At one time, Ken Hanawalt, a Rockwell resident, had at least twenty-five remote controlled airplanes. His room was filled with the hobby he loved. Then, like the rest of us, he had to grow up and be responsible. The airplanes had to go; he exchanged his hobby to raise a family. Many years later, the kids grown, Ken is back flying his miniature airplanes. Above: Ken poses with his model airplane and helicopter.|Story by Jody Spear, photos by Kelley Meyer
At one time, Ken Hanawalt, a Rockwell resident, had at least twenty-five remote controlled airplanes. His room was filled with the hobby he loved. Then, like the rest of us, he had to grow up and be responsible. The airplanes had to go; he exchanged his hobby to raise a family.
Many years later, the kids grown, Ken is back flying his miniature airplanes. Recently, Ken was on the east side of the I-35 Speedway, working on his hobby. Not only did he have an airplane to fly, but he also had a helicoper. “I started flying back in 1975, and after about a ten year break, I started flying again this summer.”
“I am a member of the National AMA Organization (Academy of Model Aeronautics),” Ken said. “You have to be a member before you can fly your planes. The club I’m in is called River City Radio Control Club, based right here in Mason City. We used to practice on the outskirts of town, by Portland, but now we rent this land from the Mason City Fairgrounds. We’ve gained 4 to 5 new people since we relocated into Mason City. We have meetings on the first Monday of every month at 7:00 pm. We are working on a new website because ours got hacked into last winter. It will take us a little while to get it going since we work with a zero budget.” The definition of a model aircraft is a non-human-carrying aircraft capable of sustained flight in the the atmosphere. There are several safety rules that go with flying these model airplanes. The number one rule, or the one that heads the list, is a model aircraft will not be flown in a careless or reckless manner.
Jim Myklestad, another River City Radio Control Club member, said there are two events coming up. “In September we will be sponsoring two AMA events open to all members of AMA. On Saturday September 10, we will be flying aircraft off the water at McIntosh Woods State Park. On Sunday, September 11, we will have our fall fun fly at our flying site on the fairgrounds. All AMA pilots are eligible to participate and the public is welcome to attend.”
“There are a couple Des Moines people that have shown interest in our club, and they might come up that weekend,” Ken said. “The word ‘contest’ is used very loosely. It’s all about having a good time, being with your buddies and shooting the bull. It’s more enjoyable, rather than competitive. There isn’t a monetary prize, maybe a small trophy, but you do get the bragging rights. Saturday, September 10th, the Annual Fun Fly will start in Clear Lake at the State Beach off of South Shore Drive. It’s hard to say how many will be there, it could be one or it could be a dozen. On Sunday, September 11th, the contest continues at the North Iowa Fairgrounds in Mason City. At the end, the reward is the enjoyment you get in self satisfaction. Right now there isn’t any females in this area, but I have seen some fly and they are really good.”
“Getting started in this hobby doesn’t have to be real expensive,” Ken continued. “You can go to a hobby store and pick up a kit, that contains a 12 to 14 inch wingspan plane. This kit would include everything you need to get started and is under $200. After that it’s up to you and how much you want to put into your hobby. Of course, you have the expense of the gas or batteries to run your aircraft. The length of time you have your craft will vary. There is a club member that has had the same one for twenty-five years. He does regular maintenance on it and hasn’t crashed. Unlike me, who after ten flights, crashed mine. If it weren’t for the kind hearts of a couple club members, I probably wouldn’t be flying an airplane. One member gave me the airplane and another member gave me the motor, on loan. When I’m done, I’ll give them back. The helicopter is mine though. The hardest thing to learn about flying these model aircrafts is learning how to handle the controls. I’m trying to play catch up with the battery technology, after being out of the hobby for so long.”
Video:
