Club or Events In Dallas

[Randallhurd]

I've been flying for a short time and I'm looking for a Place in the Dallas Area that supports New Heli Flyers. I live in the Rockwall area and there are plenty of fields out here to have un-interrupted flights, but it's pretty tough asking questions about flying and then working it out on your own. If anybody knows of a place in the Dallas Rockwall area where people fly it would of some Great Help.
Thanks
Have
A
Great
DAY!!

[TheBum]

Since nobody has answered, I'll give it a shot.

I searched the the AMA website for a chartered club (http://www.modelaircraft.org/clubsearch.aspx) in the Rockwall area. There are a few of them within 25 miles; the one in Rockwall is probably your best bet, since they actually have a heli in their logo.

I belong to what is technically an AMA-chartered club, but it's really just a bunch of RC pilots that fly at a public park just north of McKinney. I think the sole purpose of having the club is to maintain the use permit for the field. I'm the sole heli flyer in the club, so I'm on my own as far as heli-specific support is concerned.

[Randallhurd]

That sounds great. Ilive in the Rockwall area, actually about 8 miles away. How would I get in touch with them?
Mc Kinney is about 40 Minutes from here but I usually stay at the speed limit..

[TheBum]

If you go to the AMA club search page I hyperlinked, contact information is specified for each club.

[Bayou Talker]

That sounds great. Ilive in the Rockwall area, actually about 8 miles away. How would I get in touch with them?
Mc Kinney is about 40 Minutes from here but I usually stay at the speed limit..

Probably the best way is take a ride out to the field on a nice weekend day. Most clubs are busy on those days and it will give you an opportunity to meet some of the pilots, see the facility and decide if it is what you are looking for. Make sure to bring something to fly and your AMA card. You might just be asked to join in for the day. If the first one is not your style, try another one until you find one that works for you and your personality.

[Randallhurd]

I e-mailed the directory and asked for more information.
Do they have people in the rockwall area? I didn't really see any information about any events on there web site.
It looks like a good deal!!

[Randallhurd]

I haven't flown the trex600 yet, I received every part that is required for the Heli, the only thing left is the BC8 Charger that should be here sometime this week, monday at the latest. I did a prefilght today with and everything looks ok. Can't do much more than that without the charger.
I should have ordered that first.. Live and Learn ,,

[Randallhurd]

I don't know where the field is. I've been flying a soccer field at the endof my block that is only busy on the weekends. No one is hardly every there and I don't tink anyone has ever seen a heli except for the CX2 that I brought out a couple times.
It's actually a pretty cool place to fly. There are fields that suround the park. more like pastures.
Sorry, but I don't know what field that they fly at in Rockwall .

[Bayou Talker]

Here is the link to the Rockwall RC website. If you use the search from the link that was posted above you can search for clubs all around your area.

http://www.rockwallrc.com/

[Danal Estes]

It may be worth the drive to visit 114thRC on a Saturday morning. Depending a bit on weather, there will usually be 10 to 15 heli guys at the field from 9AM to Noon.

http://www.114thrc.org for maps and such.

I drive out there most Saturdays from Frisco. Worth it. Great group of folks. Lots of good tips and setup info. Lots of Trex 600s. Everything from beginner fliers to "top 10 in the world" kinda guys (Seriously, Anthony Jager hangs out there a lot).

PM me if interested in more info.

[TheBum]

I plan to head out to the 114th field on November 10 for the Aero Hobbies 10th Anniversary Fun Fly, but it's a bit far for me to drive regularly.

[JokerGuy]

Randall,

I go to a field in Grapevine, it is very nice - probably about 45 miles from you but I can tell you that every Saturday morning there is probably 20 heli pilots there and more people willing to help you out than you can shake a stick at.

Come out one Saturday morning to visit - here is the web site. http://114thrc.org/

[ScoobyDude]

I have been flying out in Rowlett at Springfield park since they closed the MERCC site. It is on Dexham road and the membership is only $25 and you just have to get a permit for the park at the civic center. I have checked out that field in Rockwall off of Equestrian Dr and it seems like a nice field. The initiation fee is $100 with dues of $50 per year.

[garydogwood]

don't know if you are still looking but Mike's Hobby in Carrolton usually has a good heli crowd on Sunday (and most saturdays). Lot's of people bring their helis for get help with setup / repairs. there are some very knowledgable and friendly people their willing to help with just about any heli problem. Mike has a section in the back of the warehouse that you can fly the smaller helis (well mostly hover practive and a little forward flight). There is a sull size heli pad out back and the 3D pilots put on a good show there. I spent most of today there. the crowd seems to drop off in the summer but in the colder seasons it is a great place to spend the weekend. The hobby store has a fairly large selection of heli goodies as well. Mike's has been in business for a long time and has supported the heli crowd nicely. also has a a lot of RC car and plane stuff. it's on the south bound service road of I35 between sandy lake road (?) and beltline.

for a little closer in, there are usually some heli flyers a the site around renner and shiloh (big fields in the back. is also a decent plane field as well but will probalby go away within a couple years due to development. seen some very good pilots fly there also.

gw

[Danal Estes]

Hey Gary, what part of Plano?

I'm on the border of Frisco and McKinney, just off of Custer. I've been pondering trying to get a heli group going, either at NDRCC's "Eagle" field (just north of 380, just west of the tip of the lake), or at a field in Erwin park. Or perhaps somewhere in a Frisco or Plano park if we can get permission.

Or maybe even in the parking lot in front of RC Zone in Frisco. He's fairly new, carries some heli stuff but is not a heli specialist, and just moved into a shopping center next to a currently empty grocery (ex-albertsons) so there is a LOT of empty space in the parking lot. I don't recall the light pole situation at the moment...

Anyway, having vague thoughts about a "north" heli group. So, what part of Plano, and any thoughts about sites?

[TheBum]

Doug Darby and I have started flying our helis at Erwin Park within the last couple of weeks. I would love to grow the community up there. The nice thing is that it's actually designated in the city ordinances as a model aircraft field, although it does require AMA membership and your name on the usage permit, which is maintained by Sky High RC Club. I wouldn't even have found out about it if I hadn't been searching the McKinney ordinances regarding flying model aircraft in city parks.

[garydogwood]

Hey Gary, what part of Plano?

I'm on the border of Frisco and McKinney, just off of Custer. I've been pondering trying to get a heli group going, either at NDRCC's "Eagle" field (just north of 380, just west of the tip of the lake), or at a field in Erwin park. Or perhaps somewhere in a Frisco or Plano park if we can get permission.

Or maybe even in the parking lot in front of RC Zone in Frisco. He's fairly new, carries some heli stuff but is not a heli specialist, and just moved into a shopping center next to a currently empty grocery (ex-albertsons) so there is a LOT of empty space in the parking lot. I don't recall the light pole situation at the moment...

Anyway, having vague thoughts about a "north" heli group. So, what part of Plano, and any thoughts about sites?

i'm in north east plano (about 2 miles south of southfork). i think all parks in plano have about 10000 rules about what you CANNOT do in the park. i fly in a small piece of land around the corner from my house that is considered a park but there is never anybody there. anyway, there are a couple signs posted listing all the things you cannot do there; flying any type of rc aircraft / helicopter is listed on the list. i've never had any problem but would probably draw attention if a large group started showing up regularly. I only fly electric heli / plane (trex 450) there.

have you been up to the lake lavon flying field? it is the home of the richardson radio control club. nice field. here is a link: http://www.rrcc.org/ it is just north of lucas. great for planes but there are some heli flyers out there as well. also check out the renner / shiloh field if you are in the area.

i used to live right around the corner from the albertson store in frisco (hidden spring). loved living there until the whole place just went crazy with growth. never seen anything like it. when i moved there in '91, i think the population was about 7 - 8 thousand. preston and 121 was a four way stop sign intersection. brings back good memories - my first house.

gw

[Danal Estes]

Hey Alan, WHERE is the field in Erwin park? I've been out to Erwin several times and never seen anything that looks like an RC runway.

On this view:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=51.355924,113.642578&ie=UTF8&ll=33.255736,-96.650548&spn=0.026736,0.05549&t=h&z=15&om=0

Can you describe where it is... or better yet... recenter and zoom the view and then use the "link to this page" in the upper right corner?

Gary, would Erwin be a reasonable drive?

[Danal Estes]

I may have just spotted it. Is this it?

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=51.355924,113.642578&ie=UTF8&ll=33.255736,-96.650548&spn=0.026736,0.05549&t=h&z=15&om=0

[TheBum]

If you're referring to the open spot in the middle of that map, no. You can't see or access the field from the road that goes through Erwin Park and I had the same reaction as you the first time I tried to find it.

I have a Google map all set up for this very purpose because I know the field is in an obscure location:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=105036229785581828101.000439fcabdbd1a2bd82f&t=h&z=18&om=0

The gate has a lock on it that only Sky High RC Club members have the combination to. I can PM you the contact information if you'd like.

[Danal Estes]

Yeah! That's the spot in my second link.

Thanks for the offer of contact info, I looked up Sky High an the AMA site and emailed them. If for any reason that doesn't work, I'll PM you for the contact info.

[TheBum]

The map you linked to was a very wide shot, so I couldn't tell which area you were targeting.

The last e-mail address I saw for Sky High on the AMA website is the one I've been using, so it should work. He's sometimes not very good about responding promptly, so you may need to ping him a second time. Since there's no lease to pay and no facilities to maintain other than mowing out the runway and taxiway/pilot's box, the dues are very reasonable.

[T-ster]

Alan,

Once the weather breaks, I'll meet you at Erwin. Maybe this weekend?


Trevor

[TheBum]

Once the weather breaks, I'll meet you at Erwin. Maybe this weekend?

Not this weekend. I'm in West Virginia at the moment and won't be returning home until mid-week next week.

[TheBum]

Wouldn't you know it? I come back from my trip and the wind is forecast to be blowing a gale on my first weekend back. Oh well, I guess I'll try again the next weekend, unless the forecast changes significantly between now and Saturday. Sometimes (most times, actually) I really hate living in Texas.