I am posting this new thread with a new subject listing in hopes of clearing up any misunderstandings about our upcoming Electric Fun Fly. It is first and foremost an open fun fly for any AMA legal electric airplanes. Pilots have to be members of the AMA or may join at the event. In the morning 1/2 the time is devoted to open flying. Two periods of fifteen minutes an hour are for open flying during the 9:00 hour and the 11:00 hour. During the 10:00 hour priority is given for frequency control during one period for anyone wanting to fly a GWS Tiger Moth. Any frequencies not being used by the TM Squadron are available for open flying. In the other open flying session of that hour priority is given to Mini Max/Crazy Max planes and the rest is open.
The emphasis on World War I and II planes is to encourage people to bring those electrics to the event. There will be three periods of 15 minutes where only WWI planes are flying (Top of every hour from 9:00 until noon) and the same is true for WWII planes (Bottom of every hour from 9:00 until noon). If you don't have a warbird this could be charging and watching time for you.
The Fun Fly is at the Modesto Reservoir so electric float planes can be flown there as well. More information will be posted in mid April. Events include limbo, 2 minute limited motor run All Up Last Down, Tiger Moth Squadron, (Mini, Crazy and Twin) Max Squadron, pylons will be available for pylon challenge races. There will be a raffle that is shaping up nicely thanks to support from: Futaba, Great Planes, Hobby People, Hobby Lobby, SR Batteries, Model Aviation News, The E Zone, Jim Ryan Planes, Model Electronics Corp, Diversity Model Aircraft, SIG, R/C Country Hobby Store in Sacramento, Tower Hobby and Blue Feather so far.
People are welcome to sell and swap things as well. It is rumored that the CD will be selling at least ten planes RTF at the event. Be sure and count your fingers after you deal with him. Michael Heer
CD World War I and II Electric Fun Fly

COST: PARK ENTRANCE $6.00 PER CAR, PILOT REGISTRATION $5.00

For individual questions contact me at: fixostar@attbi.com
To cut down on some questions the items for sale by me are: kits Spad, Electric Boomerang, Crazy Max, Demoiselle slow flier, Me-109 from Flying Styro for conversion to electric and a road kill Me-109.
Planes ready to fly: Softik Acro electric glider, Viper Twin, New Timer, Poquito HLG, Lo 100 Park Flier glider, Zagi THL, Zagi Razor, K-Max French Glider and bungee system, Lightening with spare wing, Elipsoid.

Sounds Fun!

What kind of runway do you have??


Dave
dpwick@pacbell.net

Is there a web site with updated schedule, parking info, or whatever ? Curious if this is organized by a club in Modesto ? Will non-flying spectators be welcome (wife & friends I'm trying to get interested in eflight) ? Sounds like major fun !

The event is being hosted by the Modesto Radio Control Club which is a club with pilots interested in R/C gliders and electrics. No gas powered planes at the site except for aero-tow. Our club website is at: www.mrcclub.org. My e-mail is now: fixostar@attbi.com. There is information at the website under events. I will bring updated information to this site with a new posting on April 16th.
There is a park entrance fee of $6.00 per car. (at that time of the year). There is a charge for pilots of $5.00 to enter the event as well. No club charge for spectators. Lunch will be available on site. Drinks available through out the day. The field is at the Modesto Reservoir which is just off highway 132 about 20 miles east of Modesto. About five miles past Waterford.
Spectators are welcome and all people should bring their own lawn chairs.
There is a pilots meeting at 8:45 and the morning schedule is as posted in the first posting in this thread, then 12:00 to 1:00 is all open flying. At 1:00 there will a parade of planes and voting by the pilots for three awards. Pilot's choice best WW I era plane, Pilot's choice best WWII era plane and Pilot's choice Best Plane at the event. To be considered a plane must be flown at the event as this is a fun fly. A plane can only win one trophy and prizes that go with the trophy. The Best Plane does not have to be a War Era or scale plane. At 1:15 we will have the limbo event and when that is over there will be a raffle. Currently we have six planes and a radio for the raffle and lots of other stuff. Following the raffle we will have a limited motor run event of two minutes. After two minutes the motors must remain off and the last one down wins a medal and prize.
We are in the process of making a new dirt runway at our site at this time. Currently there is no runway as last years has been reclaimed by vegetation. We will be disking the ground and removing the rocks we raise and then smoothing out the surface to make a much better runway then last year. We will be out at the site again today, March 20th to work on the runway. We will keep you posted as to how it is progressing in the mid April posting here in the events section and on our club website.
There are real bathrooms and porta potties nearby and lots of parking is available. Power boats and fishing is allowed in the reservoir and there are developed campsites at the reservoir but not right at the field. The emphasis is on FUN, not on competition. I am hearing more about WWII planes then WWI this year. Sounds like we will have lots of Spitfires, some FW 190s a couple Me 109s, a Hawker Hurricane, a Corsair, some Zeros, a DC 3 and a Ju 52, a B-17 and who knows what else. My new Dr 1 will be going after Snoopy. Non war planes will include electric gliders, Zagis, a Projeti, a Viper Twin and hopefully Greg's new plane and much more. Michael Heer
P.S. Oakdale which is ten miles north of our field is having there chocolate festival the same weekend as our fun-fly so there will be crafts and chocolate for spouses who would rather eat bon bons then watch us fly.

Come on now "Von Baron", Snoop has the "Gun" all dialed in. Don't be givin him any trash talk now!

Hey, I'm all ready to go, wheres the runway?

We layed out the runway this past week with flags in a field of green grass. We then adjusted it further and today the ground for the runway area was turned with a disc and the area was dragged for the first time this year. We will work further on the area on the Saturday after Easter. We will post further information in late April as we are aware that there is concern about the smoothness of our runway. We have moved the runway further away from the fence so it is more then 100 feet away from the fence and the runway is about forty feet wide and 250 feet long. We hauled out some rock this past week and hope to haul out a lot more next weekend as we make the bed for our permenant runway. that is all for now. Hey Greg! I wish we had the roller for a weekend!

The soil has been turned over twice, dragged twice and graded once. we have removed another ton of rocks and our next work day will be watering rolling and filling for smoothness. Here is a picture of how it looks as of 3/27. Not a model runway yet but getting there. (For size, that is a Honda SUV.) Runway is 40 by 270 feet. Michael Heer

We had a workday yesterday and we rolled the runway. The construction of our dirt runway for the fun fly is basically done. We will blow it off and sweep it if necessary but the main construction is done. First 50 feet are at a steep up slope and a bit rough. Remaining 200 plus feet works pretty well. it is far from perfect but much better then last year. We had a fairly strong breeze and no one did any test flying yesterday. Mike Heer

Here is another picture of the runway.

Here is a third picture of runway construction.

Hi Michael,
Drove out there a few months ago to see sight.
Pictures of strip looking good.
How is the wind in the AM out there?
Sorry to say I don't have a WWI plane (yet, been eyeing that used one at Mod. Hobby), but my Tiger Moth and Stick FD will be there for the fun.
Is there any indoor you guys do in the Valley? I want the excuse to build another Tiger Moth lighter than stock.
John

Looking at the first pic there is a poll there still I see. ( I know they don't go away! )

With the placement I see in the pics though, the field looks to be coming along nice.

See you there!!

Mike
Will you have a retrieval boat at the meet for those aqua type planes that don't make it back to shore?

Kern

I will try and answer the questions: 1) The wind, it is pretty much just like the rest of the valley, unpredictable but with a pattern. The wind is unpredictable in April and May. I had three years in a row where we had almost no wind at Los Banos for my combat event in April and SBSS event in May. Yet in between there were windy days. That said the morning is normally the calmest part of the day and late afternon the windiest. It is open flying early and that is the best time for the Tiger Moths and Lite Sticks etc. If I could better answer that question I could really make some money. 1a) We had a member who looked for indoor flying sites but currently we don't have one. 2) Yes Fred we still have a couple power poles just off field but in plain sight. Fences should not be a consideration at all for new runway, width should not be a problem and length much less a problem then last year. For our club members no one feels the power poles are a problem for them with electrics. The cross leg can be angled if people want to go way down on the down wind leg but the closest pole is more then 200 feet from where I first touch down with my planes. If someone needs more room we can take over the road for a flight. I posted the pictures to show the place as it is. You can see the support line for the closet pole in the picture in the distant shot that shows a car (Honda SUV) on the runway. Finally, thanks for the encouraging words. 3) I will have to ask and get back to you about a boat. we have had help from a jet skier one time in the past but 99% of the flying has been off land last two years. I will ask if someone could have a boat available and post about that when I hear back. Mike

The attached picture shows an aerial view of part of our field. The area for float planes is in the box on the left. The new runway is the box on the bottom right and would continue down if the photo showed more. the pit area will be to the left of the runway starting near the bottom of the picture and going down. Hope that helps. Mike