Coachella Valley Radio Control Club
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Coachella Valley Radio Control Club near Coachella, California, USA is one of the oldest model aircraft clubs in the United States, one of the oldest non-profit service organizations in continuous existence in the Coachella Valley and one of the few Academy of Model Aeronautics gold-certified clubs in the country. It is also the host field of the "Best In The West Jet Rally," a national gathering of model jet turbine enthusiasts.
Contents |
[edit] Early history
The club traces its roots to 1938 when a loose-knit group of free flight enthusiasts began meeting on a weekly basis at the now-defunct La Quinta Airport. That site, between Eisenhower Drive and Washington Street south of Avenue 52, is today a part of the La Quinta Cove residential district, which lies almost directly at the foot of the Santa Rosa Mountains, is prone to sudden high winds and, in the case of the hobbyists, the resulting loss of models.
The onset of World War II in 1941 brought the practice to a temporary halt, resuming after the war at other open sites around the area. The immediate postwar era would see three major developments in the hobby, namely the development of control line flying, small nitromethane-powered glow engines and early, single-channel radio control. The latter took advantage of another postwar development, that of citizen's band radio. Model aircraft were allocated only one frequency, 27.255 MHz, meaning only one plane could fly at any given time. These early advances insured that the club would continue to grow, with hobbyists meeting at almost any open area that was available at the time.
[edit] Later development
By the early 1990s, the central and western areas of the Coachella Valley were growing at a record pace. Many of the club's previous flying fields were either built over or were considered private property. Finding areas that were free of interference from buildings and power lines was becoming increasingly more difficult. 1992 saw the club's move to their fifteenth official site with the lease of undeveloped land at Avenue 58 and Monroe Street in the unincorporated Vista Santa Rosa area.
On May 9, 1999, the club organized their first formal meeting in literally years to discuss its future. Presidency of the club was offered to Dan Metz, a radio control enthusiast who had flown with the club for fifteen years. Metz agreed to serve for the next three years, agreeing to step down if he was unable to procure a permanent site; he has since returned to his duties as president. Metz began by soliciting local municipal governments, but the areas offered had problems such as excessive wind, access problems and noise concerns. Another member, Ron Vincent, offered his help. Vincent had assisted in procuring land and building a site in his native Oregon and contacted the United States Bureau of Reclamation regarding the possible use of federal land. These sites had problems of their own, primarily because of bighorn sheep habitat and encroachment on Native American land.
The Bureau eventually offered a site encompassing 240 acres - or one square kilometer - alongside the All-American Canal in an unincorporated area off Avenue 54 and Pierce Street near Coachella. The site not only had ideal flying conditions, but an ideal arrangement as well with an initial twenty-five-year lease at only US$1 per year with renewal options for another twenty-five years at the lease's expiration.
Much work remained as the site was littered with garbage, wrecked automobiles and discarded tires. Metz began telling his story in earnest and before long, donations from developers and large corporations began coming in. Members donated money, furniture and the monumental amount of labor needed to clear and develop the site. Member Larry Eaks, confined to a wheelchair, actually drove the water truck necessary during construction.
The 600'x70' (183x21m) runway, pit area and parking area were completed in May 2002.
[edit] The club today
The Coachella Valley Radio Control Club as a 501(c)(3) organization works closely with the area's school districts via its "Delta Dart" program which teaches young children the basics of flight as well as the basis of model construction. Delta Darts are gliders made of balsa and tissue paper and are built over full-sized plans in the same manner as a larger model plane. A friendly competition is held to see whose Delta Dart will fly the farthest. At the high school level, the club works with each school's ROTC program to promote careers in aviation and aeronautics and works closely with students who have demonstrated an interest in same. "Fun Flys" are held throughout the year, generally one Sunday per month; guests with no previous radio controlled flight experience can actually fly a large, easy to see and very stable model via a buddy box at that time. At least one Fun Fly near the end of the year is held as a fundraiser for Toys for Tots. As mentioned in the opening paragraph, the Coachella Valley Radio Control Club is also the site of the "Best In The West Jet Rally," a national meeting of model jet turbine enthusiasts which in turn receives national press coverage in Model Aviation, the monthly publication of the AMA. One of the most notable participants in the 2008 event was Colonel Robert E. Thacker, USAF (Ret.) who entered his F-15, capable of speeds up to 150 miles per hour (240 km/h).
Other offsite work includes charity flight demonstrations and Delta Dart contests at the Palm Springs Air Museum and presence at the Jacqueline Cochran Regional Air Show at the airport which now bears her name in Thermal.
