Festival of flight

Radio control airplane flyers host a day of high flying fun

Members of the Prince Edward County RC Flyers gave a demonstration of their flying skills at the club’s field on Clarke Road last Saturday. There were model planes of several different kinds, from the classic Cessna-like craft to sleek modern jets. Some were powered by gas engines, but most were using modern lightweight batteries to spin the propeller or power the turbofan. The aircraft control surfaces are manipulated by radio signals, and the pilots demonstrated their flying skills with manoeuvres such as barrel rolls or loops, as well as upside down runs. There were also two competitive events. For the first, the pilots had to land their plane closest to a predefined mark. The second event was the “limbo”, where pilots had to fly under a crepe paper banner that was lowered for successive runs.

The club has been developing the field on Clarke Road for the past five or six years after moving from their Rousseau Road site. There’s a geotec runway—which makes plane landings a little safer—as well as a number of preflight stations where an operator can check their craft is responding properly before taking to the sky. There are currently about 20 club members and club president Paul Champagne says new members are always welcome. He and fellow club member Jean-Louis Ferndriger will provide guidance and flight training for new members to obtain their

Transport Canada licence. Prospective club members must also join the Model Aeronautics Association of Canada.

Jean-Louis Ferndriger has been flying model planes for over 50 years, and has a collection of 60-plus planes, some of which he designed and built himself. “This is a great hobby because it brings me outside, where I’m talking to friends and exchanging ideas. To me, it’s not the most important thing to fly. I want to help people and train people how to fly,” he said. On Saturday he was flying his electrically powered “Stinger” model, and as he listened to his colleague Bob Copeland revving the engine on his gas powered craft, he said only partly in jest “Electric planes don’t have any soul.”

Regardless whether planes do or do not have souls, it was a day of outdoor fun with perfect flying conditions. There was a raffle for one of three radio control craft, a noon hour demonstration of RC model trucks and a BBQ. Mr. Champagne was grateful to all of the members that helped organize the event, adding that he hoped it will raise the profile of the club. “We would love to teach people how to fly. The purpose of today’s event is to expose people to our sport,” he said. For more information, please visit percf.com