The Sun City Prop Busters have a new home field and they're pleased with the way the new grass landing strip is being developed.
Art Dougherty, president of the club, was one of about a half-dozen club members on hand at the Estevan Public Library on Sunday for an exhibit and demonstration of some of the smaller flying models that respond to radio controls. It was an excellent opportunity for the club to gain some added public exposure that Dougherty said they appreciated.
"We have about 15 active members and, of course, we'd like to attract a few more. I expect there are people out there who are interested in radio control flying who don't know the club exists," he said.
Pamphlets outlining the club activities and a map showing how to get to the new field were being distributed at the library while members like Shelley Folbar and Don Fallis gave demonstrations of radio control helicopter flying with their miniature models right in the library. A flight simulator was set up on one of the conference rooms, giving the public an opportunity to try some virtual flying using a computer and joy sticks.
"The new field is getting levelled this summer and then we'll plant some grass seed, but it has to be tamped down first," said Dougherty.
Folbar said a temporary tarp-like landing area is being used by club members for now.
The club was moved off its former field across from the Estevan Motor Speedway on the Shand access road due to the fact that Sherritt Coal, the original owners, required the land for mining operations. The coal company and the club came to an agreement for about five nearby acres that they were willing to lease to the club on favourable terms for 20 years, with an understanding that the prospects of the club being uprooted again were pretty remote since the land was not coal-bearing property.
So while the club had to move their clubhouse and start the process of redeveloping a refined landing strip, Dougherty said they were pleased to once again have a home base. He said he hoped to have water services provided which will give them washroom facilities. The new strip is located on the east side of the Shand access road, just before the railway tracks and just north of the Estevan Motor Speedway oval and the motocross track.
"There is a good gravel road leading into it, and we're encouraged by the new prospects," said Dougherty, who added that the club will probably stage an open house and air show once the new field is developed.
"This was the ninth move that club has had to make, but we think we may now have a permanent home," said Folbar, the club's secretary.
"The land base is actually bigger than what we had before. We really hated to leave our old field in 2008, but there wasn't much we could do. This is a good compromise. A lot of work has to be done to get the land and facilities ready again, but we have temporary arrangements with this new geotextile tarp until the field is ready to be seeded to grass," she said.
"We have some generous sponsors and hard working club volunteers and the coal company was generous with their lease arrangements," Dougherty added.
The club exists on a paid membership situation as a non-profit organization. They hold meetings on the first Wednesday of each month at the field (weather permitting) or at the Estevan Fire Hall. Meetings begin at 7 p.m.
The club is fully insured and members adhere to some stringent bylaws and processes that enables them to retain the insurance coverage. They explained that the purpose is to provide members and guests with some unique sporting opportunities, learning and then developing their radio (remote control) flying skills.
The Sun City Prop Busters have been operational in Estevan since the summer of 1988.
