Members of the Tri-County R.C. Club of New Jersey held an Air Benders Slalom Race at the North Brunswick Aerodrome on the Pulda Farm on June 7. After traveling a long, winding, dirt/gravel road through the Pulda Farm in North Brunswick — and after passing groundhogs, deer, foxes and wildlife of the sort — one comes upon an open field.
Seen hovering 200 to 400 feet above the converted cornfield, just about 30 feet in front of the woods on the perimeter of Farrington Lake, model airplanes and helicopters are flown from a 300-foot runway.
The flat, grassy area is part of the transformation of the 70-acre farm into passive recreation space, as the Tri-County R.C. Club of New Jersey has occupied 20 acres to fly its aircraft at the North Brunswick Aerodrome.
“I think people enjoy the art of flying little airplanes. It’s very exciting. It’s a challenge … and takes a lot of skill to do it. And it takes a lot of training,” said Joe Plotnick, club treasurer.
The club was chartered in 1968, but began using the Pulda Farm in May 2014 after the club’s president, Mike DiGennaro, heard of the potentially available space from a member who lives in town. The club had previously been occupying an area at Heavenly Farms in East Brunswick.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MIKE DiGENNARO
The club also flies on a field behind Middlesex County College in Edison.
Members over age 10 of any skill level — minors need to be accompanied by a parent — are invited to purchase almost-ready-tofly wooden kits, “foamies” or ready-to-fly models from a local hobby shop or through the Internet. The planes are basically scaleddown regular-size airplanes, Plotnick said, and can take hours or weeks to build.
“The only difference between model airplanes and full-scale is the size,” said Alex Szemere, the club’s representative from the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA), who is a full-scale pilot.
However, model flying could be considered more difficult, Szemere said, adding that the orientation of a plane, as well as the perspective of how high or how fast it is traveling, can be harder to measure because of “situational awareness” — how one assesses the situation when he or she is standing at a distance.
The airplanes can run on electric, glow and occasionally gas. They have an average wingspan of 50 feet, but can be as wide as 100 feet.
Flyers begin with a high-wing trainer that flies straight, then progress to a low wing, which is more maneuverable. During the initial stages, a Buddy Box is used so that the instructor and student both have access to the controller.
“You have to have good hand and eye coordination, definitely,” Szemere said, while Plotnick added that video game experience helps.
There are different disciplines, such as pattern flying, both aerobatic and precision; pylon racing; and flying in a circle on a controlled line.
There is first-person-view flying, where a flyer controls the plane through a camera that simulates a pilot’s actual view. Powered gliders have a 10-foot wingspan with a motor that shuts off at a certain altitude. “Safe” technology puts the plane in autopilot, and can change the level from beginner to intermediate to advanced.
There are also different types of maneuvers a plane can attempt, such as looping, rolling and flying straight — which Szemere said can be the most challenging because it is a very precise action.
Flying is permissible in North Brunswick from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-9 p.m. weekends.
Weather is always a factor, especially windy conditions. Therefore, an indoor field provides a controlled atmosphere, but the field and plane size are limited.
“So far, the snow, cold and darkness don’t stop us. The only thing that we can’t get around is rain,” DiGennaro said.
Overall, because the sport has become cheaper and more accessible, and the construction of the aircraft makes them more reliable, there has been a “slight uptick” in flying, DiGennaro said.
Also, there has been increased participation by the 105 current members of the club because of the different activities that are offered.
The club holds several special events throughout the month, such as a fun fly with a limbo contest, bomb dropping, streamer combat or a slalom course; a night fly when lights are added to the planes; a clunker fly that combines the dirtiest, dustiest parts ducttaped together to see how the plane reacts; and a Frankenplane, when parts of different planes and materials not belonging to a plane are put together.
“It’s not traditional to go to the field, fly a plane, and you’re done,” Plotnick said. “We have other events, so it makes it more fun.”
The club is proud to boast that Peter L. Jakab, chief curator of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, was a member of the Tri-County R.C. Club as a child in Monroe.
The world-renowned authority on the Wright Brothers once precisely built his models from scratch.
“We’re very proud to have people like that,” Szemere said. “We have several members who are commercial pilots … and many, many aerobatic pilots who are also R.C. enthusiasts.”
The club does its part to reach out to the community.
Last winter, the club held a 10-week program at Edgar Middle School in Metuchen for school-age children. Through an AMA grant, the children were able to build and fly small electric “foamies.”
“It also gives the members a place to fly in the winter,” Plotnick said. “It keeps your skills up.”
Through the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, club members spent a day with 80 students at Neptune High School to educate them about flying while also letting them practice.
In addition, the son of a member was approached by the assistant manager of the Sayreville Parks Department who asked him to look into two nests perched 50 feet above the ground on some light poles to see if there was any bird activity; he flew his quadcopter to take pictures of an osprey and her two eggs.
In terms of their relationship with the community, club members — noting their constant activity at the farm — said they are appreciative of the efforts of township personnel, such as park rangers and those with the Recreation Department.
DiGennaro said there is no cost to the township, as the members created the gravel road, regularly mow the grass and have insurance through the AMA.
Membership is required because of the insurance component. Those who are new to the hobby may borrow equipment from the club under the direction of an instructor once they join.
“I enjoy most taking new people and doing an introduction and making them proficient in basic flight,” Szemere said.
Since flyers have been predominantly male, the club is organizing a Powder Puff flying event to introduce women to the sport.
The Tri-County R.C. Club is also organizing a flight on a World War II B-17 or B-24 bomber through a raffle. Twenty-four tickets are available at $20 each, and the winner will be chosen in July. The flight will be scheduled for the end of August at Allaire Airport in Wall.
In addition, the club has been given the opportunity to assist the Collins Foundation in the tribute to airmen of World War II via the Wings of Freedom Tour Aug. 26-31 at Allaire. Volunteers will handle crowd control, assist in preparing an aircraft for flight or provide historical information on the aircraft.
Admission to attend the festival is $12.
For more information about the club in general, club membership or special flying events, visit www.tricountyrc.com