Welcome to the Rockwall RC Sport Flyers Club
As President of the Rockwall RC Sport Flyers Club, I am pleased to provide you with the following information regarding our clubactivities.
The Rockwall RC Sport Flyers Club (RSF)isa non-profitorganization dedicated to promoting the artand science of building and flying radio-controlled aircraft, including airplanes, jets, park flyersand helicopters. RSF is an Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) chartered club and, for insurance purposes, all RSF members are also required to be active members in the AMA. Our current membership consists of seventy individuals representing a wide variety of backgrounds, professions, ages and RC aviation interests. The club’s flying field is located on a landfill that we lease from the City of Rockwall.
Building and flying radio-controlled aircraft can be a rich and rewarding experience that provides participants with an exhilarating and satisfying recreational and leisure time activity. The objectives of our club are to have fun flying our RC aircraft and to expand the sphere of participation in our terrific hobby by providing a means forindividuals interested in learning to fly RC aircraft with the information, instruction and guidancerequired to become proficient RC aviators. Our idea of “having fun”is to provide a safe flying environment for our pilots, spectators and our neighbors residing in the adjacent residential areas. Our club – like every other RC club – has many rules and regulations that our membership must followabsolutely to ensure safe flying. Violations – even out of ignorance – are simply not tolerated. Our club observes all AMA safety rules and guidelines in addition to the rules and protocols contained in the club’s bylaws.
The most practical way to get started in RC aviation is to remove any "guess work" from the process.Therefore, if you are considering enteringthis exciting hobby, we strongly encourage you toattend one of our monthly club meetings and to visit our flying field to see, firsthand,what aircraft, radios and equipment are in use. Don’t be bashful –introduce yourself and ask questions. Observe the procedures used by pilots to manage their activities in the pit area and on the flight line.
During your visit to the flying field, keep in mind the aircraft you will see flying are real aircraft - they're simply smaller in size and are controlled from a pilot on the ground rather than by a pilot sitting inside the aircraft. The same principles of flight and aerodynamic forces and that enable full-size aircraft to fly also apply to these miniature aircraft. So do the risks. One of the major misconceptions among individuals not familiar with our hobby is that RC aircraft are toys. Nothing could be farther from the truth. RC aircraft are not toys and – just like their larger counterparts --operating them can be inherently dangerous. For that reason, the AMA provides its members with personal liability insurance coverage. The AMA is the national organization that oversees and coordinates the major portion of all model aviation activities in the United States. You cannot become a member of the Rockwall RC Sport Flyers Club without first becoming a member of the AMA. Before you enter this hobby, we strongly suggest that you visit the AMA’s website at familiarize yourself with the broad aspects of RC aviation including its inherent risks.
The aircraft you will see at the field are controlled by radio signals. That's why they are referred to as "radio controlled" or "RC" aircraft. The pilots on the ground carry hand-held radio "transmitters" which are manipulated to send signals to a radio "receiver" located inside the aircraft. The receiver decodes the signals and passes them to small electrically-operated motors called “servos” which move the control surfaces of the aircraft as well as other devices like the engine throttle and retractable landing gear. The effective range of most radio transmitters is approximately one mile; however, in practice, models seldom fly farther than several hundred yards from the pilot.
Most of the aircraftcontain small -- but extremelypowerful -- internal combustion engines which operate on a special fuel mixture of alcohol, nitro methane and oil. They are capable of turning propellers between 2,000 and 12,000 revolutions per minute and more. There are also miniature turbine engines used to power jet aircraft and electric motors to power smaller, lighter aircraft and park flyers. These engines are capable of propelling aircraft at speeds from just a few miles-per-hour to well over 150 MPH.
Another thing you'll notice is the wide variety of aircraft configurations flown by our club members. Most miniature aircraft are designed for a specific purpose. There are "trainers" for newcomers which fly slow and are more forgiving of pilot error. Many are "sport" or "fun" ships which reflect the personal preferences of experienced pilots. There are "aerobatic" aircraft designed to perform knife-edge aerobatic maneuvers; and "scale" aircraft which are models of actual full-size aircraft. There are bi-planes with two wings, multi-engine planes, helicopters and jet aircraft. Our membership is diverse and so are the aircraft they fly.
The United States Federal Communications Commission has allocated 50 radio frequencies solely for the use by RC aircraft. With the tens of thousands of RC enthusiasts throughout the country, obviously, thousands of radios operate on the same frequency. However, two aircraft cannot operate on the same frequency at the same time. Otherwise, the aircraft will receive mixed signals or "interference" and will crash. For this reason, you will observe the pilots exercising great care and diligence in placing their AMA membership cards on the "frequency control board" so that everyone is aware of the radio frequencies in use at any given time.
Some of the aircraft are purchased as Almost-Ready-to-Fly or "ARF" models. Others are built from kits which can take hundreds of hours to construct. Some club members design and "scratch build" their aircraft. There is a lot of time, effort and investment behind every model on the field. Our pilots also carry a variety of "field boxes." These boxes contain the equipment necessary to keep their aircraft flying: fuel; electric starters; propellers; and a selection of specialty tools.
“Are RC aircraft difficult to fly?” That is one of the questions most frequently asked by individuals who are thinking about entering the hobby. The answer is “No, not difficult -- but different.” Like learning to operate any other vehicle, training is required to learn to fly RC aircraft safely. The most problematic aspect of learning to fly is getting used to the pilot's orientation to the aircraft. In a full-size aircraft, the pilot's left is always his left and his right is always his right. With RC aircraft, left is left and right is right when the plane is flying awayfrom the pilot. However, when the aircraft is flying toward the pilot, the controls are reversed: left is right and right is left. When flying inverted: up is down and down is up. Flying an aircraft up-side down toward the pilot requires a high degree of skill to control. Individuals who attempt to learn to fly on their own without an instructor seldom succeed and waste a lot of time, effort and money in the process. Once they fail, they seldom attempt to return to the hobby. That’s a shame. What’s really sad is that if such an individual had joined his local RC club – like the Rockwall RC Sport Flyers -- he would have gone home with hisairplaneintact instead of filling a trash can with broken dreams.
Our club is populated with individuals who collectively represent a warehouse of talent and experience who are eager and willing to share their expertise with their fellow aviation enthusiasts. Our instructors are among the best in the country. Each instructor pilot has passed rigorous testing to earn their “instructor wings.” These individuals can assist newcomers in selecting an appropriateaircraft, engine, radio and other accessories needed to get started. Their instruction is priceless. However, keep in mind thattrainee pilots fly at their own risk - not their instructor's. If a trainee’s aircraft crashes during training -- no matter who is actually at the controls --the instructor will feel bad and say he's sorry, but he will not replace the airplane.
The Rockwall RC Sport Flyers enjoy an excellent reputation in our community. We enjoy a reputation for excellence among RC flyers. We are proud of our unbroken record for safety. Accordingly, if you are thinking about entering the exciting hobby of RC aviation, we cordially invite you to join our club.
Sincerely,
Tom Dupont
President
Supplemental Information:
Club Meetings
Our club meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the banquet room of Soulman's Bar-B-Que, 691 E Interstate 30, Rockwall.
Directions To The Flying Field
Traveling From The Direction Of Dallas – Take I-30 East to Exit 68 -- Highway 205 (So. Goliad]. Make a right at the traffic light and immediately get into the left hand lane. Turn left onto 276 East. Go about 3.6 miles (passing through the traffic light crossing Highway 549). Make a right turn onto Dowell Road. The field is 1.3 miles on the right.
Traveling Towards Dallas -- Take I-30 West to Exit 68. Make a left turn at the exit onto Highway 205 [So. Goliad]. Go under the overpass and turn left onto 276 East. Go about 3.6 miles (passing through the traffic light crossing Highway 549). Make a right turn onto Dowell Road. The field is 1.3 miles on the right.
Dues and Fees
Refer to the club bylawspage of this website for information regarding the current schedule of dues and fees.
Club Officers
Refer to the Club Officers page of this website for contact information regarding the current slate of club officers.