Eyes on the sky

The Tri Valley Modelers invite the community to observe--and even shoot down--RC model planes for National Model Aviation Day

click to enlarge Eyes on the sky
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHUCK BARNES
RIDING THE WILD BLUE: The Tri Valley Modelers will be showcasing their flying skills for the annual Model Aviation Day celebration.

It’s not every day pilots invite people to come over and shoot at their planes, but the Tri Valley Modelers are doing just that.

True, they may not be sitting in the craft they’re piloting, but they’re maneuvering them nonetheless. And they’re so confident in their skills that they’re inviting locals to come try their luck at bringing down a remotely controlled (RC) plane with a paintball gun during their National Model Aviation Day celebration.

The club enjoys dozens of local members who congregate at the Elks Unocal Event Center for get-togethers. The club built a 500-foot runway on a back area of the property, and local modelers meet there to fly their planes.

“We have all shapes and sizes of people and airplanes out there,” said Tri Valley Modelers event coordinator Chuck Barnes. “We have kids who are 5 all the way up to guys that are in their 90s.”

National Model Aviation Day is a celebration led by the Academy of Model Aeronautics, of which the Tri Valley Modelers is a chapter. The day was designated to showcase the skills and fun enjoyed by model aviators, wherever a chapter may be.

“It’s an opportunity to get people aware of model aviation and all the careers available in aviation,” Barnes said. “A lot of people—like Burt Rutan or Neil Armstrong—flew model airplanes when they were kids.”

The Academy of Model Aeronautics designated that proceeds from any chapter events will go toward the Wounded Warrior Project, a benefit organization for injured military members.

“We thought this was a great group to help out,” Barnes said. “Many of our members are ex or current military, and we have our hearts in it, so to speak. Hopefully it will turn out good and be a yearly thing.”

The Tri Valley Modelers have definitely done a lot to increase the event’s appeal to even non-RC nuts. Local vendors and groups will be on hand with information and wares, and the American Legion will show up to barbecue burgers and hot dogs.

The biggest draw to the event is expected to be the Model Airplane Shoot Down. Folks from the Shack paintball park will come with paintball guns and paintballs available to borrow for a donation. Spectators can turn into anti-aircraft machines, shooting at RC planes flown by club members.

click to enlarge Eyes on the sky
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHUCK BARNES
WAR BIRDS: The Tri Valley Modelers are inviting locals to take shots at their planes with paintball guns for a Model Airplane Shoot Down.

“Typically we don’t like to lose airplanes,” Barnes said, “but we have had a bunch of expendable airplanes donated.”

Around a dozen or so planes have been donated by members and friends of the club. Fly-bys over the runway will give shooters a chance to take aim in an attempt to knock the craft out of the sky.

“They are going to be hard to hit,” Barnes said, “but we can bring the altitude down. But if we begin to lose too many planes, we can start driving faster.”

Safety is always a concern when operating any kind of vehicle, especially an airborne one. The club will be taking extra precautions for the shootout event.

“Our No. 1 priority is our own safety and the safety of the spectators,” Barnes said. “There is going to be two people on each paintball line with a guy watching where the shooter is aiming.”

Spectators will be behind a safety fence as well, Barnes explained, and even if a plane gets hit, it may lose some controllability, which can be dangerous as well.

“Only expert pilots will be flying for the shootout,” Barnes said, “so if something does happen to an aircraft that is hard to control, they can do something about that and bring it down.”

Members of the club follow strict safety rules when they’re out doing their regular flights. Any time members come out to fly, Barnes explained, they alert the control tower at the Santa Maria Airport of their presence and when they leave. Though the flying objects may be little RC models, the club members are still flying planes, Barnes noted.

Eyes on the sky
TAKE TO THE SKIES: The Tri Valley Modelers celebrate National Model Aviation Day in benefit of the Wounded Warrior Project, featuring demonstrations including a Model Airplane Shoot Down—for which you can buy, then shoot down (with paintball guns) RC planes—on Aug. 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Elks Unocal Event Center, 4040 S. U.S. Highway 101, Gate 3, Santa Maria. More info: trivalleyrcmodelers.com.

“Basically, these are real airplanes,” he said. “They have all the characteristics that a normal aircraft would have, and the only difference is that they are smaller and you can’t sit in them.”

Many members of the club have come from careers in aviation and flying, including the U.S. Air Force, as in Barnes’ case. But it also works the other way. Some members kindle their interest in aviation in the club and go on to pursue it.

“We have a guy right now that’s working on his pilot license and has been a modeler for years,” Barnes said. “We have had several guys do that.”

The Tri Valley Modelers put on events throughout the year that include demonstrations similar the ones planned for before and after the shootout. They also provide new members and locals with flying lessons and advice on good starter planes and what to look for.

“What happens a lot is people who come out and see it go and buy a plane and try it themselves and crash their plane,” Barnes said. “We encourage people to come out to our field. We have a lot of knowledge on how to fly, what to buy, and the camaraderie we have out there is fun.”

 

Arts Editor Joe Payne enjoys two feet firmly planted on the ground. Contact him at [email protected].
 

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