active.
This is a special brand of involvement to be
sure, but there’s more.
Bill sees to it that every youngster who
comes to the field to learn to fly—and there
are many—gets a model and an engine. For
those who come with parents, Bill makes a
package of an airplane, engine, lines, and
handle available for a very reasonable
amount. For those kids who have no parental
help, he supplies the materials to them at no
cost. Here’s a man who loves this sport to be
sure.
Bill’s only rule for the many Alameda,
and surrounding town’s, modelers who use
the facility is to be friendly to anyone and
everyone who stops by to watch. Very little to
ask and a great way to entice potential
modelers to join the fun.
Interestingly, this is one of the only model
fields in the country that appears on official
road maps!
As I write this, Bill is in the hospital
battling a serious illness. I salute him for his
efforts in Alameda and send my best wishes
for a quick and complete recovery. We need
this man and many more like him!
Phil also invited me to go with him to
attend the 24th edition of the famous Golden
State Stunt Championships which is contested
each year in Clovis, California. This event
marks the last major CL meet in the Golden
State each year, and it is a veritable spectacle.
The field on which this meet is held is
absolutely stunning—at least to this East
Coaster who is not used to such beautiful field
conditions as are afforded by the sports fields
of Buchanan High School. Apparently this is
a town school system that recognizes the
tangible advantages of working with groups
that bring large numbers of people into their
town for recreational purposes.
The moving force behind this meet is Bill
Swan, who is the contest director. Bill is ably
assisted by his brother Bob and his assistant
contest director Phil Juarez. This is a family
affair, with wives and even grandkids helping
out. I was made to feel very welcome, and I’d
like to thank everyone present for the genuine
reception.
I’d also like to thank Phil for the great
time and especially for the loan of his Diva
Stunt model with which I competed. The Diva
is soon to be presented in these pages as a
construction feature. It’s a good one!
Have you noticed the two common threads in
the stories related in the preceding? Motivated
individuals and insightful local governments
working together can produce amazing results
in terms of finding a place to fly and bringing
Bob Hunt Aeromodeling Editor
Motivated individuals and
insightful local governments
working together can
produce amazing results …
Photo by Paul Vliet
Modeling Spoken Here
Continued on page 1xx
February 2003 7
02sig1.QXD 11.21.02 2:53 pm Page 7
Edition: Model Aviation - 2003/02
Page Numbers: 7