Sun Lakes Model Airplane member Ron Wasko displays his radio-controlled Christian Eagle 580 (yellow) and UMS beast (red), his largest and smallest aircraft. Wasko will tell the Sun Lakes Aero Club all about flying radio-controlled aircraft during a presentation at the Aero Club’s gathering on Monday, Nov. 21. The public is invited.
Gary Vacin
Ron Wasko of the Sun Lakes Model Airplane Club will be guest speaker at the Sun Lakes Aero Club gathering on Monday, Nov. 21. The session begins with coffee and camaraderie at 6:30 p.m., followed by the presentation at 7 p.m. The location is the Sun Lakes Country Club Phoenix Room. The public is invited to attend.
Wasco will discuss enhancements in radio-controlled model airplanes and helicopters and how technology has kept pace with full-scale airplane electronics and building materials. Plus, technology has developed to permit electric motors to power models of all sizes, he says.
Another topic is “first person view” flying. The pilot wears “goggles” that receive a video signal from the aircraft cockpit, and it is like flying a full-size aircraft, as you are in virtual reality sitting in the cockpit of the model airplane.
The organization was established approximately 20 years ago. Club members fly single-engine as well as multi-engine airplanes, helicopters, drones, and “special designed” aircraft that fly at speeds of up to 200 mph. The club moved from a Chandler location 10 years ago to a ranch in Florence that has ample space to fly all types and sizes of aircraft.
The club hosts competitions for radio-controlled airplane pilots from the surrounding states who fly 50 percent full-sized aircraft, plus other events that draw competitors from across the U.S and South America.
Come join us Nov. 21 to hear Wasco talk about the changes in technology that allow night flying and electronic advancements that almost eliminate crashes, especially when newcomers are learning to fly radio-controlled airplanes.
Both the Sun Lakes Aero Club and the Sun Lakes Model Airplane Club are official Sun Lakes organizations. The Aero Club sponsors gatherings that attract well-known speakers on the third Monday of each month, November through April. For more information on the club, contact Cannon Hill at 509-539-7857 or Gary Vacin at 480-298-7017.