Feeling sky high: With new field, RC flying club hopes to attract more members

 

Steven King/Dispatch 

 Dennis Sivak retrieves pieces of his plane that broke apart upon landing Thursday morning at the city’s RC park located west of Casa Grande Mountain. The plane was quickly repaired and back in the air later that day. Each morning local fliers of radio-controlled airplanes meet to fly their planes and swap stories and ideas about the hobby.

Robson Ranch resident Alan Friedman has been flying radio-controlled model airplanes for more than five years, since his wife told him he needed a hobby and bought him his first plane.

Now, 27 planes later, the president of the Casa Grande RC Flyers and one of the club’s founding members is hoping to increase awareness of the sport and bring more area residents into its ranks.

“It’s a great hobby for anyone,” Friedman said. “Men, women, children. It’s not expensive and it’s fun.”

With the club’s new flying field at 2725 S. Isom Road, on the southwest side of Casa Grande Mountain — land leased to the Casa Grande RC Flyers from the city of Casa Grande for $1 per year — Friedman said now is the perfect time to learn the sport.

“We’ll work with anyone to teach them how to fly,” he said.

Casa Grande RC Flyers is a nonprofit organization. The goal is simple: to promote the hobby of model aircraft flying and improve the skills and knowledge of members.

The group will host its first “Fun Fly” event at 9 a.m. on March 30. The event is part outreach to demonstrate the sport to those who might not be familiar with it.

It’s also a competition open to all Academy of Model Aeronautics members.

“People come from other communities for fun fly events,” Friedman said. “That’s great because you can always learn something.”

The competition features two events, “airplane limbo” and “dogfight,” each aimed at demonstrating the skill and flying know-how of the pilot.

For spectators or newbie flyers, watching planes crash is part of the fun, according to Friedman.

“What’s wonderful is they’re going to crash,” Friedman said. “But they’re repairable.”

Most models can be repaired and back in the air in a matter of minutes, which adds to RC flying’s appeal as a low-cost hobby.

Friedman’s garage, affectionately referred to as the “airplane hangar,” is home to 27 model airplanes and two helicopters.

As the model planes are easy to repair, he still uses one of his first planes, despite the fact that it has crashed several times.

“When a plane crashes, there’s always a big round of applause,” he said.

Remote-controlled model aviation is available in all styles, materials and price points, although airplanes made primarily from Styrofoam are most popular, Friedman said.

Flying a model aircraft uses similar concepts and skills to flying the real thing, said Friedman, who once piloted a real Beechcraft airplane.

Just as in flying a real plane, eye-hand coordination, steering, balance and angling for a gentle landing are important, but unlike piloting a real plane, no formal training or flight experience is required for radio-controlled model aviation, Friedman said.

“People of all ages get involved,” he said. “All walks of life are welcome.”

Having a field specifically designated for model aviation flying makes the sport even more appealing for local hobbyists, he said.

Casa Grande RC Flyers opened the new field in February after more than a year of negotiation and work that started in 2011 when a small group of hobbyists approached the city of Casa Grande asking for space in a park to use as a flying field.

After a group of hobbyists formed themselves into the nonprofit organization, the city offered a lease on 11 acres on South Isom Road.

The city leveled the field and the club went to work building tables and installing fences. Much of the materials were donated by area stores, including Lowe’s and Home Depot.

“We’ve had tremendous support,” Friedman said.

The field includes nine flight tables and a runway with a yellow field marker line for pilots. Spectator safety fences allow guests to watch from a safe distance.

Eventually, the club hopes to install field regulation signs and a wind sock.

The field is maintained by the club, and membership dues of $25 a year help cover the cost of maintenance. While only club members can use the field, Friedman said the cost of membership is kept low to encourage people to join.

“Anyone who joins the club can use the facility,” he said.

Casa Grande RC Flyers has about 104 members, including residents of Casa Grande, Eloy, Coolidge, Florence and Tucson.

While promoting the hobby is the key goal of the club, it also hopes to use its events, like the upcoming fun fly, to give back to the community.

Much of the money raised at events will be donated to charity and in some cases, churches or organizations might be invited to sell concessions at events, Friedman said.

Flying radio-controlled planes can be either a competitive sport or a solo hobby, but Friedman said that the camaraderie of standing in a field guiding a plane is half the fun.

“We solve the world’s problems standing out there flying these planes and talking,” he said. “It’s great and we welcome anyone.”

For more information about joining Casa Grande RC Flyers, visit the website at www.casagrandercflyers.com.


The newly formed Casa Grande RC Flyers will hold their first “Fun Fly” at their new field, 2725 S. Isom Road, at 9 a.m. on March 30. Spectators and guests may watch for free. Those participating must be members of the Academy of Model Aeronautics. To learn more about joining the Casa Grande RC Flyers, visit www.CasagrandeRCFlyers.com.

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