Dream Flying Field
Background
For the past 20 years model fliers in the Beresford, South Dakota, area had been forced to fly from a nightmarish assortment of sites. Control-line models were flown from school parking lots; radio-control from football fields, golf courses, shooting ranges, private airstrips, and abandoned roads. Some local fliers traveled 35 miles to Sioux Falls to join a club and use a proper field; many others gave up the hobby or became inactive because a suitable site wasn't available near home.
Finally, in the latter months of 1988 veteran modeler Roger Lang approached Mayor Bill Muller and the Beresford city council to ask whether some municipal land could be made available for a flying field. The response was tremendous: Beresford now boasts a municipal flying field and an AMA-chartered club.
Site and permissions
- The city owns a 160-acre tract that includes sewage lagoons, about 80 acres of tillable land, a municipal shooting range, and a horse show arena.
- Roger Lang and Dennis Hedeen received permission to use a 400 x 200 ft piece of land immediately adjacent to the shooting range as a flying field (roughly a two-acre site). The area had been a weedy corner of the tillable land.
City assistance and field preparation
City departments provided substantial help that greatly accelerated the project:
- The Municipal Street Department dispatched a grader to level the site, removing about three inches of topsoil, weeds, cornstalks, and accumulated trash so no wet spots remained when rains fell.
- A local farm-implement dealer tilled the field and prepared it for seeding.
- The City Parks and Recreation Department seeded the field with bluegrass, harrowed it smooth, and lightly packed it. The Parks and Recreation Department now handles mowing.
- The City Power & Light Department dug holes, supplied poles and insulated aluminum cable, and installed a two-foot-high fence around the area. They also erected a 20-ft pole and installed a windsock.
Early challenges and solution
Spring rains failed to arrive. To get the bluegrass started, Dennis Hedeen, a member of the Beresford Fire Rescue Team, obtained permission to use the fire truck to apply nine to ten runs of water to the site. Rains later in the summer gave the grass a good start, and the field now has a usable sod base.
Club formation and local involvement
- The Beresford Area Radio Flyers (AMA Chapter 2577) was chartered on March 31, 1989. The club provides supervision of the field and AMA-sponsored liability insurance—the latter addressing the city’s primary reservation about the project.
- Local fliers supervised and completed much of the on-the-ground work: weeding, clearing brush, pruning trees, erecting the cable fence, putting up the windsock, installing a club sign, chartering the club with the AMA, and handling public relations.
Flying activity and community response
- With a permanent, authorized flying field a half-mile from town, club members (six at the time) increased their flying activity substantially.
- Spectators from town attend nearly every flying session. Two new pilots have been trained by club members, and community interest in joining has grown.
- Club members displayed aircraft in two local parades. Interested fliers are now coming from within a 25-mile radius.
Events and press coverage
- The Sioux Falls club used the Beresford site for a fun fly and SAM contest on August 27, 1989; about 30 fliers and numerous spectators attended.
- The Beresford Republic sent a reporter/photographer to the event, and two press releases with photos were printed. Reaction from the public and the local newspaper was very positive.
Conclusion
The willing and enthusiastic support from Mayor Muller, the city council, and city employees demonstrates what a rural community can accomplish. In a time when flying fields are becoming harder to obtain and keep, Beresford developed a free, well-prepared site for area RC fliers—a field many clubs would gladly pay for. The Beresford flying field is a dream come true for local modelers, and the project may encourage other communities to pursue suitable flying sites.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
