Buder Park History - American Modeler 1961

[Fred Cronenwett]

This is an interesting article about how Buder Park happened back in 1961, 55 years later still the same location and flying circles. Hard to imagine how people and flights have been flown at this site.

Here is a link to our website with the article since the PDF document is too large to post on the forum directly

Fred

https://lafayetteesquadrillecl.files.wordpress.com/2017/02/buder-park-american-modeler-sept-1961.pdf

[Tom Niebuhr]

Fred.
Since I flew at Buder Park for 9 years when I was a member of the Yellow Jackets, I am very interested in the article. Unfortunately I was unable to download your link.

[Fred Cronenwett]

It took a few minutes to load up from the website, it's a big file so that may be the problem

fred

[Wayne J. Buran]

Fred, thanks for posting. Interesting read. About the same time plans were in the wind for similar accomplishment in Cleveland, Ohio. I am glad I managed to fly at Buder contests, Cleveland, Dayton and Detroit. So long ago it seems. However on a sad note you couldn't pull that off today. Just the FAA and EPA would make it almost impossible if not doubtful. Don't let some idiots cause you to lose Buder.
Wayne

[Larry Fruits]

Thanks Fred.
 Buder Park was my home field for 31 years, '68 to '99 and this article helped to fill in some of the history that I did not know about its construction. Flew with Tom Niebuhr there in the early '70's. Many others as well. Lots of memories and stories from those many years. It looks a little different today than it did in those early years, but is still a beautiful facility and a treasure for model flying activities. Although no longer my home field, I enjoy returning and attending the contests held there each year.

 Larry Fruits

[john e. holliday]

Thanks for the article.  I graduated high school in 60.  I have flown contests at Buder many times.  My son's first contest was at Bu8der in a beginners event.  Have attended team trials there when all three facets were run, F2A, F2B and F2C.   I too have been fortunate to have been able to fly at various sites in this great land of ours and I put Buder Park as the best.

[Fred Cronenwett]

Buder Park will be getting a facelift this year with the circles getting resurfaced (all three of them) so it will be smooth, no cracks, no weeds growing thru the cracks, pebbles, sand and other debris.  The lease was just recently signed again with GLSMA for another 5 years so we are good. Lafayette Esquadrille jealously defends the flying circles and help maintain the site. Just the like article said about help needed to get the site going that still applies today to keep the site looking great.

I want especially thank Dan McEntee who found the article in his collection of magazines. He gave me a copy to share with everyone.

Fred

[Dan McEntee]

   Did everyone notice what the core group of the GSLMA was made of?? ALL control line clubs! A little side history, if I have it straight in my mind. Our club is called the Lafayette Esquadrille. The spelling of Esquadrille was made that way purposely. in the article it mentions that there were several clubs in that area dealing with complaints and noise issues when flying from school yards and parking lots. The clubs (there may have been seven at one time, according to the late Gus Vogle) and they were sprinkled around four municipalities that shared boarders. It was these club from the four municipalities that is referred to by the "quad" in Esquadrille. Imagine, anywhere from 4 to 7 C/L clubs within a few miles of each other! And the Hazelwood club that was mentioned just 20 miles away up by Lambert Field. I have hopes that we will still have Buder for the foreseeable future, especially after Mother Nature put 20 feet of water on top of the speed circle! And the speed circle is the highest spot in the park, except for the train tracks. The wind gets pretty funky coming through the now adult trees, but it is a great facility, and sometimes you can just feel the spirit of what went on there over the years.
   Type at you later,
    Dan McEntee

[Tom Niebuhr]

Fred,
This time it loaded fast.. My computer is driving me nuts, Anti virus says it is clean, but I am not sure.

I remember Gus Vogle. Great guy,  Also new most of the people in the area from about 1964 to 1974.

Thanks for posting this.

[Les McDonald]

I only flew at Buder Park one time, the 1973 team trials on Labor Day weekend.
 I placed fifth in the contest and learned a lot but the best takeaway was cementing my friendship with Bob Gialdini.
 I could just smell the history on those circles.