Small machines great fun as club takes to the skies

Model pilot Sean Moloney gets his plane ready for takeoff. Photo/Bevan Conley

Planes of all shapes and sizes whizzed around the skies yesterday morning as members of the Wanganui Aeromodellers Club took advantage of the sunny weather.

Long-time member David Richardson said there were about 20 members in the club, eight of whom were at the club's flying field to take their models up for a joyride.

Mr Richardson said thanks to cheap, ready-to-fly kits available on the internet, more people were getting into radio-controlled flying.

"But I'm of the older school ... I like to build them myself. I couldn't build some of these planes for the price they go for.

"You can get a complete plane for about $100, including radios, pay by credit card and it's in your letterbox 10 days later," he said.

President John Shingleton said yesterday's wind was marginal for flying but most got at least one flight in.

Unfortunately there were two accidents yesterday - one plane was upset by a gust of wind and another suffered a full power loss and was destroyed - but that was part of the hobby, pilot Tony McColl said.

Mr Shingleton said the public was welcome to check out the action and meet the members and their models on Sundays between 9am and 12 noon, weather permitting. The flying field is accessed by a gate just before the Ravensdown Aerowork site on Airport Rd.