BERKELEY – Tucked away between the roar of Route 9 and the pristine quiet of the woods is a small airstrip home to the Pine Barren Modelers RC Group, and on one recent day, they invited the public into their home.
There’s 70’x30’ of pavement here by Johnson’s pit, with some trailers set up for equipment. The group had six instructors ready to teach anyone how to fly. They share a “buddy box,” with the same controls. Think of it like a driver’s ed car, where the instructor is driving shotgun and has their own pedals. In this case, the instructor can take over and right the plane if something goes wrong.
Dennis Spatcher, president of group, said they had a pretty good turnout that day. Flying went well, despite the crosswind making things a bit more difficult.
“We’re trying to get the public, especially kids, to gain an interest in flying,” he said.
Sharing a hobby is the best way to keep it going, so club members will set up tables at locations like the Central Regional Middle School carnival with a flight simulator.
Most of the planes were electric, but a few were gas-powered, while others run on a mix of methanol and nitromethane.
There could be as many as four pilots at a time. Those not taking a turn sat off to the side, watching the flights, doing maintenance on their own vehicles, and socializing.
New Jersey Institute of Technology students were also on site to field test a design they came up with for competitions. There are rules on how long the plane has to be from tip to tail, and how long the wingspan can be. Their team name is the Flylanders.
“The club sponsors us so they help us out a lot,” said one of the students. Then, one member made a suggestion about what kind of material to make a plane out of. This led to another member riffing off of that with another suggestion, then another member chimed in, and it became an impromptu brainstorming session, which probably happens a lot with these students.
Upcoming Flights
The Pine Barrens Modelers RC Club will be holding the 10th Annual Water Fun Fly on June 6 (weather permitting) at Deer Head Lake in Lacey. Sign-in begins at 8 a.m., and flying starts at 9 a.m. The event ends at 2 p.m. This will be the first of two Float Flys for 2026.
There will be a $10 landing fee for solo flight, which includes lunch (hot dogs, chips and drinks). People can train on a buddy box for free.
Only electric planes will be allowed, up to an 80” wingspan. Electric boats are welcome.
The group’s website has a calendar with future club meetings and other events.
Learn more at pbm1727.org or email info@pbm1727.org with questions.
