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The Headwaters R/C Flying Club sprang from the demise of the old Park Rapids R/C (PRRC) Club, which had it’s beginning in 1982 and flew from a small flying field north of Park Rapids on private land. When this club closed down in 1996, many members of the old club became founding members in the new Headwaters R/C Flying Club and some equipment from the old club was brought to the new flying field 4 miles west and 1 ½ miles south of Park Rapids. The new flying field was expansive in comparison to the old field, comprising the southwest corner of a center pivot irrigated 160 acre agricultural field, owned by R. D. Offutt.
The PRRC club started a Fun Fly in conjunction with the Twin Cities Radio Controllers (TCRC) Club, of the Twin Cities in 1982. This Fun Fly has been in continuance ever since, making the transition from the old club field to the new one. In 2007, this Fun Fly celebrated its 25th year.
Headwaters R/C Flying Club’s charter with the AMA is #3902. The club organized in 1996 with the small number of members (10-12) typical of rural clubs in the hinterlands of the United States.
The first annual Headwaters R/C Flying Club’s Fun Fly was held in 1999. It was a one-day event and eventually grew to a full weekend in 2002. Brian Goldammer organized this event and ran it for 9 years. It has been very successful, drawing participants from across the upper portion of the state and western North Dakota. The Fun Fly has been held in the later portion of August. Many flyer’s prizes and drawings are held for great prizes from field equipment to airplanes and radios.
The years 2003 and 2004 saw a significant jump in membership in the club, part and partial to the fact that Area 51, a local hobby shop opened in Park Rapids, catering to the R/C hobby. Membership for the year 2009 stands at close to 30 members.
In 2005, member Pat Klein created the “Bats Outta Hell Combat Wing”. The “Bats” group uses a simply designed Combat Airplane made with foam wings and coroplast or balsa tail and control surfaces and using a wiffle bat as the fuselage. The airplanes may be high or low winged, and may or may not have landing gear. The members cut the wing cores on a special core cutting night in the Fall/early Winter.
Combat night starts the first Tuesday in May, dependent upon weather and continues on every other Tuesday for 6 Tuesdays. Points are awarded based upon tail cuts, landing points, limbo bar and completing a round. Combat nights are attended by many spectators and hot food is sold at the cook shack. The Tuesdays between combat nights and every Tuesday thereafter are beginner’s nights. However, flyers capable of instructing are available almost every weekend and evening when flying conditions are right.
The name of the game with HR/CFC is having fun with R/C airplanes. About 2/3rds of the club uses Almost Ready to Fly or pre-built airplanes purchased from other members or at local R/C Auctions held around the state. This means a strong contingency of approximately 1/3rd of the members still like to build from kits or scratch-build their airplanes. All types of aircraft may be seen; scale, sport, pattern, 3D, and even an occasional helicopter or sailplane may show up.
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