Remote-controlled airshow draws hobbyists

 Kelley Payne recharges the battery of the servo motors that control his plane Saturday, April 23, 2016 at Wright Patnam Dam. Payne has been flying radio-controlled planes for 40 years.
Kelley Payne recharges the battery of the servo motors that control his plane Saturday, April 23, 2016 at Wright Patnam Dam. Payne has been flying radio-controlled planes for 40 years.

On a warm afternoon at Ravel Stroman Field, I decided to join the Texarkana Radio Control Flying Club's Fly-In Airshow.

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Lin Canino Forrest

I've heard about this event for awhile, but this was the first year I would be in attendance. I even brought an aircraft. My little black helicopter-designed for indoor use-was a terror on my cat, but was not going to impress any of the stick-jockeys out at the lake. So, I mostly just flew a bit to say I did and then watched.

Ravel Stroman Field is a nice area at Wright Patman Lake for the remote pilots to pursue their hobby. It features a wide, cleared area that allows plenty of room for maneuvering, both in ground taxiing and in flying exercises. Also, there are areas that allow the pilots and technical support to both assemble their vehicles for flight as well as check them out, should they run into any issues. To be sure, some serious technical work goes into these birds. Some are store bought kits that come

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ready to fly. However, the serious hobbyist in this trade eventually gets into assembly kits, putting together their bird. The truly dedicated and skilled go even further and build their planes from scratch, as well as getting into the guts of the engines-both fuel and electrical-and know their planes inside and out like any aircraft mechanic.

Of course, when the wings bite into the air is where the true skill of any remote plane controller is seen. The moves that some of these pilots can make their planes pull off is nothing short of astounding. Barrel rolls, loops, stalls and even trickier maneuvers that, if attempted by a lesser pilot, would result in an expensive model being wrecked. These pilots take their planes through their paces as if it was nothing.

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Four days of pretty weather, four days of astounding flying by skillful hobbyists and their flying machines. And here I am with my little black helicopter that scares cats. She's still fun to fly and being out at the Fly-In let me know the full range of possiblities in this hobby. If I have the time, I will return to Ravel Stroman Field at some point with an aircraft set to impress.

But in the meantime, I'll still bring my little black helicopter. She may be small and inoffensive, but she
is fun.

If interested in this hobby or flying with the club, go visit its Facebook page at Texarkana Radio Control Flying Club or check out their Website at
trcfc.org.

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