luckymacy

Where is the best location in the US to live where you can fly fairly regularly AND there are at least 6 pattern contests within a 3 hour drive? This place would have to have a great local rc club that has a field that can handle heavy scale war bird planes with retracts. This place can't be in danger of being encroached upon by onerous noise restrictions and unfriendly neighborhoods. Does this even exist?

jetmech43

My Feedback: (9)

If you find a place like that let me know

countilaw

Yeah, Grand Prairie, Texas. Golden Triangle RC Club !!!

http://www.gtrcc.org/


Frank

jfuller

My Feedback: (8)

Hi,
Somewhere where the dadgum wind don't blow all the time like it does where I live in Clovis NM.

JamesF

pvogel

Morgan Hill, CA Tomcats club, also Oakdale, CA (near Yosemite) has a beautiful field as does Arvin, Ca (near bakersfield), and Sacramento has a great field as well, though it might be a little narrow + short for your preferences.

speedracerntrixie

My Feedback: (29)

Peter, have you checked the Tomcats events schedule for 2013? Zero aerobatics events. We used to have IMAC at Oakdale, Salinas, Hollister and Livermore. I think Oakdale is the only one left. I think Arvin has been running pattern but no IMAC. Hollister is hosting one or two pattern events a year? Does Oakdale have pattern? SAM's is a bit small and only does one pattern event a year. It's getting pretty slim in CA.

woodie

Speedracerntrixie

there are 16 pattern contests in California so far this year. Pretty evenly distributed between northern and southern California with 2 in Arvin which isn't too bad a drive from the north end. Some are combination Classic and AMA type pattern. Oakdale is having a 2 day contest as well as a 1 dayer in Morgan Hill. Sacramento is having a 1 day in May and a 2 day in October. Hollister - 2 day, Napa 2 day.... etc. Lot's of pattern contests to choose from. Attached is a pdf with the NSRCA District 7 pattern schedule, it is still being developed so there might some changes.

And a shameless plug for the Sacramento field, lots of warbird activity as well as pattern at our field. We fly some pretty big warbirds off the runway, and there are 3-4 guys that fly/practice IMAC at the field also.

Woodie

shannah

My Feedback: (5)

Yep, NSRCA District 7 is pretty active. There are also a ton of IMAC events in the area. As for scale, both Prado and my home field OCMA are very active in that regard. As far as I'm concerned, CA can't be beat for year round flying opportunity.

speedracerntrixie

My Feedback: (29)

Guys, I was keeping the OP's criteria of a 3 hour drive in mind. As such Bakersfield would be as far south as you can get in that time frame from Silicon Valley. I am glad to hear there are more events then I had thought though. Woodie, are you sure about the Morgan Hill pattern contest? The last newsletter had a list of events planned for 2013 and there was no pattern event listed. I know that Steve Smith was not pleased with the attendance numbers we had in '12. I am very familiiar with the SAM's field, I haven't missed a warbird race in 3 years. Sometimes I take my 33% Laser out there but it is a little uncomfortable with anything larger. The sun is an issue after 4:00 as well. Not so much an issue with pattern but an IMAC event tends to drag on a bit longer. Overall I plan to hit as many events as I can this year, I have a 2M pattern airplane and 33% IMAC airplane flying now and am about 50% finished with a classic Dalotel. Just have to wait untill everyone publishes schedules and see how many conflicts there are with racing.

stuntflyr

Southern California. From the high desert to San Diego county you can hit all of the contests from SD to Arvin in three hours driving time and there are about a dozen flying sites with pavement alone, two of which are public in which to practice.
Chris...

kevenoco

My Feedback: (1)

This is a good question and I'm interested to hear the results. I consider myself fortunate to live in Houston, TX. I think this area is a hotbed for pattern flying, and Houston seems like it's right in the middle of it. It's also right in the middle of District 6 although it may not look so on a map, but if you consider where the majority of the D6 contests are held then it's a great location.

There are many designers in D6 as well: Bryan Hebert (Valiant, Shinden, Patriot, Alferma), Mark Hunt (Pentathalon, Insight), Mike Harrison/Lance von Nostrand (Symphony, Aries) and many other really knowledgeable pattern technical experts (Ron Bar, Earl Haury, Don Ramsey, Andre Bouchard, & Glen Watson to name a few). And of course there is great competition here. We've been sending in Brett Wickizer to represent us at the Worlds the last several years, but there are many more great pilots in all classes.

Here's the contest situation

Within 3 hours:
2 right here in Houston (Space City & Jetero)
1-2 San Antonio, TX area

Within 4 hours:
1 Dallas
2 Crowley, LA
1 Baton Rouge, LA

You can check out Don Ramsey's D6 Pattern Page for the contest info.

[link=http://pages.suddenlink.net/donramsey/]http://pages.suddenlink.net/donramsey/[/link]

Keven

luckymacy

Thanks for the well thought out reply and it's what I had in mind with respect to specifics to do follow-up research.. That area is one which I was hoping to hear details on. I can only hope Florida is still active enough with pattern to get a comparable input.

Would also like to hear more details about California. Midwest has great summer flying but I am looking to relocate to a place I can fly more consistently year around.

Strat2003

My Feedback: (1)

Well, it sure wouldn't be eastern Ohio! To get six contests last year I drove five hours three times, six hours once and seven once. Only our home contest (20 minutes) was closer than three hours.
We do have a nice field, though. : )

Scott

rcpattern

My Feedback: (45)

You are actually fairly close to quite a few contests where you live. You have several D1 and D2 contests in your area within 2-3 hours. Granted, winter is great for flying, but after living in southern TX, everywhere has its disadvantages. January was great for flying, but July when its 110+, it wasn't exactly fun.

Arch

oliveDrab

...or where the dang wind don't blow all the time like it does here in San Angelo, Texas.

MTK

Having lived in TX both Houston area and Dallas area back in the 80's the pattern activity there was and still is extreme. But boy are the Summers hot, hot, hot and humid. Winters can be iffy. I still remember the winter of '84 in Dallas where it was colder than any place else I've been to for the whole month of January. But that Spring was superb!! Cost of living was at most as much as PA. TX (large metro areas) is one of the most reasonable places to live in the country. Summers last about 3 months where you hibernate inside. Winters last maybe 1-2 where its too cold. But that leaves you the other 7-8 months where it's fairly nice

I lived in north Florida for nearly 20 years in the late 80's, 90s and 2000s. Pattern activity in Florida didn't hold a candle to TX, not even close. Not many contests within 3 hr drive especially if you live down the leg of the penninsula.Weather tho was much more favorable for winter flying. Summer flying was very similar to TX, hot and sticky. Cost of living was reasonable and probably comparable to PA, maybe a hair more. FLA enables maybe 9-10 months of flying per year

I spent a lot of time in CA and absolutely love it there. Pick a place within 50 miles of the Pacific and you can't go wrong. It has a bunch of aero activity and you can certainly fly year 'round. It's a long state so somewhere in the middle will probably get you your requisite 3 hr drive limit. But it can be expensive to live. If money was no obstacle, that would be my #1 choice...

Here in NJ, summers can be hot and sticky or more moderate; probably similar to PA. Winters are the same as in PA so forget flying year 'round. We have some aero activity in the summer, with 3-4 pattern contests and afew more IMAC (from what I hear) within 3 hours drive of where I live (NC NJ). Cost of living is outrageous; on par with Cali. But there is no tax on clothing LOL

luckymacy

I lived in Florida (KSC) for a dozen years in the 80s and 90s and work now with someone who worked in Houston (JSC) for a few years until recently so we've compared notes on the two locations. He's been to KSC so it was easy to relate. Yep, Houston doesn't sound any better than East Coast Florida weather wise and unbearable, ugly humid and heat but Houston has less mosquitos and gnats! LOL. He said he hated Texas and would never go back unless it was the Austin area. I'm more open minded that than but I do remember that it really did put a damper on flying. We'd be done and back home by 11am during the worst stretch of summer. Any thing longer and your brain was fried. All the sweat rolling down your face while flying would often cause a small swarm of gnats to invade your eyes behind your sunglasses. That was always fun. I would just go and jump straight into the pool when I got home before doing antyhing else like taking the plane out just to cool off.

Humm, California is sounding better and better. ;-)

But I have a real RV-8 that'd I'd need to hangar too and I don't know how easy it'd be to make that all work out affordably in CA like I could in TX or FL. Humm, where's the really ideal California spot if job was no issue? I didn't want to complicate the question though with all that baggage but since the thread's cooled off I thought it was OK to throw that out there.

jetmech43

My Feedback: (9)

I do know in district 3 there are several contest in Fl and Ga and Alabama

MTK

There are many CA folks that can chime in as to the best spot for RV'ing. I suspect anywhere. Unless you are in one of the big cities, the authorities tend to be neighborly so no one will bother you, I don't think.

I've spent afew weeksin the San Diego area. Superb! Probably most consistently niceweather in the states
I've been to LA; didn't care for it!
I spent most of my time,manymonths over a4 year span,in SF and points north, in wine country. Magnificent! Stangest thing was the total lack of airborne bugs. And even when it gets hot, it's so dry you hardly notice the heat. Weird in a nice way.

And so many think about CA earthquakes. Well, not once did I feel one of them in CA. I did in NJ a couple years ago, go figure!! And so many think "Hurricanes" in sunny FLA. Guess what....several passed within a coule hundred miles of where I lived but not one hit us. I had to come to Joisey for that too, twice in the last 2 years, GOFIGURE!!!

In TX, Austin and San Antonio would be my choices....maybe a little better than Dallas and Houston weatherwise. But Houston hasseveral longtimers in pattern, friends from 25-30 years ago when I lived there. Ft Worth as well. Hard to beat the people in TX...wonderful folks in general. A far departure from NJ where so many folks are frazzled and pissed off at each other, or so it seems

Suggestion Lucky, take a road trip...Explore!

luckymacy

speaking of hitting the road, sounds like you'll be moving back to Texas or California soon?!

I hit the road pretty often. Don't see much pattern flying. Just came back from Detroit. That midwest is scratched off the list. ;-)

MTK

Texas is a bit too hot for me anymore. I'd rather not have to hibernate in summertime. My son will be going to school inSoCal soon and he will likely stay out there after graduation. He loves it as much as me.
I can only dreamfor me tomake that move a reality. Not too sure I have the missus convinced but I'm ready and willing. The "able" waits to be seen

Malydilnar

My Feedback: (1)

District 8 has some great contests in Washington and Oregon, but most of them are at the border of 3hours away. I live in Seattle area, and we have some nice fields, mainly the Cascade family flyers, which is grass but basically unlimited runway and you are flying over plains, and there is a very nice paved field in Wenatchee. The only downside is that we have a three month flying season

pvogel

Yeah, Luke and I were a little late to get onto Steve's calendar and since it had been cancelled last year due to some radio FUD Steve assumed it wouldn't be happening. We do want to do it and Luke is working with Steve to get the date booked. In case Luke has to go out of town at that time I'll fill in for him as CD.

Peter+

speedracerntrixie

My Feedback: (29)

Good to know Peter, If there is any assistance I can provide please call on me. Are you guys going to include some classic pattern too? May be a good way to boost numbers.

NJRCFLYER2

My Feedback: (42)

[quote]ORIGINAL: MTK


Hey, Iresemble that remark!

Don't worry Matt,as we both get older, we won't even remember all those 1 finger salutes we get commutingup &down Rt 287 every day!