soccer fields becoming available?

Reading the local paper today, I saw a story about the
local youth soccer association's woes. Infighting, police
at the board meetings, big debts, arrests, etc.

Naturally, my first thought was: "Cool! More places to fly combat planes!"

Reading further, my next thought was: "Jeepers! These guys sound almost as bad as stunt fliers."

Well, some of them.
Hmmm, the sun just came out.
Why am I stuck at work?

i do my flying down at the local soccer megaplex. cl is not a problem but (ahem) r/c hl gliders are magnetically drawn to the goals! i drew a small, curious crowd when i took the noblerarf for the maiden flight. one guy that looked to be fortyish asked if it was a cox!

Preston,

Surely you are aware of the monstrous soccer-field complex called "60 Acres." The soccer association has a paid, full-time guy, the primary mission of whom appears to be glomming more open land while fending off us nefarious fliers of model aircraft.

They might bite and scratch each other once in awhile, and it is amusing to see. But given a common enemy in the form of people such as you and I, they close ranks pretty quickly.

It can pay to be nice to the parks and rec people. If you are nice(unlike a lot of soccer folks) they can often find an open spot for you to fly. esp. if the soccer fields are on park property you can often get permission to use them at least occasionally.

Just dont fly Combat planes there! That will kill the site for sure!

One thing I agree with John Brodak on is that when talking with park districts, city councils, we should speak of the needs of our sport. I have read that in England model aviation is officially recognized as a sport and thus has status to compete with soccer, rugby, even cricket for facilities and support.

Jim

What a wonderful use for soccer fields!
Yes Jim, Aeromodelling is officially recognised as a sport over here. This does assist significantly in dealing with officialdom these days, unlike many years ago when I heard a radio chat show when our Minister of Sport (at the time, Roger Bannister, the 4min. mile man) was guest. An Aeromodeller got through and asked when Aeromodellers were going to get a share of the cake! Dear Roger was totally taken aback, and made it clear the guy must be joking, and could he get off the air a.s.a.p. and let them get on with the serious stuff!

LAST EDITED ON Nov-14-04 AT 09:15 AM (CST)
 
Preston,
Where is this occuring?

It would be nice if you would have the name of your town.
available. "Timbuk2" is not appropriate. Are you ashamed of your town?

Name & Town... Name & Town

Leonard, I was hoping that real names and addresses would be required for signing on the forum.

Tom Niebuhr

Hmm....just thought of something. The town I call home, Caldwell, TX, just built a great park/sports comlex. This leaves an older complex over in the industrial park that will probably see less action. I'm going to talk to the mayor and city manager, both of whom I've known for over 40 years to see if I could go out there and fly, especially on weekdays. Maybe if I fly out there, some youngsters and their parents will get curious and want to look into the sport. Might be an interesting project for an old retired guy.
Will keep you posted. Glen

Next to my house I have a soccer field that has artifical grass. So kool to fly on. HOWEVER, got to fly there early in the morning. Wind comes up in the afternoon and so does to kids to play.
I always ask to fly at different places you know PR work.

glen ... i was thinkin of doin th same thing here in our little town(ione,cal.) th soccer fields that are hardly used by th locals are in a place where noise shouldnt even be a problem.

>Preston,
> Where is this occuring?

The town where the local soccer organization is falling apart
due to internal stresses is Seattle. But I wasn't writing
about soccer.

>Leonard, I was hoping that real names and addresses would be
>required for signing on the forum.

A fine, unenforcible rule, since Leonard can't tell when people
are giving their real names and addresses.

LAST EDITED ON Nov-17-04 AT 00:22 AM (CST)
 
Nice thought but some of those soccer fields used to be control line sites!

There's no justice.

Jeff

PS: as to "as bad as stunt flyers", we are a testy lot, aren't we? Still for a group of compulsive, perfectionist geniuses we do pretty well!

we are also upity ...cause were th best lol

In Santa Cruz, Calif., (I could give map coordinances) some friends and humble self were trying to fly at a public park and the caretaker mowed the grass so we could fly there. We (three of us) gave him our handles for some airtime, he flew an incomplete pattern, but didn't crash, took off and landed all three, with some loops, yet!
He ate hamburgers with us, and invited us back to fly again, which we did!

Harvey West Park, Santa Cruz, 1972.
Even stranger than that, in a high wind at Santa Cruz Elementary School, the caretaker (Janitor) saw us attempting 1/2A flight with some of Walter's finest...(Scientific kits)
Feeling sorry for nearly-grown men, he invited us in to the indoor Basketball Court to fly. My Little Mercury LOVED it, so did the Janitor! We flew 'til 5:00 P.M., 5 hours of Indoor that I'll not soon forget. P.S.: Nobody crashed that day, we didn't dare: NO EXCUSES!!!

Mike

Ya gotta love it when it works!

My c/l stunt club, MKM (Milton Keynes Modellers) has recently lost the best flying field in the south to the Wimbledon football club. This is a professional club which has reached great heights (and plumbed great Depths) at various times in its existance. We are not amused. Forunately we have found an alternative.