Shortly before sunset on Aug. 31, several Ravenna Thunderbirds RC Modelers Club members filled the skies with remote controlled aircrafts of varying sizes and models. The meeting continued after dark, thanks to colorful LED strip lighting attached to the planes.
Ravenna Thunderbirds RC Modelers Club membership is gaining new heights in response to their night flying events, taking place at least monthly, weather permitting, and membership enrollment is open for anyone wanting to join in on the fun.
The club was formed by President Mike Ryan about 45 years ago and initially held meetings at Diamond Hill Park in Ravenna, but in recent years, they’ve added Jetway Airport at 7648 Peck Rd. in Ravenna as an alternate place to meet, which they share with Corsair Model Aircraft Club.
RC aircrafts come in several styles, including micro planes, gliders, jets, sports planes, scale aircraft, helicopters and more. While they may be inferior in size to an actual to-scale aircraft, the controls are similar in function; the difference is the throttle, rudder, elevator and aileron on an RC craft is controlled with a remote controller transmitter by an operator on the ground.
In addition to night fly events, the club also holds float fly meetings, where members attach pontoons to their planes and lift off from Nimisila Reservoir or Lake Hodgson, as well as several impromptu meetings and picnics throughout the year. This year, they held their first Fun Fly Competition against the Corsair Model Aircraft Club…