Sharp Corners: An RC Flyers Goldmine

Quartzsite is a small community of full time residents, but come this time of year the population certainly swells with people coming from all over to enjoy the sun, sand, mountains and great weather. I think there might have been one day so far with some light overcast but usually it is clear blue and 22. The wind is always light at less than ten knots so conducive to aerial balloons, power gliders and radio controlled aircraft.

When I say people come from all around we have noticed it is generally locations West of the Mississippi with a few from Ontario, but more from the prairie provinces and BC, and all kinds of US states down the west side - Utah and Montana in particular. So when it comes to the flying community here it is mostly people from afar. A few guys have homes here where they winter from the cold up in their northern home.

One gentleman, who strangely enough does not fly all that much, is very well known in the community and has what I can only describe as an aviation model museum in his back yard. Jim is a 93 year old man with a slight build, sharp wit, a good spring in his step, and a head of brown hair. His place is the centre of everything RC aviation in Quartzsite and either he or one of the other local flyers can be found almost every day working with aircraft parts, engines, controls and all manner of bits and pieces. He is retired Air Force and was a boom operator on refuelling tanker aircraft. In the few times I have spoken to him about his career he has some interesting stories about his experiences. One particular one was of his participation in the refuelling of the SR-71 Blackbird on its historic supersonic flight across the ocean from New York to London in 1974.

He has a two story hangar of about 20’ by 40’ with just about any kind of radio controlled part or model you can imagine. Some are new in boxes, some are hanging from the ceiling and some are being parted out from crashed models. Every one of them can still fly and I understand most are available for sale. So if you are passing through Quartzsite on your way somewhere or want to come to enjoy the experience, stop in and see him to make a deal on your next adventure.