TOPSHAM

S o, you think you can fly? Actually you can. Electric model airplanes are cheaper than their gas-powered cousins. Even on a fixed income, it is possible to participate in the hobby of flying model airplanes. The advent of electric or battery-operated planes has made it possible.

Foam airplanes are light, cheap to fix or replace and take the same unique and challenging hand-eye coordination to make them fly like real planes. “We fly out here on the snow, too,” said Paul Johnson, vice president of Brunswick Area Modelers.

BAM is a small, but intense group of people who fly “everything but the kitchen sink.” Members range in ages from pre-teen to octogenarians. “If you can get here to the field (in Topsham), you can fly a remote controlled airplane or helicopter. We have members who have to use a walker who have a great time flying,” said Edward “Sandy” Schmidt, club treasurer.

Jim Armstrong, president of the Downeast Soaring Club, who uses BAM’s field off Route 201 on Wednesdays agrees. “Electrical airplanes make a sport that previously perhaps was prohibitively expensive for some people accessible again. It’s much cheaper and quieter.”

Armstrong and member Bob Berry flew The Eagle on a recent Wednesday fly-in at BAM’s field. The Eagle is a “scratch-built, foam, electric plane that looks exactly like a real bald eagle when it is airborne. We’ve had bird strikes and all kinds of people stopping to take pictures when we fly this thing, it really looks real,” Armstrong said.

Moments later, The Eagle fell into a field nose first. “We’ve had planes go down all over the place here. On the other side of those trees is a several 100-acre field. One day we were out there searching for a plane (and) we were gone for about six hours, but we found it,” Armstrong said.

Several members keep glue guns in their vehicles so they can help each other repair broken planes. The energy and feel on the field is one of camaraderie, mutual respect and true enjoyment of a hobby. The Downeast Soaring Club meets at the field in Topsham every Wednesday at 5 p.m. BAM uses it on Thursdays at 9 a.m., weather permitting.

The object, however, is not to crash, but to fly the plane or helicopter, which is where good instruction comes in.

“A good flight is one like that,” said 17-year-old Devin Conners, nodding his head at Schmidt’s whole helicopter. “One where you come back with all the parts still attached.”

Conners, a student at Brunswick High School, has been a BAM member for nearly five years. “I saw this show on the Discovery Channel on RC Jets back in 2003 and that got me into flying (model) planes. But then I got bored with that and then I transitioned into helicopters and that has kept me interested,” he said.

Tim Will helps teach others how to fly and he is an avid builder of foam as well as gaspowered airplanes. He created and built a whole slew of planes dubbed the “Frogs” that several of the members keep in their arsenal in order to sharpen their skills.

“In the beginning you have two remotes that are connected by a cord, which allows the trainer to override the student if (he or she) gets into trouble with the plane,” Will said. Having taught nearly everyone who was present, Will said he wished more people would become interested.

“Unfortunately, some people go out and buy a $200 to $300 kits and build a plane using lots of time and effort. Then on the first flight their kid crashes it into the ground and it breaks apart. And they get discouraged and frustrated, because it’s expensive to fix and it took them a long time to build it in the first place,” Will said. “If they were members of a club like ours, then we would all help out to fix the plane and we would teach the child or adult how to fly properly and have fun doing it.”

Bennet Johns, age 10, just started learning from Will this year. “I used the simulator at home and then I started flying the Frog. When something breaks, the whole team fixes it,” Johns said.

BAM rents the field where the landing strip is located. Recently, their collective fear about losing that privilege has been looming. “We don’t own this field, so we’ve become increasingly concerned about losing it the last few years. H.C. Crooker owns the property. He has mentioned to us that we need to start helping him pay the taxes on it. We’ve approached the town of Topsham several times about having them build a field for us, but they have not been very favorable when it comes to our club,” said Will.

Other members voiced similar concerns, “I mean we always clean up after ourselves, trash and such, and we really don’t make that much noise, so I don’t see why the town won’t be more helpful. Those electric planes are nearly noise-free, so are the gliders,” said Schmidt.

Until they are forced to move or are given another option, the two clubs intend to continue flying all year.

For more information, visit www.bamrc.org.