Sarasota RC Squadron’s New Field
The Sarasota RC Squadron started planning for its new field approximately seven years ago by opening the "Field Acquisition Fund" and setting aside a percentage of the annual budget for the future. Actual planning began roughly 2½ years ago and culminated with the grand opening on May 20, 2000.
The Grand Opening Committee planned the celebration for three months. It invited all AMA club presidents in Florida, International Miniature Aircraft Association (IMAA) officials, local businessmen who contributed, county officials, and other pioneers of the modeling world. More than 3,000 people attended. Four local newspapers, radio, and three television stations gave the club high visibility in the surrounding communities.
If your club ever gets the slightest hint from a landowner or government body that you may be moving, start planning immediately. Nothing will kill a model-airplane club faster than losing a flying field. You also lose many workers, who burn out if you have to move the field several times.
We were fortunate to have several talented members who, because of background and occupation, stepped up to do what was needed in the early planning stages. We started with a Field Committee that collected the best ideas observed at local fields and incorporated them into the plan. Further down the planning road, a smaller group formed from the original committee to complete the task.
You need the best political contacts with county board members, who can spearhead your ideas through the maze of political twists and turns. You must have a well-planned presentation for commissioners when funding is under consideration. It is important to have some of your own club money to contribute to the project as a show of good faith.
Field Features
- 100 x 500-foot blacktop runway with three taxiways and a paved pit area.
- Pit area designed to accommodate 50 tent fliers on both sides of the paved pit walkway.
- Five-foot-high chain-link fence protecting the pits; additional overflow space at the ends of the 500-foot fenced area.
- Parking lot designed to hold 200 cars in the oil-and-chip paved area; more than 3,000 can park easily in the adjoining 80 acres.
- Capability to handle any size RC meet due to planning and willing, talented membership.
- Local vendor handles concessions and food.
- Local Civil Air Patrol handles parking and retains public donations.
The field is on a closed landfill roughly 100 feet above sea level, located six miles east on Bee Ridge Road off I-75 at Exit 38. There are two locked gates on the property, which is leased from the county. The club owns the runway and the buildings.
Facilities
- Two prebuilt metal buildings purchased by the club:
- Operations building: stores applications, plaques, trainer transmitters, etc.; includes electricity for a refrigerator, central air conditioning, and electrical outlets for charging and repairs in a workshop out of the Florida heat.
- Storage building: houses equipment and tools necessary for field maintenance.
- One of four open-sided sun shelters (with chairs and picnic tables) has been built; more are planned as the budget allows.
Strict noise guidelines are in place. Noise is measured at the borders of our nearest neighbors to guarantee a long stay. It has taken too much hard work and money to risk losing the field because of something such as noise, which can be controlled by vigilance and cooperative club members.
Safety
We have a full-time staff of safety officers who make recommendations to the club when safety is an issue. As we learn and grow, more items are being resolved. The field is large enough to handle turbine jets, and several members have joined since the new field opened.
We have fuel-recovery equipment requiring that an extra fuel tank be attached to catch overflow during fueling. This protects the plastic liner under the landfill from contamination and addresses methane concerns associated with the landfill material.
Responsibility With Membership
If it's everybody's job to do something, you can bet it won't get done at all. We have a dedicated field committee that does a great job of maintaining our site; the county cuts the rest of the landfill grass and maintains the roads. Our board and membership are also committed to the field.
As with most clubs, some members are only going to fly and will be the first to complain when something goes wrong. There's nothing you can do to stop that, but most of our members are very proud of the new field and will pitch in when needed.
If you're going to be in the Sarasota, Fla., area and want to see the field, check our Web site for telephone numbers and additional information at www.sarasotarc.com.
— M.P., M.D.; Eng. R/C; Sarasota, Fla. 34233
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
