BERKELEY – From the highway, you could see the cars parked behind the abandoned Beachwood Shopping Center. From the nearby neighborhoods, you could hear the buzzing of engines. But it wasn’t until you went down an old road into Johnson’s pit that you saw the spectacle.
Back there, just off the parking lot behind Spirit’s, was a runway about 700 feet by 30 feet that had been paid for by the Pine Barren Modelers RC Club. A few planes were on deck, waiting their turn to take off. The remote controlled planes would come to life, speed down the runway and lift into the air.
This was the club’s open house. There were probably 200 or so people who came out to the event (and some brought their dogs). Burgers and hot dogs were being grilled. People sat out under tents, giving it a feeling like a local fairground. There was even a vendor selling planes and equipment.
Richard Bombedier, the president of the group, said the field is insured and each of the fliers is insured. They all have Federal Aviation Administration certification in small unmanned aerial systems.
Those who have a certification to fly are welcome to do so. If they don’t, they were offered a trainer plane to try it out. An experienced pilot would share the controls through something called a buddy box. That way the experienced pilot could save it if something went wrong.
When someone’s plane went up, you could hear people nearby comment things like “Nice airflow under those wings.”
There was a pattern to how the planes fly so that no one crashes into each other, Bombedier said. Planes took off based on the direction the wind was blowing. They take off and land into the wind.
The club has been around for at least 50 years and has about 90 members right now, and they’d like to have even more. Any day with good weather, you’ll see at least one person flying.
Email info@pbm1727.org for more information or visit PBM1727.org or the Pine Barren RC Club Facebook page.
