District III

District III

Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia

I first met David Hughes, president of the Susquehanna Valley RC club, at the club’s 2019 fun-fly. At that event, David and his fiancée, Dianne, were married in a beautiful wedding ceremony on the field.

David Hughes standing on a flying field — Susquehanna club president, David Hughes, conducted a pilots’ meeting before the event.

In 2020, I began having email and phone conversations with David. The club was losing its field and the members were actively looking for a new place to fly. After an exhaustive search in which nothing seemed to be the right fit, David placed an ad in the local newspaper looking for land for the club to use.

Five people with model aircraft on a flying field — (L-R): Joe Burdzy, Josh Noll, Jeff Black, Brian College, and Jason Rice flew a tribute flight in honor of deceased member Rocky Rachau.

The next day, David received a call from Craig Lowler, manager of the Danville Airport (8N8) in Danville, Pennsylvania, inviting the club to establish a club flying field on the airport property. That was easy! Well, not so much.

Welcome sign for the Susquehanna Valley RC Club flying field

Moving a club’s assets and developing a new field requires lots of sweat equity and money.

A red flying lawnmower on a grass field — Mike McGuire of the Valley RC Club flew his flying lawnmower.

The club applied for and received financial assistance from AMA’s Flying Site Assistance Grant program that helped defray some of the costs. After much hard work, the club had a grand opening July 10-11, 2021, along with its annual Rocky Roll Memorial Fun Fly.

I was extremely impressed with the size and neatness of the club’s new field. Pilot stations, a safety fence, field layout, etc., were carefully thought out with an emphasis on safety.

The club had an aviation radio attached to the PA system so that RC pilots could hear and react when a full-scale aircraft was taking off or landing. After observing and flying at the new facility, it is a textbook operation of the way an RC field should be laid out on the grounds of a full-scale airport.

A man kneeling beside model aircraft on a flying field — The Rocky Roll Memorial Fun Fly is named after Rocky, who passed away in 2019. Everybody loved him.

Congratulations to the members of the Susquehanna Valley RC Club on the success of their new club facility.

Four people standing with model aircraft on a flying field — It was great to see these ladies flying RC assisted by their husbands. (L–R): Kevin and Dana Ziegmann and Brenden and Tammy McCormick.

Until next month, stay safe and fly safely.