View of RC Park from Google Earth
Racing cars is great fun.
RC planes come in all shapes and sizes.
Traxxas 1/10 scale short course truck
One of the club’s training planes
Butch Spiller
What is the Robson Ranch RC Club?
The Robson Ranch RC Club is an organization made up of Robson Ranch residents who share an interest (and in some cases an addiction) to two hobbies: RC car racing and RC flying. The club is one of the fastest growing Robson Ranch clubs with a membership of over 70. Some members of the club participate in RC car racing and some in RC flying. Many members of the club participate in both hobbies. In addition to their common interest in RC hobbies, members enjoy social events and group outings including local flying and car racing events. In December the club moved to a new facility on the northern edge of Robson Ranch easily accessible by golf cart, car or bicycle. The Robson Ranch RC Park has two runways for RC flying, two tracks for RC car racing and a picnic area. The club operates year round, and the RC Park is available to members seven days a week.
How do i get started in one (or both) of these hobbies?
The club makes it easy for anyone to get started. Annual dues for the 2018 calendar year are $30 for an individual and $45 for a couple. Anyone joining after October 1, 2017 will be paid up for the entire 2018 calendar year.
If you’re interested in RC Cars, come by the RC Park on Tuesday or Thursday morning. Races are held at 8:00 a.m. in the summer and last for about an hour and a half. When the weather cools down races will start at 10:00 a.m. Club members will be happy to let you test out their cars and point out the finer points of RC car racing. If you decide to join the club, members will help you purchase a car and get started.
Anyone can learn to race these cars quickly, and we offer classes to help you get started. We break up the racing events into groups so that beginners will be racing with other beginners. As you improve you will advance to the intermediate or advanced groups.
If you’re interest is in RC flying there is no need to make an immediate investment in a plane. The club has experienced pilots who will teach you to fly using club training planes and dual wireless transmitters. Once you are comfortable with your flying skills we will help you purchase your first plane.
Learning to fly an RC plane takes more practice and training than racing RC cars; however, just about anyone can learn with the proper training and practice. The rewards are extremely gratifying. Some members of the club are ex pilots and find that flying RC planes is as close as they can get to flying real planes.
What does it cost to get started in either of these hobbies?
For RC cars the most popular vehicle is a 1/10 scale short course truck. A complete package including the truck, battery, battery charger and transmitter is all anyone needs to get started and costs approximately $250. In addition a $35 transponder is required to participate in races. These cars are quite durable; however, parts do break occasionally. Most replacement parts cost only a few dollars. Obviously there are all kinds of extras you can add to individualize and speed up your car.
For RC planes, beginners usually start with an RTF (Ready To Fly) trainer, which includes everything you need to get started. These packages range from $150 to $250 depending on the size of the plane. Of course, once someone gets started, it’s not unusual to have six or more planes, high end transmitters, advanced battery chargers, etc.
For more information, visit the club website at https://sites.google.com/site/robsonranchrcclub or contact Butch Spiller at 770-265-0358.