Whats the perfect place to live?

[Glenn (Gravitywell) Reach]

Well here's an exercise in futility! LOL  If a person had their choice of anywhere in North America to live, where would be the perfect place for model flying, health, warmth, etc?  The place would have to meet these criteria:
1. warm to hot for most of the year
2. drier climate for all us that have arthritis, etc.
3  a decent flying club.
4. reasonable proximity to contests
5. affordable living.

Wouldn't it be neat to find this mythical place, then everyone that flys control line can move there when they retire!

[Brett Buck]

Well here's an exercise in futility! LOL  If a person had their choice of anywhere in North America to live, where would be the perfect place for model flying, health, warmth, etc?  The place would have to meet these criteria:
1. warm to hot for most of the year
2. drier climate for all us that have arthritis, etc.
3  a decent flying club.
4. reasonable proximity to contests
5. affordable living.

Wouldn't it be neat to find this mythical place, then everyone that flys control line can move there when they retire!

    Somebody already had that idea, it's called Tucson AZ.

    Brett

[Mike Keville]

    Somebody already had that idea, it's called Tucson AZ.

    Brett

Absolutely!  Meets all of the listed criteria.

[Randy Powell]

Doesn't meet number 1.

[De Hill]

Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Home of the Gluedobbers.

[Jim Kraft]

You left out wind. If you want to become an expert flyer you should move to Salina Kansas and join the Smoky Hill Flying Club. You will learn to fly in all conditions quickly. Oh! Bring lots of planes.

[proparc]

Would have been California except for the EXTREME violation of criteria #5.

[Brett Buck]

Doesn't meet number 1.

I don't see how it fails. Unless you consider 110 deg for weeks at a time to be beyond hot.

You like rattlesnakes, right?

   Brett

[Glenn (Gravitywell) Reach]

I love rattlesnake....specially in stew!

[Mike Keville]

Doesn't meet number 1.

Sure it does.  During our 2 or 3 months of Winter, what WE call "cold" would be considered mild in most other parts of North America. 

[Will Davis]

North Carolina,

8 hours to Brodak's
8 hours to Memphis
4 hours to Atlanta contest
8 hours to KOI,
11 hours to NATS


One of the best permanent control line sites around, good club Metrolina Control Line Society, 2 contest a year
Warm most of the time , a couple snows a year,
 We have mountains, beaches, and NASCAR, what else could you want ,

[Tim Wescott]

Well here's an exercise in futility! LOL  If a person had their choice of anywhere in North America to live, where would be the perfect place for model flying, health, warmth, etc?  The place would have to meet these criteria:
1. warm to hot for most of the year
2. drier climate for all us that have arthritis, etc.
3  a decent flying club.
4. reasonable proximity to contests
5. affordable living.

Wouldn't it be neat to find this mythical place, then everyone that flys control line can move there when they retire!

1: define "warm".  The Willamette Valley is warmer than Minnesota in the winter, cooler and dryer in the summer.

2: define "dryer".  Is the Willamette Valley dryer than the Puget Sound area?  You betcha!!

3: The Fireballs can't be beat

4: From my house there's one contest a month that's within a 3-hour drive, from April through October, except for July when everyone who's anyone goes to the Nats.  More if you want to drive north of the border, eh?

5: If you move someplace that's more than an hour's drive from Portland, Beaverton or Willsonville (probably Vancouver and Camas, too), then yes.

But do stay away -- Californians keep "discovering" Oregon and driving up house prices.  As soon as they can sell what they bought before 2008, they'll do it again.

[Randy Powell]

Hey Tim, it's nice here. Well, for about 6 weeks a year anyway.

[Bob Whitely]

Folks usually like where they live 'cause they are already there. I've been to just about
everyplace and Tucson is by far the absolute best place to live if you fly models.
Period! We fly a minimum  of three days a week and average five days. Very seldom is
the weather unflyable and usually due to wind. The gas is cheap, the country is
beautiful and the folks are friendly. We have arguably the best site in the world including
Muncie just because of the weather. Those that want to see the real thing should
really come to VSC. The rest of you that gripe all the time about the weather in your
area can move to Tucson and fly with the rest of us that actually did move here for that
very reason. And yeah, we encourage one and all to keep and bear and wear our guns!
RJ
..

[Howard Rush]

I can't get my wife to move there because she doesn't think those gun-totin' folks are friendly to her kind. 

[Tim Wescott]

Folks usually like where they live 'cause they are already there. I've been to just about
everyplace and Tucson is by far the absolute best place to live if you fly models.

Well, yes.  But if my shorts aren't moldy then I'm just not home.

[Randy Powell]

Except for criteria 5, I'd say San Diego. Year around 75F or so and light winds, ocean right there and a pretty area. But it's not cheap to live there and I don't know how far you'd have to go to find other fliers.

[Jim Hoffman]

No place is perfect, Tucson comes pretty close.

I envy my snowbird friends who winter in Tucson and summer in the northwest US

I've lived in the east coast, Ohio, and Phx Az suburbs.
I am a semi-regular in Tucson
It is a mighty fine place for us stunt fliers

Jim Hoffman

[Bob Whitely]

Randy, Since we are talking models here your answer doesn't make sense. Sure,Dago
is a very nice place to live but no place to fly therefore it is not the best place
for a modeller to vegetate. Let's try to stay on track here. RJ

[Randy Cuberly]

Doesn't meet number 1.

Randy,
It does meet number 1 more than 90% of the time...this year has been very unusual and set records for cold...but then so has most of the country.

Tucson is undoubtedly the best place in the country for modelers...especially CL modelers.  That's why so many have moved here.

Randy C.

[Randy Cuberly]

North Carolina,

8 hours to Brodak's
8 hours to Memphis
4 hours to Atlanta contest
8 hours to KOI,
11 hours to NATS


One of the best permanent control line sites around, good club Metrolina Control Line Society, 2 contest a year
Warm most of the time , a couple snows a year,
 We have mountains, beaches, and NASCAR, what else could you want ,

Uhhhhh...I remember trudging through the snow and ice storms and rain, rain, rain at Ft Bragg NC in the early 1960's...

Nice people...but doesn't really meet most of the given criteria.

Randy C.

[Randy Cuberly]

Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Home of the Gluedobbers.

Wonderful people...Snow, Ice, cold winters and rain, rain, rain.

Nice try De! 

Randy C.

[Randy Cuberly]

I can't get my wife to move there because she doesn't think those gun-totin' folks are friendly to her kind. 

Actually Howard we gun tot'in folks are friendly to all kinds and protective of our friends that don't tote...real Americans!

As rooster Cogburn said...We men here,  don't mind women who can out shoot, out ride and out drink and out think us, as long as they're quiet about it!   

Randy C.

[Randy Cuberly]

1: define "warm".  The Willamette Valley is warmer than Minnesota in the winter, cooler and dryer in the summer.

2: define "dryer".  Is the Willamette Valley dryer than the Puget Sound area?  You betcha!!

3: The Fireballs can't be beat

4: From my house there's one contest a month that's within a 3-hour drive, from April through October, except for July when everyone who's anyone goes to the Nats.  More if you want to drive north of the border, eh?

5: If you move someplace that's more than an hour's drive from Portland, Beaverton or Willsonville (probably Vancouver and Camas, too), then yes.

But do stay away -- Californians keep "discovering" Oregon and driving up house prices.  As soon as they can sell what they bought before 2008, they'll do it again.

Tim,
Warm is above 80 degrees F.
Dry is average humidity of 14%

Tucson qualifies on both counts most of the time.

Randy C.

[Randy Cuberly]

In my opinion the only thing that could make Tucson a better place to live for Control Line fliers is for more CL fliers to move here...

So...What are y'all waiting for! 

Randy Cuberly

[Howard Rush]

We men here,  don't mind women who can out shoot, out ride and out drink and out think us, as long as they're quiet about it!

You may have put your finger on the problem.

[Mike Callas]

Wherever your family is

[Mike Keville]

Wherever your family is

Hardly!  Some of my family is near Niagara Falls, NY - and I wouldn't move there if you paid my way.

[Dennis Moritz]

Both times I drove through Phoenix I suffered heat stroke. Once on a motorcycle, once in an non air conditioned Beatle. Heat exhaustion. Something like that. In the VW I kept driving in what amounted to very large circles. In desperation I rolled up the windows and followed the setting sun to make it out of town. On the bike my wife and I kept our Belstaffs buttoned up and looked grim and fierce. Nothing like an illusion or self-delusion in an emergency. Remarkable to see the natives in suits and ties. A friend told me flying is done on most days by 10 or 11 am. Are there actually abandoned 1/2 million dollar homes. Saw pictures of abandoned communities. Guess it's the media again. Like when they talk about the one a day shooting fatalities in Philly. Wait a minute. Some years there are one a day shooting fatalities in Philly. Buckeye wouldn't take my travelers checks. The menacing cashier threatening prison. Rattle snakes. A friend said wear leather boots at least midway up the calf.

[Mike Keville]

Filthy-delphia?  You can't be serious!  I used to live across the river from that cesspool.  It was bad then.  Worse now. 

[Dennis Moritz]

Also NYC. I live in both places. All in all I feel much safer with my neighbors in Philly then I did in aridzona. Then again Arizona is a cultural mecca. So much to do and shoot at. (Peace. I'm joking around.)

[Randy Cuberly]

Also NYC. I live in both places. All in all I feel much safer with my neighbors in Philly then I did in aridzona. Then again Arizona is a cultural mecca. So much to do and shoot at. (Peace. I'm joking around.)

Well Dennis, when in Arizona you have to be smart enough to drink lots of liquid to avoid "Heat Stroke".  As for rattle snakes...we got' em...just have to be smarter than them also.  Intersestin thing is that more people get bitten in CA every year than in AZ...draw your own conclusions.
As for cultural Mecca Arizona has a genuine professional Opera Company...Does Philly?

Seriously though it's hot in the summer time and we do quit flying about 10:00 AM.  Of course we fly just about every day.
Retirement is Grand!!  October through May fly all day if you like!!  Most of us here are old guys and get tired after about 3 hours of fun.  We sit around in the shade and talk about modeling...in between naps. 

Randy Cuberly

[Dennis Moritz]

Oh Philly has a few professional Opera companies as a matter of fact. A symphony. Curtis Institute of Music. One of the major USA schools that trains classical music performers.  All those theaters, sometimes even putting up one of my plays. Now and then. Museums. Geez. Lots of them. A few are verging on world class. Some Jazz clubs. The restaurant Renaissance hit 20 years back. Many great restaurants these days. All kinds of food. One or two might even be rated 4 star in a given year. Amazing amount of culture. An overabundance. Got me why it's all here. NYC a couple hours up the road. Washington a couple hours down the road. Genuine multi-ethnic neighborhoods where all of us of different hues and places of origin see each other every day, live next door to each other in fact, even on the other side of the wall. I think it's one of the few places in the USA, with this cultural oddity. Suits me. Cheap Victorian era homes. Mansions and working class housing. A downtown that is fun, walkable, and almost pretty. Yeah. And a distressing amount of folks being shot. Very sad. And an underfunded Public School System continually stressed.

The weather is terrible right now. Rain, some snow, icing. Our club was flying tho last Sunday. Combat and sport. Running engines. Shooting the breeze. We adjurn to dinner and keep up the stories (favorites repeated over and over again as tho new) and the good and bad jokes. Weather always seems to clear up in late March. Which means we're always challenged for enough time to trim and get ready for the contest season. Lots of contests in driving distance. We keep at it pretty steady into October.

[Dennis Moritz]

If the weather was better here, we might do an Arizona fly schedule all year around. That would be grand.

[peabody]

I would toss a vote for Florida's Sun Coast..
The Tampa Bay Wire Flyers are active in Ellenton, with a dedicated circle and one of the best facilities imaginable.
The Venice R/C folk have a dedicated C/L circle and a terrific facility.

Paradise!

[Randy Cuberly]

I would toss a vote for Florida's Sun Coast..
The Tampa Bay Wire Flyers are active in Ellenton, with a dedicated circle and one of the best facilities imaginable.
The Venice R/C folk have a dedicated C/L circle and a terrific facility.

Paradise!

Yeah Florida can be nice.  I lived there for several years and went to school in Boca Raton (Florida Atlantic U).

However mosquitos and hurricanes are a bit much.  Great place to ride motorcycles!  Rains a lot.

Paradise?  Not for me. 

Randy C.

[Howard Rush]

Oh Philly has a few professional Opera companies as a matter of fact. A symphony. Curtis Institute of Music. One of the major USA schools that trains classical music performers.  All those theaters, sometimes even putting up one of my plays. Now and then. Museums. Geez. Lots of them. A few are verging on world class. Some Jazz clubs. The restaurant Renaissance hit 20 years back. Many great restaurants these days. All kinds of food. One or two might even be rated 4 star in a given year. Amazing amount of culture. An overabundance. Got me why it's all here. NYC a couple hours up the road. Washington a couple hours down the road. Genuine multi-ethnic neighborhoods where all of us of different hues and places of origin see each other every day, live next door to each other in fact, even on the other side of the wall. I think it's one of the few places in the USA, with this cultural oddity.

Just got visited last week by a houseful of Marilou's Philadelphia relatives including an actual opera singer.  They are multiethnic, too, e.g. a Spanish-Filipino-Swedish-Chinese-German niece with surname Nikolajevic. Philadelphia can also boast of being the birthplace of the undersigned.

I had a couple of relatives die in Tucson, although not of rattlesnake bite nor gunshot. 

[Howard Rush]

As for rattle snakes...we got' em...just have to be smarter than them also.

Easy for you, maybe. I was on my way back from a contest in central Oregon.  I stopped at a park beside the road.  I heard a buzzing in the weeds.  Wondering what a cicada was doing in the desert, I walked up to it to investigate.  As I was bending over to see the source of the buzzing, I realized what was buzzing and retreated. 

[Howard Rush]

Speaking of rattlers, here is one of my favorite going-to-a-contest pictures, taken between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

[Trostle]

Well, Florida has been mentioned and so has San Diego.

I grew up in central Kansas.  Then lived on the East coast of Florida for several years.  Compared to Kansas, thought Florida was great, then moved to Southern California (Orange County which is not too far removed from San Diego). Florida is OK and does not have a state income tax but I did not care for the humidity and bugs and hurricanes.  California was much more pleasant weatherwise but there are a number of reasons now to avoid California if there is a choice and we made that decision to leave California.  Smog is not so much of a problem anymore, but it is still there in the populated areas like Orange County and even San Diego.  The real problems there now are the paralyzing taxes, which will only get worse if California tries to solve its financial problems, the crazy politics (see taxes), traffic which is getting worse in every metropolitan area, earthquakes, fires, mudslides, more taxes and oh, did I mention traffic.  We moved from Orange County (CA) 8 years ago to Tucson.  Tucson was chosen for a number of reasons.  Year round flying, the flying facility here, at the time - a favorable cost of housing, overall cost of living, cost of gas is usually some of the lowest in the country, a reasonable local and state tax structure (at least compared to anything in CA), a great CL community was already here and a number of CL people were moving from the LA area at the time, and the snow birds add to the CL community.  As mentioned in another post, we fly essentially year around.  There are people on the circles every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and often on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.  Compared to Florida, bugs are practically nonexistent.

Yes, it does get cool here in the winter.  We have had several nights where the temperature was below freezing  and we sometimes can see snow on the mountains to the north and east.  But compared to the rest of the country, cold is not a problem.  Yes it gets hot in the summer and you schedule activities to avoid being outdoors during the hot part of the day.  Evenings and mornings are still comfortable.  Rain and high humidity does not happen very often.

We are sort of in the extreme SW corner of the country, so proximity to a lot of major contest in the East and Northwest is a problem.  However, there are as many as 9 or more contests here in Arizona and Southern California during the year here or are a reasonable driving distance of Tucson.

Altitude at our field is about 2,300 feet.  If you can get your engines running here and the airplanes trimmed out, you will be able to fly anywhere in the country with little adjustment (except for some place like Denver).

The only time I have seen rattlesnakes have been in captivity in the desert museum which is near our house and our house is sourrounded by open desert (the Tucson type of desert) and I have been stung only once by a scorpion.

This place pretty well satisfies the criteria listed at the beginning of this thread, probably as well or better than any other location.

Keith

[Rafael Gonzalez]

Very Simple. Myrtle Beach, S.C. Only it gets a little humid around July-Aug but the rest of the year is beautiful. I could not live too far from the ocean ( Central US) Lakes don't cut it for me.
Reasonable distance to just about any contest. Excellent cost of living and if you like to eat out, you could spend 3 years and not eat at the same place... Good outlets for wife to drop off with friends while we fly... and the best part other than Flying.....Drum roll please....

     #^GOLF!!!  

 

[john e. holliday]

I remember my first trip to Tuscon and I wish now I had done waht I wanted too.  It would be my choice to finish my life.  Florida, I have been there in the summer and winter time.   Nothing like running around in your T-shirt and sweating your head off in February. Asked my daughter if it was always this hot in Stuart FL.   I miss going to quite a few places during the summer attending the NATS when they were still a happpening and you could get to see what the different people were doing.   As I told one lady this morning, If I had my way I would be on the Big Island living in Kona.   But, I was kind of raised in Eastern Kansas and Southern Missouri.   Yes the weather is kind of unbearable at times when the temps may be -20 degrees or as high as 110+ degrees,  thats farenheit folks.   But, as Dad would tell the relatives when they came for a visit in southern Missouri, if you don't like the weather today, just stick around a couple of days.   So I tell myself, just think how boring it would be if the weather was ideal every day.  We have finally got some much needed rain and then some snow.   I will take the snow anyday I am on duty.  Finally got to 24 degrees this AM.

[Randy Cuberly]

Speaking of rattlers, here is one of my favorite going-to-a-contest pictures, taken between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

See Howard...now you know why we all teach our women and kids to shoot!!

In your previous post about the "buzzworm", you did prove you were smarter that the snake. 

Randy Cuberly

[FLOYD CARTER]

Good weather doesn't mean a thing if you have no place to fly, and no other like-minded folks around.

Floyd

Eugene, OR (home of the Northwest Regionals).

[Glenn (Gravitywell) Reach]

Well it would seem Tuscon is the place to be.  Specially if all the snakes decided to move to Nevada!  And how come they spell Tuscon so funny?

[De Hill]

Wonderful people...Snow, Ice, cold winters and rain, rain, rain.

Nice try De! 

Randy C.

I don't know what meds you are on, but I want some.

Snow, Ice, Cold winters, Rain, Rain, rain. (?)

It hasn't been that way here for many years.

[Lynn Weedman]

I have to throw a vote in for North Florida we fly rear round even though we do get a pesky front come in occasionally.........
We have 8000 feet of runway and most of the time it's not freezing cold
Whitehouse OLF Jax,FL is the place to be.

Lynn Weedman

[DanielGelinas]

Supprised knowone mentioned CANADA 
We have excellent flying weather... 10 days a year.
-Dan

[Randy Cuberly]

I don't know what meds you are on, but I want some.

Snow, Ice, Cold winters, Rain, Rain, rain. (?)

It hasn't been that way here for many years.

De,
I've flown to Tulsa about 50 times in the past 5 years, rented a car and drove to Joplin to an explosives manufacturer there.  I did that for Raytheon for a lot of years and nearly every time there it was raining (in the summer) or very cold and icy in the winter.
Meds won't help that...

I went to contests of the Tulsa Gluedobbers from Kansas City as a teenager in the 50s and it was great but always very humid.
Wonderful folks though.

I'm going to try hard to make your contest there this year.  I've been talking to Eddy Weatherford about it.

Randy Cuberly

[peabody]

Paradise....
I rode the motorbike to Tuscon once and all the plastic stuff on the fairing never fit right after leaving it parked for an hour or two while visiting....
Oh, and I can walk to my boats.....