`‘Cheaper than golf, in the long run’`

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Planes fly ona wing anda radio wave
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OWNERS’ DELIGHT GIVES NEIGHBORS A BIT OF A FRIGHT

By Sherris Moreira-Byers
Herald Writer

When asked why he buys, builds and flies radio-controlled airplanes, Gary Bayless, president of the Penn-Ohio Radio Kontrol Society, Inc. — or P.O.R.K.S. — says he’s not totally sure why he does it but it’s a fascination that he shares with many others.

“Some of the reasons have to do with an enjoyment of building models, an interest in aviation and the idea of controlling something remotely,” said Bayless, who lives in Edinburg, Lawrence County.

P.O.R.K.S. formed in 1964 but members have only been flying in Shenango Township for three years. “Our club has about 40 members but not all of them are active,” Bayless said. There is a $20 initiation fee as well as $30 annual dues and $45 for insurance that needs to be renewed annually.

“Most of our members are middle-aged men, because they’re about the only ones who can afford it,” he said with a laugh.

It costs about $450 for an airplane, motor, radio from a hobby shop and the membership, Bayless estimated. “This is not a cheap hobby, and it’s never a matter of if you crash your plane, but when you crash your plane, so it’s possible to be spending that amount annually in repairs or new equipment,” he said.

Model airplanes go back to the 1930s, but it wasn’t until shortly after World War II that they had control lines attached to them. Then in the late 1950s, radio-controlled planes came in with their frequency on CB channels. “The hobby was actually invented by ham radio operators,” Bayless said.

In the 1970s, the hobby’s popularity grew due to more reliable equipment, though, according to Bayless, “you can buy a complete set nowadays for one-fifth” of the ’70s cost.

Bayless emphasized the need for hobbyists to be in a club. “You need a club to learn to fly. Actual pilots have said they are harder to fly than real planes,” he explained.

New members are assigned to an instructor who will not allow them to fly a plane alone until they pass a flight test to insure safety and responsibility. “We have set rules that our members have to follow, and if they don’t follow them or purposely break those rules, the first time they get a warning, the second time a suspension, and the third time they get thrown out,” Bayless said.

The approximately 20-acre field they use is on Heasly Road across from Fur, Fin and Feather Sportsmen Association, and is rented from Frederick Thompson.

Plane motors have mufflers but several Shenango Township residents who live adjacent to the field have complained about noise to township supervisors. “The sound is an annoyance, and it gets on your nerves,” said Greg Doug of Heasly Road. Others have complained about planes crashing on their property. “I can’t even enjoy the new porch I put on my house,” Ray Garret said. In response to the complaints, Bayless explained that he has made it clear to the members that they must follow the rules which include flying only over the land the club has leased and staying within a fenced and marked flight zone.

“I’m not going to say that breaking the rules doesn’t happen, but not on purpose and the members get told about it,” he said.

“The planes do crash, which is why we have a field so no one gets hurt.” At the prices members pay for their equipment, no one would crash them on purpose, he added. One of the best parts about the club is the social interaction with other flight enthusiasts. “It’s fun to share this hobby with others, and it’s cheaper than golf, in the long run,” said Bayless.

For more information, contact Gary Bayless at 964-8520.

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Updated July 17, 1999
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