Flying Site Case Study #15
Dave Hable, president of the Winnebago Radio Control Flyers in Oshkosh, Wisconsin writes:
"I want to bring everyone up-to-date on the flying field situation.
Our current 'active lease' with Winnebago County is set to expire in two years, however, earlier the county informed the club that it intended to terminate the lease a year early. The county has every legal right to do so. Our lease stipulates that either party could terminate with a 90-day notice at any time.
The ultimate decision-making authority for Winnebago County Parks land is the citizen's advisory Winnebago County Parks Board. The board oversees all decisions and activities on parks land. The decision to terminate our lease was made by this board, principally for economic reasons. They want the land for Expo Center event parking and camping. They need the money; it's as simple as that.
What is the club's approach to the problem? We've known for some time that our days at the Expo Center were numbered, and we already started looking for a replacement field last fall. All along, we have tried, and will continue to try to follow two important courses of action: keep flying and keep looking.
Moving a flying field is no easy task. Those of you who moved from 4th Street to Highway Y, then from the Highway Y location north to our current site, know exactly what I mean. It's a task which we have to face, but there's no doubt that we want to face it only once. I find when we move, we want to move to a location that will allow us to stay for some time. We don't want to move again three or four years later.
We told the board that we have not yet been successful in our search to find a new site, though we are still looking. We asked to stay at our current location with whatever restrictions the county decides, which includes allowing events to use our field for parking and camping.
We contacted Hobbytown USA, and Dymond Modelsports to ask that they too write letters to the board on our behalf, which they gladly agreed to do for us.
The board agreed in principle not to terminate our lease and to allow us to continue to fly with restrictions, which will include allowing parking and camping on our field. The county is in the process of writing the 'legalese' for a new lease. As of this point in time, I don't know what the specifics will
I thought it important to ask for reconsideration and to agree to any restrictions that they may place on us so that we can continue to fly while we look for a new location. Without the reconsideration, this would be our last year at our current location with no new field in sight. We had everything to lose had we not agreed to the board's restrictions. At least we have bought some time.
I am aware that event camping and parking could be detrimental to the field's condition. The county has agreed to include the field in any repair functions necessary after the events.
I am also aware that there has been talk of canceling our fly-ins because of damage that we think will happen. I believe talk of cancellation of either of our fly-ins is premature at best. We have no..idea what will happen at the events, and we will pursue with the county any and all repair requirements diligently should they arise.
We continue to look for a new location. We have looked at three landfiII sites in the county:
I have written to AMA to ask for whatever assistance in our search they can provide and I have placed an advertisement in the Oshkosh Northwestern.
What can members do? We all need to look at this experience with rational judgment. We could say that the Parks Board is not being fair to our club. We could write letters of protest. We could involve the media. We could do a lot of negative things, none of which would help our cause-and in fact could backfire.
We could win a battle and create some public sympathy but lose the war and the field before we are ready to move. Parks Board members are human and the Parks Board is in control of this situation no matter what we do or say.
Instead, watch for parcels of land big enough to support our need. When you see such a parcel, don't just talk about it at a meeting or among yourselves. Be proactive. Try to find out who owns the land. Try to get some information about it to pass along to the officers to make a contact.