FLYING FIELDS: Does your Club Rent, Buy, Lease or Free?

[Shug Emery]

Like the title says....could you tell me generally what Clubs pay or don't pay to aquire a flying field.
Park Land, Industrial areas or wherever.
Thank you.
Shug

[mike londke]

We flew on an undeveloped piece of land North of Nashville for over 10 years. It was owned by a friend of one of the guys I fly with. We had the field for free as long as we had AMA.  In 2013 the owner decided to put a truck stop there so we got the boot. One of the other local flyers decided it was time to move out of the city and bought a home on 5 acres. We have a very nice grass circle he maintains right in his from yard. We usually fly on Sundays but we can use the field anytime we want. I also have a friend who owns a private airport about 15 minutes away from me where I fly my powered paraglider. Sometimes I fly CL there too.

[Brad LaPointe]

The Bean Field Flyers field is located on the back 40 of our family farm . It all sounds great (and is) as far as ease of access and being close at hand .

The grass cutting and field upkeep keep me busy in spring. This is a good way to spend windy days. Having farm equipment handy for bigger projects is a bonus. Unless you are actually farming!

Our club holds two contests  most years plus a fun fly on Labour Day weekend.

Brad LaPointe
MAAC 5418L

30167 Esterville Rd.
Dresden On.,
N0P 1M0

[Shug Emery]

We flew on an undeveloped piece of land North of Nashville for over 10 years. It was owned by a friend of one of the guys I fly with. We had the field for free as long as we had AMA.  In 2013 the owner decided to put a truck stop there so we got the boot. One of the other local flyers decided it was time to move out of the city and bought a home on 5 acres. We have a very nice grass circle he maintains right in his from yard. We usually fly on Sundays but we can use the field anytime we want. I also have a friend who owns a private airport about 15 minutes away from me where I fly my powered paraglider. Sometimes I fly CL there too.

Sounds like you have a real good spot.
I'd like to have a full time field so I could solo fly when I want. I have mainly weekdays open due to my work schedule and love to go stooge fly and work on stuff without holding up others.
Thankee Mike.

The Bean Field Flyers field is located on the back 40 of our family farm . It all sounds great (and is) as far as ease of access and being close at hand .

The grass cutting and field upkeep keep me busy in spring. This is a good way to spend windy days. Having farm equipment handy for bigger projects is a bonus. Unless you are actually farming!

Our club holds two contests  most years plus a fun fly on Labour Day weekend.

Brad LaPointe
MAAC 5418L

30167 Esterville Rd.
Dresden On.,
N0P 1M0

OK....going to buy a farm today!
Sounds like a great site for sure. I am sure the upkeep takes work but farm equipment would certainly help.

[peabody]

Hi Sean
I am a member in two fields here in Paradise. one here in Venice and another in Ellenton (37 miles away). Both are on landfills with no rent payments (but, I understand, HUGE amounts of politicking involved).
Venice has a 400' X 50' paved RC runway and a 1/3 lap paved CL strip. Good, clean air. The club paid for all of the improvements...including pavement.... There are three sheds (one for mowers, one for generators and other equipment and one that is used for serving food and storage). There are two small-ish solar power stations that provide enough for five or six electric fliers. The club maintains the entire facility. There are about 130 members and the annual dues is $95.00. Contests or other events require rental of an additional outhouse and a fairly expensive permit to serve food. The annual budget is around $10K, with a reserve fund of $1K annually to repair the runway.
The Ellenton facility (Manatee County Radio Controllers) is on an UNCAPPED landfill, meaning that when water "ponds" the local authorities bring lots of dirt and debris in to fill the voids. It is up to the club to make the surface as smooth as possible. The MCRC has a 500' X 150' grass runway as well as a 120' X 10' concrete take off pad for UC. Although no rental fee is paid, the club is responsible for all upkeep, and the club has a fleet of equipment stored in three steel containers. The MCRC has a double wide mobile home (actually an old temporary school building) with separate men's and ladies rooms, running water and heat/AC. There is also a "Pilot's Den" that has hot water/full electric and is used for serving food at events and at monthly meetings. There are 8 sheds along the RC flight line and another at the UC area that are fully electrified. There are around 100 members and the annual dues is $100. The budget is very close to annual dues intake, but there is a little in reserve for emergencies....
The politics of obtaining a suitable site are slow and difficult, at best. Rich Giacobone and I (and others) spent a decade trying to obtain a permanent site in Bergen County, NJ, to no avail......we were awarded several temporary sites, the best being the Palisades Park swimming pool site, which we used from Labor Day to Memorial Day.
Have fun!

[Shug Emery]

Hi Sean
I am a member in two fields here in Paradise. one here in Venice and another in Ellenton (37 miles away). Both are on landfills with no rent payments (but, I understand, HUGE amounts of politicking involved).
Venice has a 400' X 50' paved RC runway and a 1/3 lap paved CL strip. Good, clean air. The club paid for all of the improvements...including pavement.... There are three sheds (one for mowers, one for generators and other equipment and one that is used for serving food and storage). There are two small-ish solar power stations that provide enough for five or six electric fliers. The club maintains the entire facility. There are about 130 members and the annual dues is $95.00. Contests or other events require rental of an additional outhouse and a fairly expensive permit to serve food. The annual budget is around $10K, with a reserve fund of $1K annually to repair the runway.
The Ellenton facility (Manatee County Radio Controllers) is on an UNCAPPED landfill, meaning that when water "ponds" the local authorities bring lots of dirt and debris in to fill the voids. It is up to the club to make the surface as smooth as possible. The MCRC has a 500' X 150' grass runway as well as a 120' X 10' concrete take off pad for UC. Although no rental fee is paid, the club is responsible for all upkeep, and the club has a fleet of equipment stored in three steel containers. The MCRC has a double wide mobile home (actually an old temporary school building) with separate men's and ladies rooms, running water and heat/AC. There is also a "Pilot's Den" that has hot water/full electric and is used for serving food at events and at monthly meetings. There are 8 sheds along the RC flight line and another at the UC area that are fully electrified. There are around 100 members and the annual dues is $100. The budget is very close to annual dues intake, but there is a little in reserve for emergencies....
The politics of obtaining a suitable site are slow and difficult, at best. Rich Giacobone and I (and others) spent a decade trying to obtain a permanent site in Bergen County, NJ, to no avail......we were awarded several temporary sites, the best being the Palisades Park swimming pool site, which we used from Labor Day to Memorial Day.
Have fun!

Great info...thankee.
Was the pool site in NJ where I always see the wild Hogs flying on windy's videos? He is always getting miffed about folks driving all over it....haaaa.

[peabody]

No
The pool site was a 400' X 400' paved parking lot....at the end of an access road....the issue was that people learning to drive didn't seem to understand the concept of "police tape" and barrels....

The GSCB rent a site in Lincoln park, with three circles and some parking....that's where the issue with locals tearing up the grass evolved.....field rent there, along with mowing and outhouse rental is around $9K annually....hence the vital need to make money on the food, contest revenue and the annual Swap Meet.

Have fun!

[Fredvon4]

A RC club I briefly belonged to has Leased Corps of Engineers property since 1982 on a five year lease Memorandum of Understanding.

Over the years the CoE has incrementally increased the lease cost, to now about $5200 for each 5 year renewal.  There are severe restrictions on what we may or may not do to improve the property. The biggest pain is we MUST ALLOW non members to fly is they choose to. The only concession we got the CoE to agree to was that any NON Member who wants to use the site must prove AMA insurance

In the late 90s there was some serious discussion of just pooling $$$ and buying 20 acres of Texas dirt, and search for  property was started.

But the club self appointed lawyer did some research and pointed out some discouraging facts about Texas Incorporation law and the grief of disposing of the property if the club ever needed to move or disband.  Seems liquidation of "Incorporated as a Not for Profit entity" Real property is a giant problem

Boils down to; each club member who donated the initial cash to purchase the property. is entitled to full reimbursement. However, after the sale and these reimbursements distributed ....any excess from sale of property must be donated away in such a way as no member or officer may profit.

This is Cen-Tex Modelers, a  flying club incorporated in 1972 and closely tied to Fort Hood Texas

Another problematic area of dealing with CoE.... over the years there have been dozens of regional CoE commanders that are responsible, during their tenure, of the overall Park properties in this region. Two CoE commanders, in the past, did not want to re-new the lease. The lease MoU was written such (originally) so that the Club always had right to re-new.  BUT there were a lot of ways the CoE could break the renewal clause. One way was to inspect, find defect, and demand correction. The two times they pulled this stunt, the club did the correction but still had to Pay a lawyer to intercede and defend our right to renew.

[Randy Powell]

Right now, we have no site. We are looking for one. Joy.

[Shug Emery]

No
The pool site was a 400' X 400' paved parking lot....at the end of an access road....the issue was that people learning to drive didn't seem to understand the concept of "police tape" and barrels....

The GSCB rent a site in Lincoln park, with three circles and some parking....that's where the issue with locals tearing up the grass evolved.....field rent there, along with mowing and outhouse rental is around $9K annually....hence the vital need to make money on the food, contest revenue and the annual Swap Meet.

Have fun!

So....not cheap!

A RC club I briefly belonged to has Leased Corps of Engineers property since 1982 on a five year lease Memorandum of Understanding.

Over the years the CoE has incrementally increased the lease cost, to now about $5200 for each 5 year renewal.  There are severe restrictions on what we may or may not do to improve the property. The biggest pain is we MUST ALLOW non members to fly is they choose to. The only concession we got the CoE to agree to was that any NON Member who wants to use the site must prove AMA insurance

In the late 90s there was some serious discussion of just pooling $$$ and buying 20 acres of Texas dirt, and search for  property was started.

But the club self appointed lawyer did some research and pointed out some discouraging facts about Texas Incorporation law and the grief of disposing of the property if the club ever needed to move or disband.  Seems liquidation of "Incorporated as a Not for Profit entity" Real property is a giant problem

Boils down to; each club member who donated the initial cash to purchase the property. is entitled to full reimbursement. However, after the sale and these reimbursements distributed ....any excess from sale of property must be donated away in such a way as no member or officer may profit.

This is Cen-Tex Modelers, a  flying club incorporated in 1972 and closely tied to Fort Hood Texas

Another problematic area of dealing with CoE.... over the years there have been dozens of regional CoE commanders that are responsible, during their tenure, of the overall Park properties in this region. Two CoE commanders, in the past, did not want to re-new the lease. The lease MoU was written such (originally) so that the Club always had right to re-new.  BUT there were a lot of ways the CoE could break the renewal clause. One way was to inspect, find defect, and demand correction. The two times they pulled this stunt, the club did the correction but still had to Pay a lawyer to intercede and defend our right to renew.

Thankee. Sounds like some work but worth it.

Right now, we have no site. We are looking for one. Joy.

Good luck. No fun.
We have a partial use field but it does not allow me to go fly on the weekdays in the morning solo. Way better than nothing though.
I also go out with my electrics around some local spots. I mix them up so as not to seem to regular. Kinda always looking over my shoulder. For some reason feel like a criminal!

[Fredvon4]

Shug

I would caution any serious effort to deal with Corps of Engineers be thought out well, enlist the current AMA guy in all negotiations, and do absolutely hire a good lawyer to ensure the Memorandum or Agreement (MOA) or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and final Lease Papers are properly written to protect BOTH entities

Some other things I know... The CoE has a history in most states with these leases and they are savvy on the hows and whys of most hobby clubs. This actually helps because a club does not have to do a large song and dance routine to explain the desired use of the property.

On the other hand they are leasing Federal Land that can at any time become no longer Federal funded (BRAC) so they prefer short term leases.

They also have stricter land use and modification concerns THANKS to Tree Huggers and EPA....
This means most any improvements like a building, Over head cover, electricity, sewer, water, run way, parking, or fences, must have an CoE APPROVED plan ( time and cost) and almost always must be temporary--- and readily able to be removed and the land returned to original natural condition...

Our field was a grass runway ... simply desiring to grade it out and plant a different type grass was a long expensive negotiation

As Secretary and Treasurer for the club, I spent much more time each year dealing with the CoE than flying and having fun

Successful long term use of CoE property starts with a solid well written MOU/MOA  AND ALL members knowing EXACTLY what can and Can NOT be done with the property

[Randy Cuberly]

The Cholla Choppers  Model Airplane Club in Tucson Arizona is the home of the Vintage Stunt Championships (Incidentally, to be held here March 7-11 2017), and has a large flying field with three paved circles and three grass circles!
The field is provided by the Tucson Parks and Recreation Department and partially maintained by them.  The club is responsible for maintenance of the paved circle surfaces but the paving was originally provided by the City of Tucson.

It wasn't always this good but hard work and the establishment of a good relationship with the Parks Department many years ago was instrumental in getting and keeping the use of the area.  It remains a multi-use facility but the club has priority on mornings until noon and can reserve all of the facilities, all day, for contests etc.

It may not be the perfect arrangement but it's certainly close!

Anyone who lives in an area where a Parks and Recreation group controls land area should certainly explore the potential for establishing a relationship with the leadership to get the use of a facility.  These people are usually politically tied to City or County Politicians for their jobs and will listen to promotions that can bring money and people into the City or Township area.  
That was a fairly big issue in our original presentation to them and was buoyed by the creation of VSC by Mike Keville around about that time!
Even 50 to 100 people coming into a township etc. for a weekend can have a positive effect on an area economy, and politicians and their minions know that!

We were also lucky in that the people we dealt with in the Parks Department were receptive because they were simply nice people.  That always helps!

We, as a club, are very grateful to the Parks and Recreation Dept. and the City of Tucson for their support over many years!

Randy Cuberly

[Will Davis]

The Huntersville North Carolina site is owned and maintained by the County Parks Dept, we purchase a yearly pass and get a gate key for our use 7 days a week , daylight to dark ,. The cost of each pass is $ 25

We can reserve the field any time for control line use only at no cost , we have 2  control line use only paved circles and one  control line only grass circle  with  extra circles on the rc runway for contest use,  for a total of 7 circles .

30 plus years of good relationship with Mecklinburg county parks dept  and many monthly meeting has paid off with a permanent control line site since 1988

[Shug Emery]

Shug

I would caution any serious effort to deal with Corps of Engineers be thought out well, enlist the current AMA guy in all negotiations, and do absolutely hire a good lawyer to ensure the Memorandum or Agreement (MOA) or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and final Lease Papers are properly written to protect BOTH entities

Some other things I know... The CoE has a history in most states with these leases and they are savvy on the hows and whys of most hobby clubs. This actually helps because a club does not have to do a large song and dance routine to explain the desired use of the property.

On the other hand they are leasing Federal Land that can at any time become no longer Federal funded (BRAC) so they prefer short term leases.

They also have stricter land use and modification concerns THANKS to Tree Huggers and EPA....
This means most any improvements like a building, Over head cover, electricity, sewer, water, run way, parking, or fences, must have an CoE APPROVED plan ( time and cost) and almost always must be temporary--- and readily able to be removed and the land returned to original natural condition...

Our field was a grass runway ... simply desiring to grade it out and plant a different type grass was a long expensive negotiation

As Secretary and Treasurer for the club, I spent much more time each year dealing with the CoE than flying and having fun

Successful long term use of CoE property starts with a solid well written MOU/MOA  AND ALL members knowing EXACTLY what can and Can NOT be done with the property

Whoa....sounds complicated!
Thank you.

The Cholla Choppers  Model Airplane Club in Tucson Arizona is the home of the Vintage Stunt Championships (Incidentally, to be held here March 7-11 2017), and has a large flying field with three paved circles and three grass circles!
The field is provided by the Tucson Parks and Recreation Department and partially maintained by them.  The club is responsible for maintenance of the paved circle surfaces but the paving was originally provided by the City of Tucson.

It wasn't always this good but hard work and the establishment of a good relationship with the Parks Department many years ago was instrumental in getting and keeping the use of the area.  It remains a multi-use facility but the club has priority on mornings until noon and can reserve all of the facilities, all day, for contests etc.

It may not be the perfect arrangement but it's certainly close!

Anyone who lives in an area where a Parks and Recreation group controls land area should certainly explore the potential for establishing a relationship with the leadership to get the use of a facility.  These people are usually politically tied to City or County Politicians for their jobs and will listen to promotions that can bring money and people into the City or Township area.  
That was a fairly big issue in our original presentation to them and was buoyed by the creation of VSC by Mike Keville around about that time!
Even 50 to 100 people coming into a township etc. for a weekend can have a positive effect on an area economy, and politicians and their minions know that!

We were also lucky in that the people we dealt with in the Parks Department were receptive because they were simply nice people.  That always helps!

We, as a club, are very grateful to the Parks and Recreation Dept. and the City of Tucson for their support over many years!

Randy Cuberly

I have seen pix of your flying field...lucky ya'll.
Thanks for the intel.

The Huntersville North Carolina site is owned and maintained by the County Parks Dept, we purchase a yearly pass and get a gate key for our use 7 days a week , daylight to dark ,. The cost of each pass is $ 25

We can reserve the field any time for control line use only at no cost , we have 2  control line use only paved circles and one  control line only grass circle  with  extra circles on the rc runway for contest use,  for a total of 7 circles .

30 plus years of good relationship with Mecklinburg county parks dept  and many monthly meeting has paid off with a permanent control line site since 1988

You fellers have a top-notch field for sure.
Nice to hear the details Will. What a great deal for ya'll.
Thankee.

[Fredvon4]

Shug

I thought I read somewhere that someone may try to get part of the Twin Cities Army Ammo plant property for a flying site

I have seen many examples where former Federal land that was given back to the local public included a variety of new venues for Parks and Recreation activities

[Shug Emery]

Shug

I thought I read somewhere that someone may try to get part of the Twin Cities Army Ammo plant property for a flying site

I have seen many examples where former Federal land that was given back to the local public included a variety of new venues for Parks and Recreation activities

A club member has been in touch and working on that for a while but I got the impression it does not look promising in the long run.
I'm the restless type so I too am putting out some feelers to a contact to see if there are any other solutions.
All this intel certainly helps.
Just want a full time flying site.

[john e. holliday]

Dave Trible is the one here that has been working with the individual in charge of the area we are trying to use.  He is also responsible for the ties we have put down trying to discourage the brainless twit that keeps tearing up the grass.   I could live with the west side being roughed up because during wet weather I got the mower stuck over there.   Now with the ties in place it is still getting in and tearing up the center area.  Right now Shawnee Police,  the Auction company, the Grain farmer and Game & Wildlife are looking to catch the characters.  There are two other places I could fly but are 30 miles away and you need a permit to use them.

[Fred Cronenwett]

The Lafayette Esquadrille uses Buder Park which is leased and local pilots have to get a $30 annual pass to fly there. The RC and CL flying site are all managed by the GLSMA group which manages both flying sites for CL and RC.

Fred

[Randy Powell]

I sometimes think the best option is going to be just buy a 5 acre piece somewhere away for people, grade the thing, plant grass and fence it then go flying. If I can figure out a way to afford it.

[Steve Helmick]

Right now, we have no site. We are looking for one. Joy.

Well, there is the Chehalis Airport. We have, or soon will have, paid the site insurance on that, and the 2017 NWSR contests are planed for being there. We can also go flying at the same old site at Arlington Airport. Bruce and John fly there. If you're using electrons, Howard's new digs apparently came with a Stunt Ranch included. There is also the soccer field annex E. of Renton on Maple Valley Hwy, and a park or schoolyard here or there. I am planning on doing some law breaking this summer. Can I call you to "throw my bail", if need be? I'll promise to show up for my court dates...  Steve 

[johnt4051]

In Eugene, Ore., we are using three different sites, all of which have their limitations.
  1. We have flown at Eugene Airport since 1968, the last 30 years at the overflow parking lot, which was designed in the 1980s to accommodate CL flying when not being used for parking.  It is a perfect CL site with room for seven circles on asphalt and grass.  Alas, in recent years, the airport staff has been less friendly to model flying and parking and rental car storage on the lot has increased, meaning we fly there once in a while instead of all the time.  We are told that we will lose it entirely sometime this summer when the site is redeveloped for rental car washing and parking.  When we can use the site, we pay the city $30 per session.
  2. A friendly horse enthusiast has let us develop a grass circle on his ranch.  We have groomed a circle and planted lots of grass.  The site has three main problems: 1) No asphalt.  2) The one nearby neighbor is touchy about noise; we have worked out a truce with him, but there is another house being built right across the street.  3) The site is more or less a swamp from November to April.  We all chip in and give the ranch owner $5 per flier whenever we fly.
  3. From November through April, we are allowed to fly in the grass area of a local county park.  This section of the park, which is near a lake, is closed to the public in the winter but we have a permit to fly during the "closed" months.  There is room for two grass circles.  This has been a lifesaver for us in the winter because of the problems at sites 1 and 2.  This site is near some mobile homes, so we try not to make too much noise.  No complaints so far.  We paid the county $125 for the three-year permit, and they require us all to get a county parks parking pass at a discounted rate of $10 per season.
  It's a little costly for the club becasue we are paying for insurance on three sites.

--jt

[rich gorrill]

The Philly Fliers are lucky enough to fly on land in two Pa. state parks. One in N.E. Phila. and one in bucks Co. I think a lease is signed with the state each year ans a nominal fee paid to the state. Upkeep of the sites is all on the club. We own our own mowers.

[Dave_Trible]

Dave Trible is the one here that has been working with the individual in charge of the area we are trying to use.  He is also responsible for the ties we have put down trying to discourage the brainless twit that keeps tearing up the grass.   I could live with the west side being roughed up because during wet weather I got the mower stuck over there.   Now with the ties in place it is still getting in and tearing up the center area.  Right now Shawnee Police,  the Auction company, the Grain farmer and Game & Wildlife are looking to catch the characters.  There are two other places I could fly but are 30 miles away and you need a permit to use them.

The last few weeks, with good weather, I've been trying to get the field in usable shape.  Today I carried the last 30 or so buckets of dirt over from the bean field, finished hoeing and raking and laid down the first 50 pounds of grass seed.  I'll put down another 50 in a week or two. I got the last of the ties staked down a couple weeks ago and so far they've left it alone.  Cross your fingers...

Dave

[Howard Rush]

I sometimes think the best option is going to be just buy a 5 acre piece somewhere away for people, grade the thing, plant grass and fence it then go flying. If I can figure out a way to afford it.

That's what I did.  It took a good chunk of my vortex generator money.

[Bob Heywood]

The Dayton Buzzin' Buzzards field is on municipal property managed by the City of Dayton Division of Parks & Recreation. Our club has enjoyed this association since the mid-1950s. Our current site is actually the third location since we started with the city. There is no direct cost to the club. However, in recent years we have been required to shoulder the burden of maintenance. In the past year the city cut back mowing to four times a year. The club has to cut the grass in between times. It's a lot of grass.

[Jim Kraft]

I remember the good old days when we lived in a small town of about 5,000 people, and had at least 5 ball diamonds, and two parks to fly in. We had a small club of bout 15 guys that met on weekends to fly. When you stop and think about it that was quite a few considering the size of the town. We also had a small hobby shop in town that carried all the necessary stuff. Lots of kits and engines along with balsa, fuel, dope.

 Now I have to drive 27 miles to the R/C field which has a good site with concrete pads for takeoff and in the circle center. Guess I should not complain. It does cost $75,00 a year, but that is not bad considering the facilities. AMA is also required. But I sure enjoyed the good old days.

[Dwayne]

I'm so lucky, I belong to a very healthy R/C club that has been on the same site and owned by 4 club members since 1958, one of which still fly's C/L from time to time, the field is shaped like an L so there is plenty of room for one circle.
www.krcm.org

[Shug Emery]

Thanks for all the great pictures and responses everybody.
Shug

[Scott Richlen]

NVCL flies on Bureau of Land Management Land.  We initially flew there when it was private property with the permission of the land owner.  But then it got bought up and traded to the Federal Government in a land swap engineered by the local politicians.  Once it became Federal property we were promptly kicked off.  It took us 5 years of campaigning and politicking to get back on again.  That was about 10 years ago.  Things have worked out pretty well since.  We maintain the fields and pay a fee whenever we have a contest.  It's a lot of work and a few members carry the rest.  But it is a very nice flying site and worth the effort.

Scott

[Richard Logston]

Randy Powell, Don't they fly at the Chehalis airport? Or is it just rc? Richard

[Rich Perry]

  I am currently in negotiations with my local high school to gain access to the soccer/football fields.  They are fenced and kept locked, which would be really nice if I can gain a permit.  Then I will not have to worry about being pestered.  My problem is I fly combat, so those noisy mofo's make it even harder to find a place to fly.  But it seems the schools around here might be my best bet.  It is not legal to fly in the parks where I live.

[Don Chandler]

Happily I live on a few acres and have my own circle complete with concrete center 10 foot diameter to stand on while flying. No club though. Used to be 5 of us but thru death, divorces , old age and R/C I'm down to me and my stooge!

[Shug Emery]

Happily I live on a few acres and have my own circle complete with concrete center 10 foot diameter to stand on while flying. No club though. Used to be 5 of us but thru death, divorces , old age and R/C I'm down to me and my stooge!

Yes, nice to have someone to fly with sometimes. But flying alone is nice too.

[john vlna]

we lost our field last year, it was free. We have struck a new deal with a local RC club for a circle. The cost is the price to join the RC club, the dues pay for some maintenance, and they seem willing to help with capital improvement. All in all not a bad deal. They also are OK with no mufflers up to .56 I believe, sort of a crazy cutoff point, but the site is remote.

[Alex Rillos]

The last few weeks, with good weather, I've been trying to get the field in usable shape.  Today I carried the last 30 or so buckets of dirt over from the bean field, finished hoeing and raking and laid down the first 50 pounds of grass seed.  I'll put down another 50 in a week or two. I got the last of the ties staked down a couple weeks ago and so far they've left it alone.  Cross your fingers...

Dave

Dave, I would be glad to help, anytime! Just PM me.
Alex

[Dave_Trible]

Dave, I would be glad to help, anytime! Just PM me.
Alex

Thanks Alex!   Unless there is more damage the dirt work is done for now.  I'm going Friday afternoon to lay the other bag of seed before the little snow event over the weekend.  I'll have to get the new transaxle on the tractor before it is ready to mow.  Ruined the first one dragging a skid around trying to smooth the field.  Won't do that again.  Be ready to fly soon.... you can take a turn on the trainer...and the mower!

Dave

[Gary Mondry]

In Wichita, we fly in a city park with 2 concrete circles and 3 grass circles.  The city mows the entire site on about a bi-weekly basis during the growing season.  Individual members augment that to keep the concrete circle infields at a flyable height.  Flying in other city parks is prohibited.  The site is now about 35 years old and is starting to show its age, but we're a pretty small group anymore so don't have much clout.  We owe the current site to the efforts of our late great Wichihawk mainstays Mike Tallman and Marvin Denny, and probably some others I'm not aware of.

Gary Mondry

[john e. holliday]

Thanks Alex!   Unless there is more damage the dirt work is done for now.  I'm going Friday afternoon to lay the other bag of seed before the little snow event over the weekend.  I'll have to get the new transaxle on the tractor before it is ready to mow.  Ruined the first one dragging a skid around trying to smooth the field.  Won't do that again.  Be ready to fly soon.... you can take a turn on the trainer...and the mower!

Dave

Dave,  the old DOC will be out of town for a few days.  Remember I have the old Husqvarna ready to mow.  May need to get blades one of these days.

[Terry Caron]

NACA flies on Huntsville's Milton Frank Stadium parking lot, paved, 2 painted circles, maintained by the city at no cost with key access to restroom facilities.
The lot is also used by the local sports car club for gymkhanas or whatever so not available every weekend during warm weather but we can fly on weekdays whenever anyone wants.