Modesto RC Club Secures a Site
by Michael Heer
Background
When I joined the Modesto Radio Control Club in 1997, it was an established group focused on flying RC gliders and beginning to expand into RC electric airplanes. The club had one flying site—Beyer High School in Modesto—with official access to the field on Sunday mornings only.
Although the permit gave us "exclusive" use for that time period, several Sundays a year the field was filled with young soccer players, and we knew better than to get into a fight with them over field access at a school site. We also had to contend with unauthorized use of the baseball field that conflicted with our spring and early-summer use. It was clear we needed an additional site where we would have access seven days a week, all year. Buying land was out of the question for a small club, and the problems associated with finding a new site were numerous.
Some members preferred to stay at Beyer High School because it offered a level field, no rocks, and mowed grass maintained by the school district. Others wanted to pursue a larger, dedicated site that would allow full-size hi-starts and winches and make the club more active. This division reflected a common problem clubs face when they already have an existing—but limited—place to fly. We have continued to maintain our right to use Beyer High School on the same terms as in the past.
Site search: Modesto Reservoir
Several members explored possible sites, testing them for suitability. One promising location about 20 miles east of Modesto was the Modesto Reservoir, a park run by the Stanislaus County Parks Department.
- The east side of the reservoir presented difficulty finding an area big enough to set up a full-size hi-start. We sometimes had to anchor on a hilltop and launch from a slope—hardly ideal—but we discovered large-diameter thermals close to the ground, making the area worth pursuing.
- A field on the west side of the park looked large enough to allow hi-starts and winches facing prevailing wind directions, making the field usable roughly 85% of the time. However, three main problems remained:
- A barbwire fence ran through the field, effectively cutting it in half so neither side alone was large enough.
- Cattle grazed the field in winter, leaving hoofprints that became hard, ankle-spraining holes in the dry months.
- The rural fire department used the field for summer grass-fire training.
Many members were ready to abandon the site, but club president Jeff Hunter and Michael Leedy continued to pursue it. They, along with Dave Darling, Bob Hoffman, Lloyd Bridge, and myself, met with the local park supervisor and staff. Jeff attended county park meetings to explore options.
Jeff and Mike learned the park staff wanted increased recreational use and decreased pasture use. The park agreed to remove the barbwire fence from the middle of the proposed field and replace it with perimeter fencing. That fence work was done in late summer 1999.
Early improvements and work parties
After the fence was moved, we organized work parties to remove rocks from the field surface. Boy Scout Troop 141 assisted as a service project and enjoyed flying buddy-box gliders during a campout at the park. Using the field during this time showed potential, but a runway and glider landing area still needed to be built.
In late summer 1999 and beyond, the club was split between members who wanted to keep things small at Beyer High School and those who wanted to develop the reservoir field for larger operations.
Events, agreements, and further development
- March 2000: We held an open-house event to showcase the field's glider potential. We built a runway for electrics on an adjacent hill. About 25 pilots from Northern California attended, along with many club members and families. The turnout demonstrated to park staff that we could draw a crowd.
- Summer 2000: Jeff Hunter negotiated a one-year formal agreement for club use of the park site. We developed site-specific safety rules incorporating AMA safety rules. The first-year agreement included no site fee for the club, but park entry requires the usual daily or annual vehicle fee, generating revenue for the park.
- 2001: We held an electrics fun-fly with a World War I theme that brought about 100 visitors over the weekend. For the event we made a crude dirt runway on the main field. During 2001 the park got a new on-site supervisor and the county parks overseer changed; the club continued using the site. The cows were banned from the site after spring 2001.
- Late 2001: We laid out a dirt runway and installed posts for wind screens. The club rented a small roller to smooth the runway (Gene Dias drove; park employee John Lamella ran a grader behind him—John has since become a Modesto RC Club member).
- Early March 2002: Club members used a line to position flags to mark the area for a new runway; the 2001 runway was allowed to return to grass.
The park staff graded an area roughly 40 x 270 feet for a permanent runway and also graded a landing zone for gliders. Club members have removed several more tons of rocks by hand and agreed to assume maintenance of the field, including mowing and runway upkeep.
The club’s efforts have increased park visitation by members and spectators. The physical changes we have made are minor in the landscape and have no negative effect on park wildlife or topography; to the eye, our changes would largely disappear in a single growing season. The park staff and county supervisors have been encouraging and supportive, and we planned to enter a long-term arrangement with the parks department in the spring following these developments.
Improvements planned
Near-term:
- Plant shade trees (club will water them).
- Install a barbecue and picnic tables in the pit area.
Long-term:
- Small shade shelters.
- Water to the site.
These improvements fit within the parks department’s plans for more trees and visitor amenities without interfering with flying operations.
Club philosophy, access, and fees
The philosophy adopted by those pursuing the reservoir site was: "If we build it, they will come." That remains our approach.
- The field is open to any AMA member for flying RC gliders and electrics.
- Park entry fees: $5 per vehicle in winter and $6 per vehicle the rest of the year. Annual passes are available.
- We continue to maintain our right to use Beyer High School as before.
Location: The site is at the Modesto Reservoir, just off Highway 132, roughly five miles east of the town of Waterford.
Our club motto is: "Come fly with us."
Michael Heer 3775 Hatchers Cir. Stockton, CA 95219 [email protected]
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
