Model Airplanes

James Drake is a model guy, of sorts.

The 85-year-old Peters Township man builds model ships, and his basement workshop is filled with replicas of famous wooden tall ships.

His ship-building hobby, which he took up in 2007, takes patience, a steady hand – and a lot of time.

“It usually takes between 600 and 2,000 hours to finish a model,” said Drake, who keeps a detailed log of the time he spends on each model.

Drake’s passion for model building started when he was young.

Growing up in Lincoln Place, near Allegheny County Airport, Drake made model airplanes and tanks, and he built and flew radio control airplanes.

“All of my life, I’ve built models,” said Drake, a tool and die maker who retired from Daugherty Tool Die Inc. in Buena Vista in 1994.

“I’d build anything just to build.”

His first boat kit was Bluenose, a celebrated racing ship and fishing vessel built in Nova Scotia in 1921.

Once he completed it, he decided to continue.

“I think it’s fun to do. I’m sure not everything thinks so,” laughed Drake.

Drake’s tools are stored neatly in

Article source: http://www.observer-reporter.com/20170619/model_of_perfection

TURNERS FALLS — Families looking for unique Father’s Day fun can watch model airplanes swoop and zip across the sky Sunday, or try flying them themselves.

The seventh annual Father’s Day Fun Fly, organized by the Franklin County Radio Control Club, will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Turners Falls Airport.

David Korpiewski, president of the Franklin County Radio Control Club, said the event, which is free to attend, features a model plane and helicopter air show, extreme combat flying, multi-rotor demonstrations, quadcopter racing, hands-on simulators, raffles, food by the Turners Falls Fire Department and a demonstration by national model plane flying champion Dean Lampron.

According to Korpiewski, the event has its roots back in 2011, when the club was looking for a way to raise awareness about the model airplane hobby and “bring to the community a love of aviation.”

“The club had never reached out to the community,” he said.

With only a handful of members helping to organize the inaugural Fly Day, Korpiewski was pleased to see the time and energy put in was worthwhile when, the following week, 14 people signed up as new members.

“It was like the greatest reward of all,” he said.

Fly Day is always purposefully scheduled for Father’s Day. Korpiewski believes the event allows fathers, like himself, a chance to share their interest in model planes.

“A lot of fathers, especially older fathers, had model airplanes growing up, so this is part of their childhood,” he said. “As a father myself, I think fathers

Article source: http://www.recorder.com/For-7th-year-Turners-Falls-hosts-day-of-flying-10762446

Howard Frank Pocono Record Writer @PoconoHFrank

A local model airplane club fears the National Park Service is about to clip its wings.

The superintendent of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreational Area is booting the Roxbury Area model airplane Club and its 60 members from their home field at Hialeah Airpark in Delaware Water Gap.

The club flies remote-controlled planes from the field on weekends and occasionally weekdays. The park service told the club it has to go because of noise complaints from local beaches in the park area.

“Last August we were told they are renewing our permit for the last time and then we would have to leave,” club representative Robert Clark said. Its final day is scheduled for September 30.

The National Park service said it initially intended to close the park in 2016.

“The National Park Service has determined that noise from model airplanes at the Hialeah Airfield has an adverse impact to the visitor experience at several of the most popular recreation sites at the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, including Smithfield Beach, Turtle Beach, the Delaware River, and the historic River Road,” park service Spokeswoman Kathleen Sandt said. “As such, the NPS is closing the Hialeah Airfield once RAMAC’s current permit expires in October.”

Clark said the noise complaints are bogus.

“Half our airplanes are electric,” he said. “We have never been presented with any real data that supports his claim. We can assure you that we are not as noisy as the

Article source: http://www.poconorecord.com/news/20170617/model-airplane-club-grounded-by-park-service