tbgiambruno

nyflyer56, I'm not upset with the closing realy. What I am upset about is the way AMA went about it.

BasinBum

My Feedback: (2)

You sound like my wife.

HellcatAce

My Feedback: (6)

Just 2 cents here. The 605/210 freeway interchange is not as old as the club, so I'm guessing somebody thought it was a great place at the time they started up. If you've even driven past the area, you know it's just open, undeveloped flood basin bordered by freeways, and a big hole in the earth. I have seen a giant scale 3D plane hovering from both directions on the 210 as well as the 210 E to 605 S connector ramp and never felt concerned. The only reason I was ever distracted is because I'm always distracted by models in the air ( and in their cars ) on my travels.

I guess the issue here is CRUST! I for one am very happy and thankful for all of the modelers before me who have brought the hobby to what we all enjoy today. Unfortunately, there are those with all that experience under their belts that do not like the direction of certain aspects or flying disciplines that have come about in recent years. If it chaps their hide enough, they have no problem voicing their displeasure to any and all who will listen. I see this in clubs and flying fields everywhere. I bet I'm not the only one who has heard such grumblings from these types. If I had some $ for every time I heard "I hate giant scale" or "Damn pylon racers" or "damn 3Der's, they hog the whole runway doing their stupid hovering" I'd have a much bigger pile of kits and parts waiting to become airplanes than I already do.

Guess that's why private clubs are sort of a double edged sword. There will always be the long standing members who want nothing to do with anything that would change the staus quo of what they are comfortable with, and in many cases helped to start, or at least served on the board to develop. Then there are the newer or younger members who join and bring with them their preferred type of aircraft and associated flying style. The result is often a club divided on the issues that can't come up with a solution that everyone can agree on (Sounds like the Bozos in Sacramento huh?) The downside is that people often vote with their hearts, and not their wallet.

The moral, if ya don't like what's happening in the club, rather than sinking the whole thing out of spite, how bout you go join a club that fits your "style". If you can't find one, it's never too late to start a new hobby.

flyrod

Just to be clear here, I looked at Caltrans records to determine the years in which the major bridges of the 210 and 605 Freeway interchange were built. The connector bridge for the Eastbound 210 to the Southbound 605 Freeway was built in 1970 according to Caltrans. It is bridge number 53 2688G. That's 39 years ago.

The 210 and 605 Freeways and their interchange were in place several years BEFORE the club began flying at their current location.

marquisvns

Just to be clear as well, I don't think anybody is working with Caltran to get them to relocate bridge number 53 2688G or the 605 or the 210. : )
The fact is that the field has plenty of safety margin from any of the freeways. The safety record of the club and the diligence of club members to maintain that record speak for itself and is our foremost commitment.

Barry

chashint

There are some pdf files posted on this club's home page now of letters that have been sent to the AMA and the District VP.
In one of the letters it appears that it was written in response to issues in regards to proximity to an airport.
What I don't understand is comparing this club's distance from an airport to two other clubs that are even closer to airports in their respective locations.
Is this club trying to get these other clubs shut down too ?
Never make the argument that "I am ok because he is worse".

marquisvns

http://www.sfdrcm.com/docs/amaletter.pdf
Please reference to the bottom of page 2 of the AMA letter, the last sentence:

"We strongly suspect that our neighborhood and distances separating us from the freeway and neighboring structures are entirely typical of many of the Clubs operating under the academy umbrella."

Check out all the letters from the City of Duarte, I am especially impressed with the one from City of Hope. This is especially heartfelt because a dear friend from New York brought his daughter to the City of Hope for a life saving bone marrow transplant. It makes one proud to be a club member of SFDRCM under Mr. Wayne Brown.

marquisvns

For those of you aren't as familiar, City of Hope is a cancer treating hospital, not a city.

http://www.cityofhope.org/about/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.cityofhope.org/about/publ...d-urology.aspx

esl721

Charlie. SFDRCM and all the clubs mentioned in the SFDRCM response are in conformity with the AMA Safety code:

I will not fly my model aircraft higher than approximately 400 feet above ground level, when within three (3) miles of an airport without notifying the airport operator.

Therefore none of the clubs have anything to worry about from AMA sanctions because of this issue. Right?

Longbaskt

My Feedback: (5)

Just posted at field's website.... just in time to charge up some batteries for tomorrow!!!! Yea Haw!!! (Like this couldn't have been resolved without all the drama? - my opinion only).



FIELD REOPENS FEB 28TH !!!!!!!
"The maximum ceiling height is 400 ft above ground level, this safety requirement will be strictly enforced by our three safety officers and our members at large".

Runway has been reconfigured to bring the useable eastern end approx 379’ farther from the freeway. All safety and noise rules will be strictly enforced. Please fly safely and courteously within the confines of the dam. Our field is a valuable commodity.

If you are not sure how high 400’ is you might buy or borrow a How High altimeter (http://www.wingedshadow.com/) .

We thank Wayne Brown, Gary Stevens, Frank Ross and Ed Roberts for their extensive time and effort!

Red Scholefield

My Feedback: (9)

Just as a reference point, at our club field we installed HOW HIGH in a number of members planes and told them to do their thing. None recorded anything higher than 400 feet in normal flying, 3D etc. Soaring (electrics) on the other hand got some to 1200 feet, very difficult to see and control precisely.

Longbaskt

My Feedback: (5)

I'm still looking for the "How Close" meter! Staying inside a imaginary box with a moving object that you are flying is not an easy thing. To me monitoring height it's just like the AMA's statement of flying in an unsafe manner... when that is not defined... what's unsafe?... what you think or what I think? Without a laser measuring device, you would never know when the height barrier is broken... and I'm not for doing that.... just fly only as high as you need to be two mistakes high and stay low when full sized aircraft are in the area.

I'm glad it's fixed and we are back to flying....

Thanks for any input you were able to add in resolving this issue.

Gregg Stockdale
Past President - (In the 90's)
SFDRCM

Red Scholefield

My Feedback: (9)

HOW HIGH units available from http://www.wingedshadow.com/

Not that expensive and easy to install.

Kmot

My Feedback: (24)

Congratulations guys on the great news!! [sm=thumbup.gif]

esl721

Here are some pictures of the reopened field. Runway and pits are blacktopped and re-striped. Concrete bumpers meet the requirement for moving the end of the runway farther from the field. It is hard to imagine someone angry enough to want to cause a field like this to be shut down after 25 years, especially in urban Los Angeles where open land is non-existant.

http://www.imagehostplus.com/v2/ag.p...=56251&mid=596

Crash-RCU

So is the malcontent still a member of the club.

nyflyer56

Wow, very pretty scenery.
It seems that the concrete bumpers were a relatively inexpensive way of dealing with the situation vs relocating the runway. Good luck with it!

goliathman

My Feedback: (3)

What the hell is with the speed Bumps??

HellcatAce

My Feedback: (6)

Nice work and congratulations! My flagging belief in AMA's mission to keep flying fields open has been restored! The concrete plane killers do seem a little much, but if that's what it takes to keep the powers that be happy, so be it. Besides, there is quite a bit of room on the sides that looks fairly safe to use in an emergency situation. I hope that the "problem" that started this whole mess has been dealt with so that you guys don't have to face this issue again.

goliathman

My Feedback: (3)

Not in a dead stick! It would improve peoples skills in keeping the roll outs as short as possible.

wedreagle

My Feedback: (1)

For those of you with Real Flight Simulators G4.5 and I think G3, can download our field before the renovation and new asphalt and speed bumps were installed which is the original 900 foot runway. The field can be found on knifeedge.com. When you launch your simulator, instead of clicking on Run Real Flight, click on additional options, and then click on the Web Site menu. It will take you to the knife edge web site. Follow the instructions for downloading. It's a little tricky, but I did it after some diddleing around. You will see the freeway to the east, the runway east and west, the pits, taxiway, and the surrounding dam area where we are located. The City of Hope hospital is to the west and you may be able to see one of the buildings. We just painted our picnic tables last week and along came the taggers with grafitti all over them which is a big constant problem we have with gang bangers messing up our field.

Ed Roberts
SFDRCM

Longbaskt

My Feedback: (5)

Hopefully the last post for those that have been watching. Field is OPEN, membership in the club has been REDUCED. Democracy rules. Voice your opinion, Vote, and then either go along, or leave... or be voted out for going outside the group. DUH!!! How the @$%@%#% hard is that to understand?

It took a while, but we got the job done.

Batteries are full and I'm pumped to go flying again!

Everyone got a fair shake and those that wanted (or showed up) to be heard.... were. Like, we don't have enough other things to worry about?

The END!