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Rockland County Radio Control Club A Guide to Membership & Getting Started |
The Rockland County Radio Control Club welcomes you, and hopes that this information will help give you a better idea of what this great hobby is all about! Our club was founded in the summer of 1961 with 12 members. The following year it became an official charter of the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA), the leading body governing model aviation in the USA. In recent years, membership has reached over 300, although more than 700 members have been affiliated with the club since its founding. The purpose of the club is to promote model building in general, and radio controlled flying in particular. All members benefit from the free exchange of ideas and knowledge arising from members’ building projects, experience, and special areas of interest. Members enjoy the camaraderie of others who share their own passion for the hobby. No matter what the problems a builder might have with a particular project, it seems there is always someone willing to help or give advice. There is nothing like the sense of accomplishment and excitement in seeing your aircraft, whether it be a kit or an “Almost Ready to Fly” (ARF) airplane or helicopter take to the skies for the first time. You control it, and it’s at your command for simple sport flying or all-out aerobatics!
How to Join RCRCC
Learning to fly radio-controlled aircraft on your own is a very risky business. Without training you are likely to crash, possibly destroying your aircraft and investment in time and money. Why do that?? Join RCRCC, learn to fly (if you don’t already know how), and enjoy the AMA insurance, a monthly magazine called Model Aviation (from the AMA), and the friendship of others who love RC flying! If you don’t know how to fly, you will learn with a “buddy box”, which is a system that connects your radio to your instructors’ radio. A switch on the instructor’s radio allows them to take control of your aircraft if you run into trouble. As you progress your instructor will be “taking” the aircraft from you less and less. Then before you know it, you will be ready to solo! To join RCRCC and fly at our fields you must be an AMA member. Membership for the AMA is $58 per year (ages 19+) and $15 per year (for Junior members up to 19 years of age). A printable membership form is available from the AMA website at
www.modelaircraft.org.To begin the membership process, you must first come to one of our club business meetings. These are held the second Tuesday of each month at the Zukor Administration Building, 31 Zukor Road, in New City, New York, at 8:00 pm.
At the meeting you will be asked to introduce yourself, and give a brief description of your interest in RC flying, even if it’s just something you’ve always wanted to do! You will be a Provisional Member for 6 months, and during that time you will meet club members who can teach you how to fly, and also begin to participate in club events and meetings. At the end of the six months, you will be eligible for full membership.
New membership has an initial cost of $200 for the first year. After that, annual membership dues are as follows:
Member $50
Senior $25
New Junior member $10
Junior $5
RCRCC operates two flying sites, the Clarkstown Model Aerodrome, and Sterling Forest fields. The Sterling Forest field is located off Route 17A in Tuxedo Park NY, (next to the Renaissance Festival) and has a paved runway that is 400 feet long. The Clarkstown Model Aerodrome is located on the top of the former Clarkstown Landfill site just across from the Palisades Mall in West Nyack NY on Route 303. Its grass runway is approximately 400 feet long, there are no trees and the flying is great! Our members fly a wide variety of aircraft that include helicopters, gliders, and powered airplanes. Power also comes from a variety of engines such as model aircraft fueled 2 and 4 cycle, as well as electrics using Ni-cad and Li-po batteries. There is even a new trend towards small electric aircraft called “Park Flyers“ that can easily be flown at smaller fields. We enjoy them all!
Getting Started:
Your Aircraft
Perhaps the most difficult part of the hobby is choosing which helicopter or plane to buy. So many aircraft are available today that it’s easy to get confused. Models fall into three categories: builders kits where the aircraft has to be built; almost ready to fly (ARF) kits that require about 15 to 20 hours to complete; and ready to fly (RTF) kits that require almost no assembly. A benefit of an RTF is that they are often available as a package deal that includes all the required hardware and radio gear. The basic builder’s kits are less expensive than ARF or RTF kits but require the additional purchases of model glue, basic tools, covering material, an engine and radio. If have time and enjoy building things, then this is for you.
An ARF is basically a kit aircraft that has been partially built and covered. The fuselage and wing halves and the tail surfaces come ready to be joined. After you’ve glued or bolted the tail surfaces to the fuselage and assembled the wing, then it’s time for the radio gear and engine. With some ARFs the engine and the servos come already installed. Simply connect the control linkage, and you’re ready to go!
RTFs are very popular because there is little to do but add the engine, or in the case of electrics charging the battery and start flying. These are very durable models often made of formed plastic and rigid foam. Several newer designs even come with spare props and wings so it won’t require a trip to the local hobby shop for parts in case of a mishap.
A “40” size trainer for airplanes, or a “30” for helicopters is a good place to start. Trainers can stand up to the abuse of hard landings and are stable, forgiving well behaved aircraft.
Your Engine and Radio
The choice of engines depends on the type of aircraft you decide to buy, as the manufacturer will recommend the range of engines to use. An engine at the higher end of the scale will give more power and the ability to do more with your aircraft. There is a wide variety of 2 and 4 cycle engines, as will as electric motors and batteries rivaling their gas counterparts. Electrics and their accessories can be more expensive than gas, but the choice is yours. Prices have been coming down on the electrics, so they may prove more popular in the future.
Options also abound in radio selection. Most planes require a 4 channel system, while helicopters require 6 or more. There are numerous entry level systems for both, and as you progress the more servos you have, the more your aircraft will be able to do. For example; flaps and a retractable landing gear require a step up from a 4 channel radio, but for now, the basic radio will surely get you on your way.
Cost
A beginner airplane or helicopter with accessories will usually run you about
$450. Accessories include a starter, fuel, glow plug igniter, rubber bands (to
attach the wings), and a flight box to carry your tools.
Rockland County Radio Control Club
P.O. Box 72
Nanuet, NY 10954
AMA Charter 428