international flyers
 

I have seen bunches of posts from folks in different parts of the world, Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia. The popularity of the Malayasian hanger posts is proof of the popularity of RC there.

I am just curious in what countries is everybody flying in? Also, how popular is RC there? I want to compile a list of countries.

I will start, I learned to fly in Chile and now I live and fly in Argentina.
Argentina is home to Quique Somenzini and CA Models and needless to say RC is really popular here. While I am American I have never flown RC there. How to change that next year when I visit!!!!

Countries--- Chile, Argentina

RE: international flyers
 

HI:
I live in Puerto Montt, Chile. The local aerodrome at Puerto Varas is mostly used for the 15 R/c pilots we are than the 1:1 pilots. So that is great R/C flying field with Osorno Volcano at the end of the landscape and llanquihue lake in front...nice. all the commodities as a regular rest room ( no chemicals ones), water, electricity, kitchen , refrigerator, microwave...etc. I would rather live there!!!

There is another group of R/cers in Osorno 5 to 8, but only 3 or 4 fly every weeks. Then In Temuco we have another group of 8 to 10 guys, poor activity.

At the north, there is my old and first club, Concepción ( search at the web) , with 35 to 40 pilots, 15 to 20 flying every weeks, great instalations, warehouse, water, electricity, etc.
I started 8 years ago the Aeropicnic, this year the 13 and 14 November there is the 7° version. It is the most importat and great time event ever in Chile, comes people from Antofagasta ( 2.500 kms. north, to Puerto Mont, 1000 kms. south) We use to have great time flying, talking, eating a nice barbq and a very elegant and first class dinner saturday night, that is a tradition now in Chile, the is no club who can say is at this level of organization and refinery attending the invited pilots.

great for them...i will play as a visitor this year!!!

I Santiago there are 4 to 5 clubs, with no more than 220 pilots in all of them and they have the 3 only 3 R/C stores in the country.

Viña del Mar and Valpaiso are close to Santiago, but there is a mino activity there.

At the north, there is a Club in La serena where the guys concentrate thier effort only in pylong racing. Also heard than in Arica there is a club too, but with no more than 10- 15 pilots I guess.

And that will be the reality of R/C flying in Chile.

Only the Newbery Club In Buenos Aires, Argentina have around 300 - 400 members I´ve being "told"

Tato Lazo.

RE: international flyers
 

I'm Brazilian but live in Venezuela for quite some time.
In Caracas there are 3 R/C clubs that I know (one for gliders, only) and one private field.

There are R/C clubs in other cities like Valencia, Maracaibo, Maracay, Puerto Ordaz, Barcelona and others.

The membership on each club is not too big, the large ones below 100 members.

Several pilots I know compete in international events, such a Top Gun and Nationals at Muncie, IN.

RE: international flyers
 

So far we have,

Argentina, Chile, Brazil, and Venezuela. Looks like an all latino flyers up till now!!!

RE: international flyers
 

I'll add a couple of (or more than couple countries
I am from Ecuador (though I've never have had the opportunity to fly there) I have corresponded and talked with some Rc enthusiasts there
I know for sure there are clubs in Quito and Guayaquil (the two main cities).
I know there is at least one club in Colombia (Medellin)
I live in HOnduras (Central America) and here we have three clubs the largest (and luckiest) is in the capital city Tegucigalpa they have their site at the local airborne army base with about 30 to 40 members; the second is in San Pedro SUla with 20 to 25 people and my local club is in La Ceiba with about 8 members.

In Costa Rica there is at least two clubs one flyes off a sod farm (20 to 30 memebers) and the other I don't know, they used to fly off an old horse race track.. by the way the instructor at this field was a Cuban who came into COsta Rica and defected from Castro's regime wiht his family... which also means that there is RC plkanes in Cuba as well.

The strip in Guatemala can be seen on approach by commercial carrier, and will bethe site tom this year's Central American Aero-models fly in (AACA - asociacion aeromodelismo de centroa merica), KUrt Wagner's is one of the members and a picture and his son made into an IMAC magazine cover....

THE AACA fly-in will be held this week (NOv 4-7 ) IN Guatemala city
There is at least one large group in El Salvador in attendance.
Panam flyers will also be attending but i don't know about their clubs or numbers.

And do not fortget MExico .. (CLub Pegaso) is one of the largest in the Americas and its site could even made some people in MUncie blush... they're gorgeous.... and expensive :D I ahve been on the local club in Tepic, Nayarit but no body was around so I don't know how manny members, Guadalajara has at least two hobby shops and as many clubs ...
Anyway I guess i started inocently enough and really put quite a list....
So now we can add:
Mexico
Guatemala
El Salvador
HOnduras,
Costa Rica
Panama
Colombia
Ecuador :D LATIN POWER!!!!

RE: international flyers
 

To my feelow latin RC'ers I include a poem written by an r/c wife whic I believe is one of the best I have ever seen (or the only one)..
I hope you like it :

Como un homenaje a una de las tantas abnegadas esposas de los aeromodelistas que se pasan en vela y con frÃ*o a la espera de que el señor venga del taller a veces a la madrugada, voy a copiar aquÃ* una hermosa composición poética de la señora Beatriz de Semanate, esposa del 1er presidente del club de aeromodelismo de Quito_Ecuador (copiada del sitio we http://www.caq.8m.com/Form.html).

EL AEROMODELISTA
El aeromodelismo, noble actividad,
una de cuyas máximas virtudes
es la de no tener similitudes
con aquellas que no generan amistad.
Quien lo practica es un ser paciente
hábil, meticuloso y ordenado,
comparte su afición con sus seres amados
lo que a su vida da equilibrio y suficiencia
Es un hombre que tiene la ventura
de ser de sus congéneres diferente
es como un niño, con su alma transparente
que sueña con volar a las alturas.
Consumado constructor de miniaturas
exactas réplicas de las naves gigantes
piloto de ilusiones, navegante
que mientras vuela su propia dicha estructura.
Tiene en su hobby, que es deporte y ciencia
todo lo que su espÃ*ritu precisa
para crear y recrearse en forma lisa
en sano esparcimiento, sin violencia.
Prefiere soledad cuando construye
hasta dar concreción a su ilusión alada
y mientras vierte de sus sueños la cascada
a sus diarias tensiones las diluye.
Las hecha a volar, siempre a campo abierto
de cara al sol y cabellera al viento
ágil la mente, libre el pensamiento
seguro que su paz ha descubierto.
Es la azul inmensidad del cielo
donde sus sueños de libertad conquista
y en la extensión limitada de la pista
donde convierte en realidades sus anhelos.
Despega con su avión hacia el espacio
sin desprender sus plantas de este suelo
y al observar las piruetas de su vuelo
la vida le transcurre más despacio.
Se eleva soñador al infinito
y al remontarse a las azules transparencias
dentro del corazón tiene conciencia
que del cielo se adueñó un poquito.
Según como asciende al firmamento
con su pequeño avión en ágil danza
vibra todo sus ser con la esperanza
de estar cerca de Dios por un momento.
Allá en las nubes , el mágico mosaico
que borda con sus naves de colores
y el vibrante ronronear de los motores
lo alejan de lo burdo y lo prosaico.
Y desciende después reconfortado
con el alma más limpia y más liviana
para emprender feliz otra semana
de renovados brÃ*os inyectado.
He aquÃ* una auténtica semblanza
de un ser que no ha perdido compostura
al conservar del niño la frescura
sin extraviar del hombre la pujanza.

RE: international flyers
 

Greetings from Malaysia!!! Yes we are pretty nuts about RC here, wait till you see the car scene. As for planes its sad, we do not have clubs, we fly off whatever land we can find and its just a weekend gathering on some piece of property. We would love to see things get more organised but then ... what can I say. I'll post some pictures here soon so that all of you out there can appreciate what you have!

RE: international flyers
 

Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Venezuela, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador. And finally a non central-south armerican country Malaysia.

So the count is at 13 countries now. There are bound to be some European fliers out there!

RE: international flyers
 

Oye Gringo, count one more for Chile over here!

As Tato said above, here at Concepcion we're doing the 7ºAeropicnic, with the "Team JR Argentina" as our guests. Last year we had a great but rainy show with CAModel, we hope this year weather plays on our team!

A nice 360º view of our field: http://www.aeromodelosconcepcion.cl/...haVueloWeb.jpg
And our new Club website, still under construction... http://www.aeromodelosconcepcion.cl

Saludos a todos en RCUniverse!

RE: international flyers
 

Paul, you will enjoy Team JR, I have seen them at 2 different flyins here.

Wish I could bring my Funky 40 over and fly with you guys for that event!!

Another Chile flyer added to the list:D

RE: international flyers
 

I flew at Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan and over here in the good US of A.. so..there ya' go! 4 countries:D

RE: international flyers
 

Signing in from Hong Kong. Not much to mention: small place, inorganized, little fields, yet to see a giant scale, few of us and almost illegal. Only good thing is the low prices of RC stuffs here.

Clement

RE: international flyers
 

The list stands at Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Venezuela, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, and the US.

We finally have some flyers in Asia. Anybody going to chime in from Africa, Europe, or the Middle East?

18 countries and counting:)

RE: international flyers
 

Hi Gringo, here's some additions to your list:

I am of Hungarian origin, but was born in Venezuela, lived in Uruguay, The Netherlands, Hungary and Germany. My flying experience is limited to Hungary, Germany and - during my holidays - France (magnificent slopes for soaring on the Atlantic coast...).

Visit my club site (albeit in German only): [link]http://www.msv-smue.de[/link]

Regards from Germany!

Matias

RE: international flyers
 

gobs of rc over here. some very nice club run flying sites for the snobs and lots of informal sites for the cool antisocial types. many rc kids go on to the uav projects once in the military.

i have also flown over every major body of water here, red sea, dead sea, mediterranean sea, jordan river and sea of galilee




dave

RE: international flyers
 

What's it like to crash one into the Dead Sea?

Clement

RE: international flyers
 

Clemen did you say HK and cheap RC? Wanna be my best friend? Hahahaaa ...

RE: international flyers
 

one more from Ecuador, I'm going down there this Friday I hope I have time to visit one of the flying fields. hey I heard is illegal to own a remote control in the middle east countries, I WONDER WHY :D

RE: international flyers
 

Zagnut I have been to Israel and am trying to picture a place to fly planes around the sea of Galilee. If I remember right it has hills on every side.

RE: international flyers
 

plenty of flat areas near the lake to fly powered planes, i do most of my flying there because that's where my weekend house and shop are.

the cliffs near the southeast part of the lake are an excellent slope-soaring and hang gliding site called mevo-hama. found some pics on the web: in first pic you see the cliffs in the background and the second pic is taken from the flying site looking down on the lake. the site is about 350 meters above sea level but the lake is 200 meters BELOW sea level...so overall about 550 meters. during summer the wind hitting the cliffs can get up to 60+ kph and requires lots of ballast...


dave

edit: added another pic of the cliffs

RE: international flyers
 

tIANci, what's the prices like in Malaysia? Want to smuggle RC supplies into LA China Town and get rich?
Salmon, it's right here in Hong Kong. Dunno about middle east tho. 2 got busted in July and the crowd successfully pressed the authorities to drop charges, now forcing them to change the law.

Clement

RE: international flyers
 

Hey Salmon where in Ecuador:D Quito or Guayaquil....
if its Guayaquil could you give me a contact there?

RE: international flyers
 

Clement ... I think its cheaper in HK, it has always been only RC cars are cheaper in Malaysia than in US. Planes are cheaper in the US. Wanna be my supplier? Hehehe ... I send you $$$ you send me stuff!!!

RE: international flyers
 

I'm going to Quito, Patrick, only for 2 weeks man , I'll let you know if I made it to Sangolqui, ( that's where the flying field is )

Edwin.

RE: international flyers
 

Well tIANci, I'll can get you a quote first so you can compare prices including S&H.

Clement