Fly Up to 900′ Dawn to Dusk Daily; 2000′ with Notification
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Our club recognizes and complies with the F.A.A. Reauthorization Act of 2018, Section 349. For more information click here.
Upcoming Events
As the winter flying season opens, we have two great events coming up to kick off the year. The club’s October Twilight Fly and Potluck is scheduled for Saturday, October 26, starting at 5:00 pm, after the club meeting. Bring along your favorite dish for all to share. And bring along your illuminated plane(s) or just come enjoy the camaraderie and fun of the evening! On Saturday, November 16, we will have our annual Member Appreciation/Badge Day/Toys for Tots event. We will have free hot dogs and drinks, as well as fun flying events including carrier landings, paintball, and more. Come out for the fun, and pay your 2025 dues while you’re at it. Please also bring along a $15 donation or an unwrapped toy for our Toys for Tots drive!
See you at the field!
(Photos from last year’s Twilight Fly)
David Ginsberg flies his P-39 Airacobra into the sunset!
Alan Williamson’s 737/C-40 (Air Force 2) does a fly by.
Dan Metz and Tim Dobrowolski sample the fare at the buffet!
The after dinner spectators enjoy great flying as the moon rises over the shades.
Major Upgrades Made to the Airfield!
Any of you who have visited the airfield after a significant rain storm are aware that there was frequently mud flow out onto the runway that then left behind silt that was difficult to clean up without having our street sweeper vendor come out, at significant expense. Most of that mud would come from the dirt areas under the fence line at the edge of the runway, which was essentially level with the runway. After much consideration by the Board, we decided to undertake a project to create swales to catch runoff and allow it to percolate into the soil rather than run out onto the runway. The excavation to create these swales required removing the exiting fence posts. Rather than attempting to re-implant the same posts and plastic fencing that required yearly replacement, it was decided to also take this opportunity to upgrade the fences to much more permanent chain link. Due to generous donations from Bob Kelly who covered the cost of the creation of the swales, and Alan Williamson who donated the fencing materials, as well as a great crew of volunteers to provide much of the labor installing the fences, all of these upgrades were performed at no net cost to the Club!! And all work was completed in time for our Desert Warbirds and Jet Jam events!
Many thanks to David Ginsberg, Reg Modlin, Bob Nelson, and new members Mike Franz and Gary Smith, among others, who helped put up the fencing rails and fabric!
IT'S OFFICIAL!
900' Dawn to Dusk; 2000' with Notification
After years of hard work and negotiations with the FAA culminating in a 4-day-long “Safety Risk Mitigation (SRM)” meeting, we finally have an official Letter of Agreement with the FAA and the Southern California Terminal Radar Approach Control (SoCal TRACON) granting our airfield a 900’ altitude limit dawn to dusk every day, with a 2,000 ft radius from the center of our flightline. We can also obtain a 2000’ altitude limit with advanced notice to the FAA and SoCal TRACON. Our club is one of only a handful of RC airfields in the US to receive such an exception, so it is critical that we follow the FAA requirements. We routinely notify FAA that we will be operating up to 2,000′ on weekends and for all of our sanctioned events, but if a member wants to request an additional day, you must submit your request to the club secretary at least 48 hours in advance, and must ensure that 1) a spotter will be used at all times; 2) an aircraft radio will be present, turned on, and monitoring 123.00 MHz; and 3) you must know the procedure for contacting the FAA in case of any aircraft “fly aways”. Additionally, full-size aircraft ALWAYS have right-of-way and must be given wide berth regardless of our altitude limits.
Find Us
89452 54th Ave., Thermal, CA
Directions
Eastbound on I-10
Turn off on 86 S expressway. Turn left at 52nd Ave., turn right on Fillmore St., turn left on 54th Ave., go past Pierce St. to field entrance.
Westbound on I-10
Exit I-10 at Dillon Rd. left. Proceed to 86 S expressway South. Turn left at 52nd Ave., turn right on Fillmore St., turn left on 54th Ave., go past Pierce St. to field entrance.
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Palm Desert
760-620-5159
72750 Dinah Shore Dr., Suite 106
Palm Desert, CA 92211
(Beside Costco)