ESTEVAN - The Sun City Prop Busters Radio Control Club of Estevan invited the community to come fly with them last weekend.
Members, passionate about their hobby, hosted their annual Fun Fly event which allows them to show others what they love about radio controls (R/C) and their club. And there is a lot in it.
"It's recreational enjoyment," said Trevor Gessner, the club's vice-president and chief flight instructor.
"Satisfaction. A place to gather," added club president Arthur Dougherty.
"Camaraderie and the place to hang out with the guys and girls," listed Gessner about the benefits.
"And building something," said Dougherty, explaining that it's nice to build projects with other engaged members, and it's also a separate satisfaction to share the results of many hours of meticulous work at their annual spring show at the Estevan Market Mall.
Dougherty has been flying and building R/Cs since he was 12, and Gessner has been into the hobby for a good 25 years.
The club celebrated their 30th birthday almost four years ago, and a lot of its members have been a part of it since the early days.
A number of years ago, Arthur's father Elroy Dougherty brought people together and with the help of volunteers and donors, they put up a clubhouse. It serves as plane storage, which makes it look like a museum, and also is a convenient gathering place.
"We're lucky to have this facility. It's probably one of the best ones in Saskatchewan," Dougherty said.
Some of the planes on display at the clubhouse were purchased, and others were built.
"I like to build, and I have a few ARFs. They call them ARFs, which are almost ready-to-fly. So in that respect, they are really good because they get people to fly quickly without spending all winter building your plane," Dougherty said.
R/Cs have the same flight characteristics as the real planes they are mimicking.
While the two COVID years were slower for the club due to restrictions on gatherings, they were able to maintain their membership.
But the club would love to see more people joining as it's something really interesting to do for recreation. All members need to be insured under the Model Aeronautics Association of Canada (MAAC) to participate. And the Sun City Prop Busters helps with everything, including learning, flying, building, fixing and just having fun with good company. They have a video flight simulator to start the beginners off and to practise some elements.
Gessner said that initial investments to get one flying would be around $300-$500, and the sky is the limit when it comes to the level of professionalism one would want to reach or the complexity of an R/C they'd want to fly. People with indoor R/C and/or drones are welcome to come to the club too.
"We're open to the public. Even if people don't want to come and fly, if they have an interest they can just come and watch us and have a coffee," Gessner said.
The club holds business meetings once a month, and every Tuesday evening they get together to fly. But members can use their certified field at any time.
On Wednesdays, they also hold 1/10th scale truck and car racing at their truck track.
Fun Fly days were held on Aug. 13-14 at Sun City Prop Busters' flying field located adjacent to the Shand Access Road, on the other side of the tracks from motocross and the Estevan Motor Speedway. The annual event is geared towards enthusiasts from the southeast and the local community. For people from out of town and those willing to enjoy the full weekend at the location, the club also offered free dry camping. About 30-40 people registered for the event. Some were out to fly their planes, others to watch R/C in the air.
If you have questions about the opportunities in R/C, want to become a member of Sun City Prop Busters or for more information, see their website at suncitypropbusters.com.
