Flying Site Case Study #18
This was in a letter from Bald Eagles RIC Club's secretary-treasurer Darrell Wright to District VIII Vice President Sandy Frank.
"If you recall , about one year ago a woman began to complain about the model airplanes one month after she moved into her house located close to the former flying field that was the property of the City of Sapulpa OK.
She E-mailed and telephoned everyone from the police to the White House.
After several meetings with the Park and Recreation Department, an agreement with her was reached, but in a private conversation she said that she would call to complain each time a plane flew from the runway.
She did.
After more meetings with the city council and other city officials, she got the women and most of the men to vote in her favor and we were closed down.
The club has been looking for sites since. We found a closed grass airport on 80 acres of land owned by the Bethesda Boys Ranch! Brian Miller, the director, agreed to allow us to use the site if we would let his boys come over and watch.
Having worked with young people from all walks of life for the past five years, we agreed and suggested that we get the guys involved in the hobby and teach them to fly.
We have worked with the young men assigned by the court system to spend time at the institution, and we have set up booths at fairs and other events with an emphasis toward the young people.
At times we have worked in cooperation with Oklahoma State University, NASA, and the Extension Board. Some individuals were as young as six years old, most in the 15-18 age range.
Since our initial contact with the director of Bethesda Boy's Ranch, we have signed an agreement for five years. Two runways were cut out, north/south and east/west, and without any further work, those present flew from the new airfield.
This 80-acre area contains a closed, full-scale grass runway. There is also room for all categories of models and a large pond is located nearby.
A meeting will be held to plan to move the shelter, bleachers, safety fences, etc., from the old site to the new one.
The next biggest expense will be a gravel road and parking.
The new site has been named in honor of the individual who located the area, Dan Worden. Dan is in his mid-70s and his eyesight isn't as good as it should be, but with the club instructors and the buddy box, he flies regularly.
The Bald Eagles RIC Club works with youth groups of all kinds including correctional, Scouts, schools, children's fairs, and seminars to promote model aviation as well as careers in the field of aviation.
We have 11 members who are also full-scale pilots.
One of our members suggested that even though it has been a long uphill battle to locate a new site, we maybe should write a letter of appreciation to the lady who complained and the Sapulpa City Council for making it possible to find a site that will be rated a 10."