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| If anybody has interesting historical
information, stories, pictures, etc., about the club, (the further back, the better, but
all era's are totally welcome) as well as any corrections to any would-be erroneous info,
it would be great if you could send it in to be added to the virtual museum. I can
scan photos and documents. This will make a very interesting part of the club's web
site for everyone to enjoy. Thanks. -
A.A. |
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A Brief History of YARCC
Sometime
in the mid to late 1940's, when radio control for model airplanes was still relatively
new, a small band of York, PA area R/C model plane enthusiasts were getting together on a
regular basis and flying their planes at a small field near the old shoe house by route 30
in Hellam Township, York County, PA. With their group expanding and interest in the hobby
growing, they eventually organized an official R/C club in 1963 under the name of York
Area Radio Control Club and acquired a new and bigger field located at the
Ponderosa Farm along East Berlin Road (Rt. 234), a couple of miles east of East Berlin in
Paradise Township, York County, PA. The members flew their models from that field for
nearly ten years. Sometime during that period, YARCC became incorporated and became an AMA
(Academy of Model Aeronautics) charter member (#578). When the Ponderosa Farm was sold,
the Club was forced to locate another field and was fortunate enough to acquire another
place to fly at the Frigm Farm on Rife Road located a few miles north of East Berlin in
Reading Township, Adams County, PA, less than a hundred feet outside of York County. We
actually pitted in Adams County and flew over York County (see first photo). That field
provided the Club with about 20 years of great flying. It even had a macadam runway, the
only one for miles around at the time. At the end of 1992, that field was lost due to Mr.
Frigm selling his property and consequentially forced YARCC to locate a new field for the
third time. After a 3 month hiatus without a field, a new field was acquired in Late April
of 1993 from Mr. Mathna for part of his grass airstrip on Pondtown Road near Bermudian in
Latimore Township, Adams County, PA, just a few hundred feet outside of York County.
It’s located about 6 miles NNE of the Rife Road field. The Club has enjoyed a lot of
great fun and flying at this well established field until 2007. It is actually a grass
full-scale 1800' airstrip for the owner's small full scale ultra light aircraft and the
Club uses about 500' of it. Near the end of 2006, we acquired a new temporary field
just north of New Salem on College Ave. It was a long established flying field used
by Bill Anstine and he graciously invited our Club to setup there until we located a more
permanent location. It was wide open with plenty of room to fly any size R/C model
plane. We flew there most of 2007 and by the end of the year we acquired two new
excellent locations. Two fields! A YARCC first. Located on opposite
sides of York County, these new flying fields will give our members great flexibility in
field access. One field is located in East Berlin on Fish And Game Road just a
couple of miles from the old Rife Road field. Ironically, this field is also right
on the Adams and York county line with the east end of the runway ending at York County.
Our Landlord, Ron Hawk, is a great guy and was extremely helpful in preparing the
field. The other field is located in Strinestown and, like the College Ave. field,
it is vastly wide open with the sun at our backs all day. It will also easily handle
any size model. Our Landlord, Ed Brothers, is another great guy and very
accomodating to our Club. It took a lot of time to prepare these fields and they
will be ready for the 2008 flying season. Having two fields presented us with a need
to name them. Of course, they were appropriately named Hawk Field and Brothers
Field.
In the early days of the Club, pylon racing was quite popular and down through the
years many, many types of aircraft and styles of flying have been introduced into the
YARCC which has provided a continuing catalyst for all its members to learn and enjoy the
fantastic realm of R/C model aircraft building and flying.
In present day, we enjoy such incredible advancements in R/C technology and model
design that constantly give the hobby new heights of versatility and safety, organizations
like AMA that light the way for hundreds of thousands of R/C enthusiasts and thousands of
R/C clubs, internet communities that provide information exchange forums for R/C hobbyists
all around the world, a boundless R/C marketplace that gives the R/C modeler virtually
limitless products to choose from, and it just keeps getting better all the time. Like
many clubs today, we have our own Website at www.yorkrc.com, which provides
instant access to all facets of YARCC information benefiting our members and potential
members seeking a club to join. Our Club holds monthly meetings and publishes a newsletter
called The Victory Roll, which can be accessed by anybody on the Website. Today we enjoy
the best flying field facilities our Club has ever had since conception thanks to our
members making it happen. Most any R/C model aircraft club can boast having a really great
bunch of folks as members and our Club is no exception. YARCC members have tons of fun and
truly enjoy learning and flying R/C model aircraft together. And for those in the York, PA
area who are interested in getting into R/C aircraft and joining a club, “Come
Fly With Us!”
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Aerial Photos of Past YARCC Flying Fields
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Rife Road
field in the 1970’s from West.
(photo by unknown, overlays by Alan Alloway)
(Click image for large PDF version - 1.88
meg)
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Pondtown
Road field in 1993 from straight up.
(photo by former member Kevin Nesbit using his R/C
plane)
(Click image for large PDF version - 1.99 meg)
(sustained water damage, but still viewable)
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Pondtown
Road field in 2004 from Northwest.
(digital photo by Tim Barefoot from in a full scale
plane)
(Click image for large PDF version - 2.26
meg)
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Pondtown
Road field in 2004 from Southwest.
(digital photo by Tim Barefoot from in a full scale
plane)
(Click image for large PDF version - 2.73 meg
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| Troy Dermota took me for a ride in his Grumman Trainer
on Sept. 29, 1991 and I managed to shoot some video of the old Rife Road Club field.
I had a hard time keeping the camera steady with the bumpy air and the hard turns
we were doing over the field. But it's still makes a nice little piece of Club
history. -
A.A. |
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Another great way to learn about
YARCC's history is to check out our Club's |
| Newsletter Archive |
Newsletters are interesting little windows with a unique
view into a club's past. Our Club has a rich newsletter history with many dedicated
editors down through the years. Whether you just want to take a trip down Memory
Lane or are interested in how YARCC evolved, you'll enjoy reading about the things that
help make our Club what it is today.
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Here is a known list of YARCC
editors since 1971 in approximate chronological order.
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Donald Arendt - 1971
& 1973
Barry Anderson - 1972
Curvin Eisenhart - 1974
Dick Denues - 1975
Tom Hess - 1975 & 1976
Ken Novin - 1977-1989
Lloyd Williams/George Reisinger - 1990-1992
George Reisinger - 1992
Jim Suter - 1993
Steve Arnold - 1994
Jeff Wagaman - 1994-1999
Dave Heitzenrater - 2000-2003
Alan Alloway - 1993 & 2004-Current
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Adobe Reader required for PDF documents |
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