Casa Grande RC Flyers ready for winter season

Club members getting ready for a fun fly event. The poles seen on the ground are used for the limbo contest and for pylon races.

Club members getting ready for a fun fly event. The poles seen on the ground are used for the limbo contest and for pylon races.

Alan Friedman

With their paved runway and helicopter pad complete, the Casa Grande RC Flyers are ready for the busy winter season. There are now benches and a starting table at the air field, too. A starting table is used to safely set up electric aircraft before flight or to start gas powered planes. Starting this month the club will combine its monthly Fun Fly and Swap Meet. The events will take place on the second Saturday of each month, November through April, and start at 9:00 a.m. The first event will take place Saturday, November 8, 2014. These events are publicized in the Casa Grande Dispatch, the club and AMA websites, and in the AMA magazine. This year the club will have a hobby shop at the events as well as a food vendor so pilots and spectators can get coffee and sodas as well as lunch. Toilet facilities and free parking are also onsite.

Fun Flys are flying contests where the pilots test their skills against others and win prizes for their efforts. Airplane limbo, pylon racing and airplane combat are just a few of the examples of the events. There is a complete list of events on the club website. The club’s official contest director, Jerry Linderman, will run the events each month.

Many Robson Ranch residents have enjoyed watching these events and are welcome to join us again. Remember to bring a lawn chair when visiting the club field to watch the flying in case all the benches are occupied. The Casa Grande RC Flyers and their flying field should not be confused with the field and club located within Robson Ranch. Some residents reported going to the Robson field in error when trying to attend Casa Grande RC Flyers events. Directions to the Casa Grande RC Flyers field are found on the club website at www.CasaGrandeRCFlyers.com.

Membership in the Casa Grande RC Flyers is open to anyone wanting to fly or learn to fly radio controlled aircraft, regardless of their residence. Free lessons are offered by any of eight AMA certified instructors. The first year club dues are $40 per calendar year, and renewal dues are $25 annually. Membership in the Academy Of Model Aeronautics (AMA) is required because AMA membership provides the pilot with the required insurance coverage. Details about both the AMA and the Casa Grande RC Flyers are on the club website as well as a list of all club activities and for other area AMA clubs. Club members also receive discounts up to 15% on purchases in area hobby shops when their membership card is presented. The Casa Grande RC Flyers is an Arizona non-profit cooperation dedicated to exposing the joy of flying to the public and giving back to the community by supporting worthwhile charities. For more information about the club, contact Alan Friedman, the club president, at his Robson Ranch home or visit the club website:  www.CasaGrandeRCFlyers.com.