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The Club
The Tulsa Glue Dobbers, Inc. was established
in 1947,and is the oldest, continuously chartered, R/C (radio
controlled) flying club in the country.
Our club is dedicated to the safe enjoyment of R/C
flying in the Tulsa area. We are affiliated with the Academy of Model
Aeronautics (AMA), a national organization representing the interests of
similar clubs around the country. More about the AMA, as well as
obtaining membership, can be learned by visiting their extensive web
site at www.modelaircraft.org and the TGD web site can be found at
www.tulsagluedobbers.com.
The Members
The Tulsa Glue Dobbers’ membership varies from
about 150 to 200 members ranging in age from eight to eighty. With this
large membership comes a diversity of backgrounds and interests. You’ll
find members with particular interest in aerobatics, helicopters, scale
warbirds, electrics, and even an occasional sailplane. The one
characteristic common to all members is the enjoyment we get from
building, flying, and talking about our model aircraft. From our ranks
have come world champion aerobatic pilots and award winning scale
builders.
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Joining The Club
When you join the Tulsa Glue Dobbers, you must also join the AMA,
because AMA membership provides necessary liability insurance required
by the club as well as the City of Tulsa from whom we lease our field.
You may obtain both
TGD and
AMA applications at
Model Works or at our web site mentioned above.
Within a couple of weeks of submitting your
dues and application , you should receive your membership card and a
year sticker for your frequency clip from the club secretary. Also at
this time, you can pick up your frequency clip at Model Works hobby
shop. All members receive periodic mailings of our club newsletter,
The Super Glitch. To save expenses,
the Glitch is published each month on our web site for your information
and enjoyment, but we only mail a hard copy every few months as very
important news comes along.
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Meetings
Club meetings are held on the fourth Tuesday
of every month except December. Starting time is 7:00 pm. Currently, the
cold weather months see the meetings held at
Martin Regional Library
located at 26th and Garnett. Summer meetings are held at the
club field. Members should check the web site to determine where
meetings have been scheduled. At the meetings, all aspects of club
business are discussed and voted upon including field improvements, rule
changes, flying and non-flying events, and safety concerns. Each meeting
concludes with the presentation of the Deserving Ultimate Member Bequest
(D.U.M.B.) award to the member whose mishap of the month deserves
official chiding.
Club officer elections and special club awards are
voted on at the November meeting. All members are encouraged to attend
meetings and voice their opinions. After all, this club belongs to all
of its members.
Auctions
The club usually holds two auctions or
“Buy-N-Flys” each year. Anyone may convert their R/C stuff into cash and
vice versa. Dates are announced in the Super Glitch.
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The Field
The
Glue Dobbers flying field is located on Lynn Lane Avenue at about S.
28th Street. The seventy acre site features a 50 x 450 foot
asphalt runway, large enough to handle practically any model aircraft. A
70 foot wide grass strip runs parallel to the asphalt and is adequate
for larger model planes with large wheels. Since moving to this facility
in 1998, the club has added improvements such as two sun shelters,
spectator seating, a separate helicopter pit and pilot station area, a
club house with electricity, heat and air, and aircraft
assembly/starting tables. A well stocked first aid locker is available
as well as a properly serviced Porta-John. Padlocks to the front gate,
the club house, and the first aid locker all use the same combination
code given to members only.
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Frequency Control
All transmitters used to control model
aircraft broadcast on channels 11– 60 in the 72 MHz band reserved for
our hobby by the FCC. The new wave of ready to fly “park flyers” often
broadcast on channels 1 - 6 in the 27 MHz band which is also used by
some R/C cars operated across the street at the TORC car track. This
leads to the possibility of radio interference which may cause a crash.
We encourage anyone using the 27 MHz band to turn on their plane’s
receiver before the transmitter to observe whether the plane is
receiving someone else’s signal. TORC members exercise the same safety
procedure.
We carefully control the use of channels 11 –
60 on the 72 MHz band by using a frequency control board. Pilots must
use their frequency clips (issued with memberships) in
order to reserve a channel for their flight. If two transmitters are
broadcasting on the same channel at the same time, a crash is likely.
So, when arriving at the field, be sure to reserve your channel
before turning on your transmitter. The board has a position on a
horizontal rod for each channel and the frequency clip attaches with a
clothespin. If a channel is already in use, place your clip below the
active clip on the vertical rod, seek out the other pilot, and agree to
carefully take turns in the upper, active position on the frequency
board. It is even a good idea to stow away your transmitter when sharing
a channel and it is not your turn, so that you will not absent mindedly
forget about the conflict. A few channels have periodic interference
from outside sources and are so marked on the frequency board.
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Common Sense and Courtesy
Our hobby has some potential hazards
that are best avoided by using common sense and courtesy. Listed below
are some examples:
* Starting your engine under the sun shelter or
with the exhaust aimed at people nearby is messy.
* Running an engine with children or friends in
front of or beside the prop is dangerous. Always remain behind the
engine as much as possible.
* Flying low passes along the runway is
discourteous when another pilot is doing close-in hovering or 3D
maneuvers, and hovering over the runway or near its end is disconcerting
to someone trying to fly the pattern, shoot touch and goes, or land.
* Verbal communication with other pilots is
vital to safety. Some such calls are “landing,” “on the runway,”
“clear,” “dead stick,” “full scale approaching,” and “Oops, sorry about
that” are always appreciated.
* Helicopter pilots have agreed to fly south of
the frequency board and east of their pits when fixed wing aircraft are
in the air. Fixed wing pilots are required to fly east of the deadline
at all times and should never fly over the heli area. These
recommendations still leave the possibility of choppers crossing over
the deadline and interfering with take offs and landings of fixed wing
planes. Courtesy and care should keep all parties happy.
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Official Club Rules:
For a hobby as potentially hazardous as R/C
flying, you will find remarkably few rules in effect at the field.
However, all members are expected to follow all of the
rules all of the time.
You should consider the posted rules as the minimum
needed for safe flying. For the record, here are the rules:
1.Access to the field area enclosed by the safety
fence is restricted to Tulsa Glue Dobbers members and their
guests.
2.AMA Membership is required for flying, except for
the introduction of a guest to radio controlled flight by a Glue Dobbers
member employing a functioning buddy box and cord.
3. The Tulsa Glue Dobbers Field is open from
sunrise until one half hour after sunset, however, glow or gasoline
engines may not be started or run for any purpose until 8:00 am.
4. The Frequency Board must be used at all times.
5. There shall be no flying of fixed wing aircraft
west of the north south line described by the inner edge of the runway
nor shall any aircraft be flown south of 31st street or over
the ballpark complex to the north.
6. There shall be no taxiing to or from the pits
unless the aircraft is positively controlled and restrained by hand.
7. Effective mufflers are required on all engines
of .20 cubic inches displacement and larger.
8. Each Glue
Dobbers member is responsible for removing all trash he or she creates
from the field, and upon being the last member to leave the field, lock
the clubhouse, the first aid box, and close and lock the gate.
9. No alcoholic beverages shall be used or consumed
on the premises.
10. Certain members are designated as “Safety
Officers”. They are responsible for conveying the safety rules of this
club and the AMA. In severe cases of possible injury to others or
equipment at the field, the designated officer may ground the flyer.
11.Any and all rules of the City of Tulsa Parks and
Recreation Department applicable to all City Parks and/or this Park in
particular shall be observed by Glue Dobbers members, their guests and
the general public while visiting.
12. All Academy of Model Aeronautics field and
flight rules and regulations apply to the Tulsa Glue Dobbers Field and
flight operations at the field.
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Getting Started:
Learning
to fly R/C aircraft is easier and less expensive than ever. Your first
plane should be a “trainer” type that has a high mounted, flat bottom
wing. Planes like these are more stable and easier to land than other
designs. You may buy a pre-owned plane, or build from a kit, but the
local hobby shops now have “almost-ready-to-fly” (ARF’s) kits that can
be assembled in a few hours, and are excellent bargains. Some even come
with an engine and full radio equipment that can later be used on your
second airframe when you graduate from your trainer plane. You will also
need the following:
- A glow driver to provide engine ignition.
- Glow fuel; typically 5 – 15% nitro content.
- Either an electric starter or a “chicken
stick.”
- A fueling hand pump or bulb
- A spare glow plug and propeller.
- A plug wrench, small screwdrivers (standard
and Phillips) and some paper towels and Windex.
The cost of all this stuff varies, but you should
plan on spending around $350 - $450 getting started. If you want some
advice before opening your wallet, come out to the field and ask members
for their advice. Opinions are plentiful (and free).
During Daylight Savings Time (April through October), Tuesday
evenings, except for club meeting nights, are reserved for student
pilots at the field. From 6:00 until dusk, the “big boys” stay down and
help instruct new pilots in all aspects of ground and air operations.
Typically, and instructor will fly a student’s plane to a safe (high)
altitude, allow the student to practice maneuvers, and then land the
plane afterwards. Using a “buddy cord” to link the trainer to the
trainee is the best plan but not necessary.
Students who spend time on computer simulators
learn the fastest, but remember that many of our members learned without
simulators.
Taking advantage of Tuesday night training is
great because beginners do not have to listen to high performance
aircraft flying around them (sometimes disconcerting). But new members
should feel free to ask for help at any time, on any day in order to
gain experience faster. Using an instructor will greatly reduce the odds
of damaging your new plane while you are learning the basics. However,
since even the most experienced pilots can plant a spinner occasionally,
there is no guarantee that your plane will survive training without
damage. The instructors volunteer their time and experience------please
don’t blame them if an unfortunate accident occurs. They feel as badly
as you do. Think positively; when you do have your first unplanned
encounter with the ground, you will have the opportunity to start a new
hobby---model airplane repair!
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Competition and Fly-Ins
Once you feel comfortable in the air, you may want to participate in
some the local events in the Tulsa area. Competitions in Pattern Flying,
Quickie Racing, and Fun-Flying are sponsored by various clubs throughout
the warm weather seasons. Most clubs hold “Fly-Ins” which are like big
open house weekends that give you a chance to fly off of a different
runway. The largest event sponsored by The Tulsa Glue Dobbers is the
annual Jumbo Fly-In held each summer. Any current AMA member may enter
their jumbo sized aircraft (80” mono, 60” biplane, or ¼ scale) for
airborne and static display. The Jumbo brings in flyers from across the
region, and it usually features great door prizes, a candy drop for
kids, raffle planes, beautiful scale warbirds, and wild 3D demonstration
flights by some of America’s top pilots.
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Jargon
Like most groups, R/C pilots have evolved their
own vocabulary. Here’s a sample:
Flutter: an undesired vibration of ailerons,
rudder, or elevators that can lead to their separation from the
airframe.
Dead line: an imaginary line running along
the pilot’s side of the runway. Never fly west of it!
Dial-a-crash: refers to a synthesized
transmitter able to broadcast on any R/C frequency.
Foamy: any of modern electric powered planes
made almost entirely of Styrofoam.
Ducted fan: a propulsion method that uses an
impeller housed inside the model to simulate jets.
Hanger queen: a plane that is rarely flown.
Hanger rash: the inevitable dents and damage
that mysteriously occur while storing or transporting a model.
Re-kit: a euphemism for a serious crash.
Shot down: your plane crashing due to
someone turning on their transmitter without properly reserving the
frequency.
Yard dart: describes a plane after losing
its wing in midair.
Dead stick: The words you should shout out
if your engine dies in flight and you need immediate clearance on the
runway.
Day crew: name given to the retired guys who
meet at the field on weekday mornings to fly, drink coffee, and tell
lies. They are the heart and soul of The Tulsa Glue Dobbers.
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In
Conclusion
So what’s it all about? Its about having fun
and sharing the fun with friends. There’s not an R/C pilot anywhere who
can’t reel off a dozen great stories that start like “There I was at
eighty feet when…” or tell you every detail about their first solo
flight.
This hobby combines diverse interests such as
aerodynamics, engineering, electronics, meteorology, and woodworking.
There is always something new to try, a new design, or a new maneuver.
You might start with an ARF, and ten years later find yourself scratch
building a ten foot B-17 with four engines. It is certainly a hobby that
lasts a lifetime.
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