flying site

Every year several national and international events are held at the Academy’s International Aeromodeling Center (IAC). With the help of our generous supporters, various new signs have been placed on site from the National Site Development fund. These signs will help easily direct visitors to flying sites. Each flying site is now labeled by number. We would like to thank the donors of the National Site Development fund. To learn more about how to donate to a fund, click here. 

In the past the Muncy Indoor Flyers of Muncy, PA were well-known for their large indoor flying site. After the dome they used to fly collapsed, the club needed a new place to call home. Lee Eisele, a lifelong farmer and avid modeler, and his wife, Kitty, opened up their field and on-site hobby shop to the club and they became the Muncy Flyers. AMA President, Bob Brown and his wife, JoAnne, visited the club on many occasions over the years. During one of their visits, Bob suggested that the club begin holding events. The club was in agreeance and they began hosting great fun-fly events. As a result of the events, the club started making money and was able to install a fabric runway. The club continued to fly at the field, eventually named The Lee Eisele Memorial R/C Park, until both Lee and Kitty passed away. Although the club wanted to continue to operate, a lack of a flying site led the members to find other sites and clubs. Collectively the members of the Muncy Flyers wanted to give back to AMA for its help throughout the years and honor Lee and Kitty. It was decided to give some to nearby clubs to help them keep flying, and to support the AMA Foundation. They purchased a brick along the Walk of Fame in memory of Lee and Kitty and donated the remaining money to the Foundation. Tony Minnella, who was the latest president of the club said: “The AMA always supported our club. Because of that, we wanted to help support them.” We appreciate this gesture and want to wish each member of the club good luck and happy flying in the future.

Barnstormers RC Flying Club

On behalf of the AMA, the Barnstormers RC Flying Club has been awarded with a Flying Site Development Improvement Grant worth $350.00. The Barnstormers RC Flying Club was founded in 1984 and has been an AMA Chartered Club for approximately 45 years. Club members enjoy flying their aircraft at the club’s flying site near Butteville, Oregon. The flying site has a 40’ x 441’ runway that is covered in a rubber impregnated canvas material, a 55’ x 500’ grass runway that runs parallel to the main runway, a pit area with 10 aircraft set-up tables, and a covered picnic area with three tables. The Barnstormers have more than 80 members who share a common passion for model aviation. The road to the club’s airfield has deteriorated to the point which they have to rebuild it to allow for vehicles to access the field. In its current state, the road is impassable at certain times throughout the year. The club has been saving funds for several years to properly complete this project and this grant will allow them to complete the site improvement. Click here for more information on the Barnstormers RC Flying Club.

Associated Modelers of Sacramento

The Associated Modelers of Sacramento (AMOS) have been awarded with a Flying Site Development Improvement Grant worth $867.03 on behalf of the AMA. The club was first chartered on November 12, 2004 and has been an AMA Chartered Club for more than 10 years. The club’s mission is to train people to safely and enjoyably fly their model aircraft and to be able to give back to the community by working with youth groups and sponsoring charity events. The club’s 200 members enjoy flying at their field in Lincoln, CA. AMOS is completing several improvement projects to better their flying site. These improvements are: extending and re-grading the runways and surrounding areas, surfacing the runways with recycled aggregate base and new petro mat, installing new safety fencing, and installing a large storage container for equipment and supplies. These improvements will continue to help the club gain new members and share the joy of the hobby of model aviation. Click here for more information on the Associated Modelers of Sacramento.

350th Flying Circus

Located in Alpha, NJ, the 350th Flying Circus has received a Flying Site Development Improvement Grant worth $698.42. The 350th Flying Circus has been an AMA chartered club for approximately 40 years. The club provides a safe place for members to learn and fly radio control airplanes. The 350th Flying Circus is always looking for new members to join them in enjoying this hobby. In November of 2013, the 350th Flying Circus was informed that the property they had been using had been sold and they would not be able to fly there anymore. The club was very upset and faced multiple hardships in finding a new flying site. A new field was built during the summer of 2014. The construction cost $6,984.19 and the club is planning on using this grant to pay off the construction debt.

268 Sky Kings

The Academy of Model Aeronautics would like to congratulate the 268 Sky Kings for being awarded with a Flying Site Development Improvement Grant worth $3,733.16. Located in Kittanning, PA, the 268 Sky Kings have been an AMA Chartered Club for many years. To 268 Sky Kings lost their previous flying site due to a lease cancellation and needed to construct a new field from scratch. The club used the property of one of the club members and turned it into their new flying site. Along with the considerable expenses of building a new site, the club ran into some legal issues dealing with a noise lawsuit. The 268 Sky Kings recently built a 1,000 foot by 250 foot runway on the new property. This project required extensive bulldozing, stone removal, and four acres of tree removal. The project is completed and is now functional but can use further improvements in the next few years. The club is looking to repay loans and start a fund for further improvements with the money from this grant. Click here for more information on the 268 Sky Kings.

Wolverine Skyhawks

The Academy of Model Aeronautics would like to congratulate the Wolverine Skyhawks for being awarded with a Flying Site Development Improvement Grant worth $883.50. The Wolverine Skyhawks are a radio controlled aircraft club located in Michigan. The club has two flying fields and has been an AMA Chartered Club for more than 35 years. The club has requested this grant for a construction project that they hope will attract new pilots to join the club, and will help to retain club membership. The Wolverine Skyhawks are undergoing a construction project to extend the runway, and purchase and install US230 aeromodeling fabric. The club is undergoing this project because there is no source of water to irrigate and the runway becomes very difficult to create and maintain a smooth turf runway. In addition, pilots with turbines, warbirds, and small aircraft with retracts are reluctant to use the runway for fear of damaging their aircraft. Look here for more information on the Wolverine Skyhawks.

Winnebago RC Flyers

Congratulations to the Winnebago RC Flyers for being awarded with a Flying Site Development Improvement Grant worth $523.60. Located in Oshkosh, WI, the Winnebago RC Flyers have been an AMA Chartered Club for more than 35 years. The Winnebago RC Flyers are known as an AMA “Gold Leader” Club. The club is always looking to add additional members who are interested in the hobby of model aviation. The Winnebago RC Flyers have been at their flying site for 10 years. The club is undergoing a construction project to build a shelter to protect members and guests from the sun and weather. The shelter will also be used as a place to organize club meetings, set up electrical charging stations, and a place to socialize with new members. The club has hosted swap meets to help pay for this construction but will be able to complete it quicker with this grant. Click here for more information on the Winnebago RC Flyers.

Wings Miniature Aircraft Society

The Wings Miniature Aircraft Society has been awarded with a Flying Site Development Improvement Grant worth $1,562.50. The club flies at the Abernathy Municipal Airport in Abernathy, TX. The Wings Miniature Aircraft Society, Inc. has been an AMA Chartered Club for more than 30 years. The club was last awarded with a Flying Site Development Improvement Grant in 2011. The WingsMAS are always looking for new members to join their club that are interested in the model aviation hobby. The WingsMAS lease part of a closed municipal airport as their flying site, however the part of the runway the club uses as severely weathered and cracked so the club underwent maintenance and repair to fix the issue. The club researched their options and installed an acrylic emulsion product to the runway. The WingsMAS also built start-up stands and picnic tables to be used during club meetings and flying times. Look here to check out the website for the Wings Miniature Aircraft Society.

Victor Valley RC Flyers

On behalf of the AMA, the Victor Valley RC Flyers have been awarded a Flying Site Development Improvement Grant worth $565.98. The Victor Valley RC Flyers are located in the High Desert of Southern California. The club has been an AMA Chartered Club for 13 years (since 2002). The Victory Valley RC Flyers have an average number of 72 members per year. Club members fly radio controlled fixed and rotary wing aircraft, gliders, and helicopters. The club’s flying site features a 50’ by 550’ asphalt runway, three sun shades, picnic tables, and relief facilities. The club underwent a construction project to improve their site. The club installed a new petromat to repair and replace the existing rotting material, a new sign was installed at the field entry due to severe weather damage, and finally the onsite weather station was replaced due to above average winds. The new improvements will allow the club to fly, have fun, and enjoy their RC model planes. Click here to learn more about the Victor Valley RC Flyers.