I was going to make some sort of smart-alack remark then proclaim April Fools’ Day. I chose not to because I hate it when people do that to me! At the time I wrote this, I had not received my COVID-19 shot. I was on the list but had not yet been called to report for my vaccine.
I hope that, as you are reading this the weather is good enough so you can get out to the field to fly again! Remember to stay safe at your outings!
My only submission this month came through Associate Vice President Leo Rodriguez. It came from Gary Shingledecker, from the Tri Valley RC Club in South Bend, Indiana.
The Tri Valley Radio Control Club was formed by a group of modelers in April 1963. The club’s first field was located on the north side of Mishawaka, Indiana, which is now the parking lot of the Sears store at University Park Mall. After three years of growth, the club obtained its charter in April 1966.
In the early 1970s, interest dwindled and club membership fell to just 12 members. The club still continued to operate and by the early 1980s, had grown to more than 80 members.
Throughout the years, Tri Valley has had several field locations. The club’s second site was at the home of Cliff Bennett of B&B Specialties. This location served for many years until State Road 331 was extended north to the toll road and forced the club to move.
The club then moved to the southeast side of Mishawaka and was there until a housing development forced the club to move to its current home at Kern Road and Peppermint on South Bend’s southwest side.
In August 2013, the club held its 50th anniversary celebration. Tri Valley is the oldest continuously operating club in Indiana, and the second oldest charted club in the state. In May 2014, the club installed a 30 × 270-foot fabric runway to accompany a 75 × 400-foot grass runway.
From May through September, the club meets at the field on Tuesday nights for flying and to share food and soft drinks. It has an annual membership of roughly 30 members and has three of the founding members on its roster. The club usually holds an open house fun-fly on the first Saturday of August.
I am done begging for people to send me submissions about what is going on in their clubs. If I don’t get any submissions, I will start featuring one of the three clubs to which I belong.
I am accepting submissions up to a year old for any outing or event that has taken place at your flying field. Please send me a short write-up, along with a couple of high-quality pictures, and you can appear in this column next month! Email me at amadistrictVI@modelaircraft.org with the word “magazine” in the subject line!
Remember to take a kid flying and/or introduce someone new to model aviation!
Gary Himes
Vice President District VI