Aircraft modelers group celebrates 50th anniversary

By Eric Freehling

Eagle Community Editor

July 16, 2022 Last Updated: July 15, 2022 02:22 PM Community

Flying High

Member Ron Hemphill flies a Cessna Aerobat model plane during the Butler Aircraft Modelers Society picnic celebrating their 50th anniversary on July 9 in Clay Township. Joseph Ressler/Butler Eagle

CLAY TWP – The air was buzzing at the Bruner-Waite Airfield on the Sylvania Conservation Area on July 9. That’s because the Butler Aircraft Modelers Society was celebrating its 50th anniversary with a potluck picnic, and its members were sending a variety of giant scale model planes into flight over its pavilion.

Member Ron Hemphill said the aircraft that were taking to the clear sky over the reclaimed strip mine were all radio-controlled under the direction of pilots on the ground using joysticks to send commands to the planes.

“Radio-controlled aircraft is what the club is all about,” said Hemphill, who’s been a member for 44 years.

Members fly biplanes, Pipers, Cessnas and fighter plane replicas from various conflicts called “warbirds.”

“We have fun flying. Some guys are designers. We’ve seen some exotic things out here over the years,” said Hemphill.

The model aircrafts are powered by gas or electric motors. But not all fliers are welcome.

“Our club has limited the use of drones because of so many problems with drone fliers doing things that are not legal,” Hemphill said. “Let’s put it that way, so we have limited the use of drones on our field.”

BAMS president Jeff Bon of Harrisville has been a member for 22 years and used to fly a full-sized airplane regularly for work between Alliance and Cleveland in Ohio. He’s had the flying bug for a lot longer, starting with rubber-band-powered fliers when he was a child.

These days, Bon builds models from plans.

“I do scratch build them. You get a box of wood and end up with an airplane,” he said.

Member David Hemphill lands a model plane during the Butler Aircraft Modelers Society picnic celebrating the group’s 50th anniversary July 9 in Clay Township. "This place, this field, this hobby is pretty much responsible for my career," said Hemphill, who worked as a pilot. "This is where I got my love of aviation." Joseph Ressler/Butler Eagle

How the group began

Hemphill, a member of the BAMS board, said the group was started in 1972 by hobby shop owner Ralph Bruner who was joined by original members Tom Higgins and Warren Peffer.

The group has its runways, picnic shelter and block building that has storage, restrooms and a space for a simulator trainer in the Sylvania Conservation Area which was established by Gene Waite on 108 acres of a recovered strip mine. His last name combines with the founder’s last name to make up the airfield’s moniker.

“We have two runways. The north south is 600 feet long; the east-west is 450 feet long,” Hemphill said.

“Some do not need runaway space; some can be launched by hand,” he said. “The one I’m flying now takes 75 to 100 feet to get off the ground.”

At the picnic, Hemphill said he was flying a model of a Cessna 150 Aerobat with a 96-inch wingspan and a weight of 13.5 pounds. Its engine, he said, runs on the gasoline “you would run in your lawnmower or weed trimmer.”

The gasoline-powered planes can hold enough fuel to fly for up to 45 minutes, although most flights generally last for a lot shorter time, usually 10 to 12 minutes.

That’s more due to the limitations of the pilot than the aircraft.

The aircraft’s direction, speed and height are controlled by a handheld controller with two joysticks.

“After about 10 minutes, you are ready to set it back down on the ground,” said Hemphill. “It’s your nerves. You have to be with it all the time.”

It can be sweat-inducing when a simple mistake or a second’s inattention can send a flier costing $350 or more arrowing into the ground.

The controller’s radio range can theoretically reach a plane that’s out of sight but that’s both illegal and inadvisable.

“If you go out a quarter-mile, you lose it because you can’t see which way you’re turning,” Hemphill said.

Member Bernie Elder of Penn Township demonstrates the flight simulation program July 9 that’s used to train new people during the Butler Aircraft Modelers Society picnic. Joseph Ressler/Butler Eagle

Taking a test run

Don Rimer of Renfrew, chairman of the Sylvania Foundation and a member of BAMS for 10 years, said potential pilots can get flying lessons on the club’s flight simulator before trying to take expensive models airborne in reality.

A large-screen television is linked to a controller just like the ones that are used to fly the real models, said Rimer.

BAMS member Bernie Elder of Penn Township said the simulator can be switched to different aircraft models and even different air fields.

Member Bernie Elder demonstrates the flight simulation program used to train new people during the Butler Aircraft Modelers Society picnic celebrating the group’s 50th anniversary July 9 in Clay Township. Joseph Ressler/Butler Eagle

“If they’re ending up in a field or a tree in the simulator, we can hit the reset button,” said Elder.

“We can start a younger person out, let them run on a simulator for a while before we move them on to a buddy box,” said Rimer.

A buddy box is two linked controllers that allow a more experienced pilot to take over from a novice if the learner gets into trouble during a real flight.

“First, we teach them how to fly in the air; then we teach them how to take off and then they learn to land. Landing is the hardest part,” Rimer said.

Member Bob Masterson, 89, carries out one of his model aircraft to finish building it during the Butler Aircraft Modelers Society picnic celebrating its 50th anniversary July 9 in Clay Township. Joseph Ressler/Butler Eagle

Love of the hobby

Landing doesn’t seem to be a problem for Bob Masterson, a retired engineer, who at 89, counts as the oldest member of BAMS. He joined in 1990.

He flies a replica of a World War II F4U Corsair with an 8-foot wingspan.

“It’s a big plane. I built it from scratch from a box of sticks and a couple of plans,” Masterson said.

“I’ve been very involved since I joined,” he added. “I used to love instructing when I was younger, and I had better than 20 certified pilots.

“I used to do six or seven students at a time, line them up and do nonstop instructing,” Masterson said.

“The thing that is nice about flying is that, intellectually, you have to think four or five steps ahead,” he said

“Flying is very intense,” said Masterson. “Flying is managing unexpected events.”

“Don’t ever fall in love with your airplanes because you are going to be disappointed some day when you crash it,” he said.

For Ron Hemphill, that’s a lot of planes to love.

“I have three sitting on the work bench, one hanging above the work bench and one under construction,” he said.

He said he’s got many more, acquired from the estates of deceased aero-modelers and model fliers.

Butler Aircraft Modelers Socitey members Tom Mekis and Bernie Elder talk during the society’s picnic to celebrate the group’s 50th anniversary July 9 in Clay Township. Joseph Ressler/Butler Eagle

New members

More than more aircraft models, Bon and Hemphill said BAMS needs more members to fly them.

“There were 31 members the last time I checked,” Hemphill said. “Our meetings are spread out in the summer. We meet on Memorial Day, today, one in September and one in October. We’re at the field quite often.”

Bon said, “At one time we had 64 members. It’s a fad that goes in and out. It’s hard to get young people, but once you get them, they’re on board.”

Membership will become especially important in September when BAMS will host the 2022 Scale Classic put on by National Association of Scale Airmodelers from Sept. 16 to 18 at the field.

It will be three days of aviation displays, competitive flying and static judging. BAMS members will have a chance to mingle with world-class radio-control modelers.

There will be a display from the Air Heritage Museum in Beaver County, a food truck and a display from the Experimental Aircraft Association.

“These people that come to fly in that have to qualify in qualifying competitions around the country. It’s the best of the best from all over the country,” Hemphill said.

Bon said it will be the first time Bruner-Waite Airfield has hosted the National Association of Scale Airmodelers event. For more information, email charlieb24@zoominternet.net or garingmg@verizon.net.