CENTRE WELLINGTON – After retiring in 2017, Gordon Harris returned to a childhood interest and he now wants to share it with youths.
Harris is secretary of the Fergus Model Flyers club, a place where aviation enthusiast come together and share their remote-control (RC) plane flying experiences.
Childhood hobby
“I always liked airplanes even as a kid,” Harris told the Advertiser.
In his youth he would build model airplanes out of balsa wood. His passion also stemmed from his family’s “general” interest in the aviation industry as his father was a private pilot in Guelph.
“I’ve always loved the joy of flying with these little models … when I retired I was looking for more fun hobbies,” he said.
Calling new members
Unfortunately, over the years since its start in 1986, the club’s membership has decreased.
“There’s only 15 [members] right now … we had 20 a couple years ago,” Harris said.
“Some members relocate or move away like our president.”
Past president Andy Smith has helped to keep the club running for several years after founder Don Guthrie, who owned a model airplane hobby shop in Fergus, passed away in 2012.
Harris is hoping to attract young people and women as the club lacks both.
“We’re appealing to the whole Centre Wellington area,” he explained. “There really is a lot of cool technology involved; it’s very educational.”
Harris explained the hobby includes working with radio frequencies, navigation and flying rules – “it’s almost like being a pilot but at a fraction of the cost.”
In the summer the group gets out on “any nice day we want” and flies at a rented farm south of Jones Baseline in Centre Wellington, Harris added.
The field is certified by Transport Canada in order to fly the bigger models with gas engines. Those types can’t be flown indoors due to safety concerns.
“The biggest expenses are mowing the grass, keeping the tractors going and renting the field, so that’s why there is a membership fee,” Harris said.
The cost to become a full member is $100 per year, which allows the participant to fly gas engine planes. The cost to become an associate member is $20 annually. This is geared towards younger people or individuals who only want to fly indoors.
Those flying gas engine models must also join the Model Aeronautics Association of Canada (MAAC), as the association has built a set of rules and guidelines that make the hobby safe.
Once the association approves a member’s application they are covered by a $7.5-million liability policy during their involvement in the hobby.
“The entry barrier is pretty low; there is all sorts of low-cost kits and low-cost foam airplanes that you can buy and they are tremendous fun,” said Harris.
“That is how I started out.”
Starting off
Those interested in joining don’t need to own an RC plane as existing members are willing to share their models and even teach newcomers the ways of the sky.
Club members will typically meet at the Centre Wellington Community Sportsplex in Fergus for meetings, which include general demonstrations and discussions on new model builds.
The aviation enthusiasts also visit places such as the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum or the Juergensen airfield, otherwise known as the Fergus Airport.
Harris’s goal for the new year is to convey to young people how much fun the club can truly be.
For more information or to join the club, email fergusmodelflyers@gmail.com.