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.
Story and Photos: http://www.trivalleycentral.com