Model aircraft club enjoying boom times

Dunedin Model Aero Club president Jeff Smart with his model Waco bi-plane. Photo by Christine O'Connor.
Dunedin Model Aero Club president Jeff Smart with his model Waco bi-plane. Photo by Christine O'Connor.
Flying model aeroplanes, helicopters and drones is more popular than ever and the Dunedin Model Aero Club's membership is bulging.

The club, based off School Rd at Outram, has 73 members and club president Jeff Smart, of Mosgiel, said the club had ''stopped looking for new members'' although people wishing to join and train were most welcome.

Part of the rise in members had been the recent interest in drones, Mr Smart said.

''We've got a few guys with quad helicopters,'' he said.

''We're getting guys coming out that want us to teach them to fly.''

The range of aircraft that flew from the club, included traditional fixed wing aeroplanes, helicopters, drones, gliders, control flight planes and jet turbine aircraft.

Mr Smart said the demographic was ''anyone you can think of, really''. Club membership ranged from children through to retirees.

The club provided a variety of activities to cater for members.

''[Two weeks ago] we did a glider fly out there, with the gliders towed up by planes.

''We quite often have barbecues [and] I think a lot of it, like any club, is the friendships there,'' he said.

The only down side of flying model aircraft was the regulations, which were getting more strict and more controlled, Mr Smart said.

Club members flew their planes on Saturdays and Sundays all year, but flying was weather dependent.

The sky was the limit on how much members were willing spend on a model plane.

''I've spent $35,000 in the first five years.''

The planes could not be insured and the most expensive crash at the club was a $10,000 plane, which had been flown 10 times.

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