District I

District I

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont

Associate Vice President Andy Figlar has, for more than a decade, managed to visit nearly all the 33 clubs in Connecticut and is submitting his 19th club report in this column:

Bob Creter standing beside an Extreme Flight Bushmaster airplane — Bob Creter enjoyed flying his Extreme Flight Bushmaster.

When I told Quaker Farms RC Flyers (QFRCF) club president, John DeMeyer, about doing an interview and photo shoot, he welcomed my visit. For me, it was so pleasing to find such a pilot-friendly club and atmosphere.

The QFRCF club is nestled in a bucolic Connecticut valley with lush green mountains to the east, a river behind the site to the west, grazing cows in a south pasture, and a farmer with a tractor working in the north. Located off of Quaker Farms Road in Connecticut, the site was founded by Bill Jensen and Charlie Lyons, a First Selectman in Oxford in 1996.

Currently boasting 51 members, the field dimensions are 100 x 400 feet overall, with a 29 x 150-foot fabric covering to accommodate airplanes with small, scale wheels, such as jets. A tent provides plenty of shade, and picnic tables are present for their frequent cookouts.

Nate Bouchard and his sister Natalie flying an RC airplane — Nate Bouchard and his sister, Natalie, got some stick time flying an Apprentice aided by their grandfather, John Demeyer, the QFRCF club president.

Natalie Bouchard flying an RC airplane with assistance — Nate Bouchard and his sister, Natalie, got some stick time flying an Apprentice aided by their grandfather, John Demeyer, the QFRCF club president.

In the spring, summer, and fall months, fun is enhanced by club picnics on Wednesday evenings because the flying field is best suited for activity after 3 p.m. Bob Creter and Art Fressola provided entertainment, both flying Extreme Flight Bushmaster airplanes, and Mike Maillet demonstrated his ample skill with his soXos 700-size chopper. Wayne Andrews flew a huge Black Horse Viper Jet with a 120mm EDF weighing 19.5 pounds.

After our cookout supper, 11-year-old Nate Bouchard and his 8-year-old sister, Natalie, trained on an E-flite Apprentice with the able assistance of John.

This picturesque field was a pleasure to visit, and it was made friendlier by its fliers and scenery.

Thanks for the report, Andy, and thanks to Rich Renkavinsky for the photos, and to QFRCF for being a welcoming AMA club for fun flying activities and picnics.