About

Welcome to the High Sierra Radio Control Club! We invite you to come out to the park, and share in the fun! Talk with our members at the field or contact one of the Officers if you are interested in learning to fly remote control.

There’s lots of information on this web site about our Club, such as meeting dates, schedule of events, informational RC links, as well as applications for joining the club.

A businessman by the name of Monty Whitt of Carson City opened a General Merchandise store here around 1976. For some reason, Monty included in his inventory some model airplane supplies. He stocked some kits, engines, radios and building materials including covering, glue and other model accessories. Monty’s action sparked an interest in some individuals to build and fly radio controlled aircraft and as a by product, form a club.

In 1978 John Hunter, a local high school teacher, started a search for site in order to develop a model flying field. Up to that time, the few active pilots had been flying in various “borrowed” locations like Kings Canyon, Parker Field or any other smooth surface that was relatively clear of sagebrush and rocks, which as you know, is hard to find in rural Nevada.

At this point in time, a club had been formed and regular meetings were held at the high school and also at Dynatech, where Bob Froland worked and finagled a meeting place. Bob Froland was the club’s first accomplished pilot, having been active in the sport before moving to Carson City. Monty Whitt, John Hunter and Bob Froland were really the founding fathers of The High Sierra Radio Control Club. Eventually five more individuals joined the club. They were Jim Stimson, Bill Rose, Dave Dahlke, Jim Reinhart and Warren Peterson.

In 1979 Warren Peterson was elected club President and John Hunter successfully negotiated with BLM for forty acres to be assigned to the club for a model flying field. This is the present site of our Pony Express Model Airpark. The BLM set the lease fee at $100 per year. Someone in the club had some friends in Carson City Public Works Department and through some form of persuasion that probably involved beer, managed to have the sagebrush removed and the field graded. The club members fenced the field area, which is about three acres, erected a storage shed, an out house and various other improvements.

Membership in the club grew to about thirty when a problem developed. The BLM had billed the club $100 the first year or two of the lease, but then they stopped billing. The club offered to pay but BLM kept telling us to wait for the bill. Well finally they sent the bill for the back eight years – $800! The club had about $200 in the treasury and no hope of paying such a bill! I believe that it was Bob Brogan’s idea, but someone pointed out that the BLM would donate land to a city at no cost if the land would be used for a park. We had a pretty nice facility at the time, we kept the weeds out and diligently rolled the runway, especially after a rain. So we had the foundation of what could be a nice asset to the City Park system. A presentation was made to the city and they accepted our “gift” acquired a new park and the club was off the hook for the $800 which BLM withdrew. The club continued to grow slowly with membership between thirty and forty. Although the members continued to spend a lot of time and effort on our facility, the runway would dry out badly during the summer and we found ourselves landing and taking off in about an inch of loose dirt. We needed a hard surface runway!

Two years in a row we applied to the city, since the $30,000 we had estimated for a runway was way beyond anything the club could afford. We applied by filling out the City’s standard request for funds form which put us in a category along with fifty other organizations requesting the same funds. It seemed hopeless. Finally Bob Brogan and Frank Chase got their heads together and decided to make a real, well thought out, persuasive presentation. Bob contacted the AMA, explained what we were trying to accomplish and they responded with all kinds of excellent information we could use in our presentation. We put together about fifty pages of material, presented it to the Carson City Board of Supervisors and convinced enough for a majority! They approved $30,000 and when the time came, the construction was combined with some city street paving and resulted in a cost to the city of a mere $15,000!

The club has grown rapidly since then to its present size of over seventy members. We continue to make improvements to the Pony Express Model Park working jointly with the City. Our new storage/toilet facility was recently completed with city funds and the member’s labor and club funds have constructed new assembly tables and the first of a planned three sunshades.

Update 07/21/07 – Since the above history was written, we now have enclosed the field with fencing, added 2 helicopter pads and a dirt RC car track. But mostly, the Airpark is thoroughly enjoyed by the club members. Many thanks to all those who were instrumental in establishing this field.

Update 06/15/09 – This year some industrious “Car Guys” have improved the RC car track. Lots of time and hard work went into this.

Updated 11/28/09 – Here is some information on Frank Chase, who was Secretary and Newsletter Editor for many years. If you are new to the club, look around and give thanks, because Frank was one of those who contributed to our growth.

Update 10/01/14 – Commander Robert “Bob” C. Brogan, U.S. Navy (Ret.) passed away on June 12, 2014 in Bend, OR; he was a devoted husband, father and career U. S. Naval Aviator. Bob was born in Ventura, CA on July 20, 1929, and was raised in Ojai, CA where he graduated from Nordoff High School in 1947. That fall, he enrolled in the University of California, Berkeley where he majored in Political Science, participated in the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program, and played football and rugby for UC Berkeley. He received his commission as an Ensign in the U. S. Navy in June 1951 and two weeks later found himself aboard the USS SHIELDS (DD 596) patrolling off the coast of Korea during the Korean War.

Bob attended Flight School in Pensacola, FL, and soon after the Korean War received his aviation wings at NAS Corpus Christi, TX, spending the rest of his 22 year naval career as a Naval Aviator. Bob retired from the U.S. Navy on July 1, 1973 and on July 17, 1973 settled in Carson City, Nevada with his family. Bob became the Senior Naval Science Instructor at Carson High School where he started the Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) program. He held that position until October, 1983.

During his 37 years in Carson City, he was an extremely active member of the community, starting and organizing a Youth Wrestling league in 1975, initiating and sponsoring the American Youth Soccer Organization league in 1977, and serving as President of the Pop Warning Football League in 1976. He served a term on the Carson City Board of Supervisors from 1977-1981. Bob initiated the annual Carson City 4th of July parade and organized and directed the annual parade for several years beginning in the Nation’s Bi-Centennial Year 1976. In 1978 he became a member of the Navy League Reno Council and transferred to the Navy League Carson City Council in 1983 at its inception where he was President in 1988 & 1989. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Carson City Airport Authority, worked as a flight instructor, and enjoyed being an avid member of the Carson City Radio Control Model Airplane Club.

Bob was preceded in death by his wife Diane, who passed away in 1985, and his son Marc (Sandy), who passed away in September 2009. He is survived by his sons Lloyd (Sally), Sean (Lani) and Erin (Melissa); daughter Kelle (Kim); 10 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren.

Local Clubs

RaSCaLs – Control Line Flying in Reno

Reno Radio Control Club – RC Flying in Reno

Sierra Silent Soarers – RC Sailplane & Electric Flyers Club

Sierra SageBrush Flyers – RC Flying in Minden/Gardnerville

High Desert RC Club – RC Flying in Fernley

Organizations

ScaleMasters – U.S. Scale Masters Association

AMA – Academy of Model Aeronautics

AMA District 10 – Arizona – California – Guam – Hawaii – Nevada – Utah

SAM – Society of Antique Modelers

IMAC – International Miniature Aerobatic Club

NMPRA – National Miniature Pylon Racing Association

USRA – Unlimited Scale Racing Association

NSRCA – National Society of Radio Controlled Aerobatics

IRCHA – International Radio Controlled Helicopter Association

JPO – Jet Pilot’s Organization

Directions: From Carson City take Hwy 50 east. As you leave Carson City, Hwy 50 goes uphill. As you approach the top of the hill, pay careful attention to the sign on your right indicating the turn off to the Carson City Landfill. Take this road, Flint Drive, less than 1/4 mile, turn left onto Eastgate Siding Road then turn right on Radio Control Road directly to the flying field.