Saturday, May 6, 2017

Weather Woes

The cold, wet, and windy weather has put a damper on plans to have pylon racing practice (or just flying models in general). We have standing water in the pits, and pylon practice was put off again today because of the 15 mph wind gusts. 

A few brave souls came out in defiance of crabby ol' Mother Nature. Mark and Rob actually pulled off two maiden flights- one with a quadcopter and the other with a freshly-built vintage Bridi/Great Planes 60 Trainer kit:
The quadcopter handled the wind well.
1980's Great Planes Trainer 60 with a Saito 65.
 Despite the recent weather, the flying season is here. Looking for a friendly place to fly, or learn to fly model aircraft? Fill out the CONTACT US form on the JOIN page and we'll get you set up with an association membership!

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Pylon Racing Season

Pylon Racing Season Info

SEASON STARTS MAY  13

 If you plan on racing this season, here are a few things you need to know or do:
  • You'll need to have your Tower Hobbies warbird ready to fly, and at least two 3S 25-35C lipo batteries in good condition. Also, it's your choice to keep the landing gear in place.
  • Before you can race, you'll need to register and get colored ID stickers for your wings and tail, (unless you have a distinctive paint scheme) .
  • Practice hand-launching your airplane safely.
  • Range check your radio setup.
  • Be able to demonstrate that your throttle fail-safe works. 
  • Pay your non-refundable $20 season race fee.
  • Demonstrate your AMA membership is current.
The tentative racing schedule for the season is:
May 13th
June 17th
July 15th
August 19th
September 16th
 (All Race Days Noon-4 PM)

The schedule is subject to change. Participants will be notified by email and posted on this site if there is a reschedule due to weather or unforeseen circumstances. Spectators are welcome!

See you there!



Friday, April 14, 2017

Our Stance on Responsible Aircraft Operation



The Urbana RC Flying Association is a community-based organization of remote-controlled aircraft hobbyists. We enjoy building and flying model aircraft and sharing our interest with the wider community of the greater Urbana region. Our Association is committed to the safe and lawful operation of model aircraft of all types at our flying field, adhering to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved guidelines for model aircraft operation devised by the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA).

Over the past few years, multi-rotor aircraft or “drones” have become widely available in the consumer electronics market. Irresponsible and even dangerous operation of these aircraft by reckless individuals has been a topic of national concern- and particularly of the model aircraft hobbyist community. 

Recently, a multi-rotor aircraft operated remotely via video camera was spotted flying over our flying field, the nearby neighborhood, and local park at dusk. This sort of “drone” aircraft can be piloted from thousands of feet away, so it isn’t known where the craft originated from. It was an unlawful act that violated FAA rules and threatened public safety.

The Urbana RC Flying Association would like to state our position on the operation of “drones” and model aircraft in general, and assure the surrounding community of our commitment to their safe and lawful operation:

Our members only operate aircraft within the limits of our flying field. Flying any model aircraft over people, public venues, roads, or buildings is unsafe, unlawful, and strictly prohibited by our association. We also do not operate any aircraft using First-Person-View goggles (FPV)-- all of our flights are within the primary operator’s line-of-sight. FPV is also not permitted within a five-mile radius of an airport (Grimes Field) without prior notification.

Our association has operated model aircraft safely in cooperation with local authorities and the FAA for 15 years. We greatly value the relationship we have with the Urbana community and respect the rights of safety and privacy of our friends and neighbors.

Drones or other remotely-piloted aircraft flying over people, city streets, or neighborhoods should be reported to the Urbana Police Department at 937-652-4350.  Unsafe and unlawful operation of remote-control aircraft jeopardizes the continuation of the hobby for everyone.

For information on safe and lawful drone operation, please visit:

Sunday, April 9, 2017

Opening Day


 It was great weather for our 2017 field opening. Members chipped in to help change the oil and sharpen the blades on the mowing equipment.


The field is freshly mowed and rolled- everything looks great! Thanks to everyone that lent a hand today.Hey- that's a racing pylon in that picture!
Ready for the 2017 season!

Thursday, April 6, 2017

April Meeting Announcements

A few announcements from this month's Association meeting:

Mad River Flying Association will be changing its name to URBANA RC FLYING ASSOCIATION.

  Meeting minutes can be found HERE.

Members- FIELD OPENING DAY is this Sunday, April 9th at 1:00 PM. We will be setting up and repairing equipment, so please come and help and prepare to get dirty. 

 

WARBIRD RACING:  Practice Day- get in some laps around the pylons! April 29th at 1:00 PM

 

APRIL 15-18, 2017 at GRIMES FIELD:  75th ANNIVERSARY OF DOLITTLE RAID
Historic gathering of B-25 Bombers: 18 of these magnificent aircraft will be coming!



Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Next Meeting

Hey Members and Prospective Members:
Our next meeting will be Thursday, April 6th, 6:00 PM at the Champaign Aviation Museum. See you there!