Pilots keep their feet on the ground
But their thoughts are in the sky. Members of the Tampa Radio Control Aircraft Club fly their remote-controlled model planes in loops, rolls and bull's-eye landings in friendly competition.
By MEGAN VOELLER
Published January 27, 2006
In the sky, a plane struggled against the wind, wavering before slowly moving forward.
"Give it some throttle," someone shouted.
With a burst forward, the plane glided over the runway and landed.
Nearby, a dozen spectators applauded.
During this competition for members of the Tampa Radio Control Aircraft Club, eight pilots flew remote-controlled airplanes that weigh as much as 6 pounds - and zoom more than 100 mph.
The meditative state of flying attracted Scott Kantrowitz, the club's president, to the activity.
"You don't think about anything else in the world," he said. "It's an adrenaline rush."
Kantrowitz, 43, has flown model planes since 2000. When he wanted to become a pilot after college, his wife and father worried about the potential danger. As a compromise, he used a flight simulator and eventually learned to fly remote-controlled planes.
On this windy morning, Kantrowitz was one of the few who navigated the limbo obstacle without difficulty.
Later, another pilot plowed his vehicle into a metal pole, eliciting gasps from the crowd. He ran over to retrieve his plane and returned triumphant.
The yellow body was intact, except for a dent at the base of the wing.
"Incredible," Kantrowitz said with a laugh.
The friendly competition on Jan. 14 consisted of three rounds of maneuver sets that challenged the pilots' abilities to execute aerobatics and landings.
The wind, gusting that morning at more than 20 mph, added an extra element of uncertainty and an increased chance of wrecking a plane.
In the first round, pilots dropped metal washer "bombs" from their planes to hit a target on the runway.
The second round sent planes looping and rolling through the air. Each pilot completed three loops, three rolls and three landings to compete for the best cumulative time.
The third round consisted of a limbo game. Pilots attempted to pass under a plastic ribbon tied between two metal poles as many times as they could in a minute and a half. Then they tried to land on the bull's-eye of a runway target by shutting their engines off as soon as they hit the ground.
With the piercing wind, landing planes were blown right off the runway.
You've got to be good to fly in these conditions, said Vince Cesario Sr., 58. He began flying nearly 32 years ago, when he was the same age his son is now.
At 27, Vince Cesario Jr. has already been flying for 15 years. For most of the morning, he held the lead over the other pilots.
The younger Cesario flew a plane that his father gave him for Christmas. One bright green wing bore the signature of NASCAR driver Bobby Labonte.
His plane ended the day intact, but his father's took a hit on the nose.
The club has been around since the 1950s, though it was known then as the Tampa Bay Trim Tabs, members said. Members flew at a decommissioned Air Force base near Busch Gardens.
Members continued to fly there until 1991, former club president Wayne Smith said. As development encroached on the property, the club asked Hillsborough County's Parks and Recreation Department for help finding a new space. Former Parks and Recreation director Ed Radice led them to the Taylor Road landfill, Smith said.
The Superfund site served as a hazardous waste dump before the Environmental Protection Agency closed it and began a cleanup.
Kantrowitz estimated that members have spent $80,000 to improve the site, including adding the 400-foot runway and a picnic shelter.
Now a peaceful oasis of grassy hills, the site is a place club members are happy to call home. The seclusion allows them to fly without distractions.
The challenge, members said, is finding a place where no one minds the noise of the planes.