Float Flying

There are number of the NMA Club members that join other RC modelers at "Sawyers Pond" in Emmett every Thursday morning when the weather permits flying and the pond is not frozen over. The pond is actually an old gravel pit that the owner turned over to the "Fish and Game Dept." for recreation use which includes float flying. Many times there are fishermen around the edges of the pond and on the piers. However, they normally leave the open water clear for us to take off and land our float planes. The fishermen and other visitors often join us just to watch us fly these unique airplanes and to look at them up close.

Float plane days usually bring out anywhere from 4 to 20 flyers and most flyers bring a couple of airplanes. Besides flying, there is the camaraderie of enjoying each other, the sharing of information and helping one another. It is usually a good idea to have an experience float flyer help you with the first flight as it is a little different then flying off hard runways. All of the flyers are always willing to help one another, particularly in getting airplanes started and carrying them to and from the water. In case an airplane can not make it back to shore there is a small retrieval boat with oars that Richard Robert or Rex Sperry bring on a trailer that is used to row out and retrieve the plane. If the plane is near the shore, Rex has a fishing pole with a cork ball tied on the end of the line that he casts out to retrieve planes. Being an old fly fisherman he is pretty handy with it.

Flyers usually start arriving around 8:00 AM to start flying. Nitro fuel, electric, and gas engine powered airplanes of many different designs exist with pontoons to flying boats. Around noon everyone breaks out their lunch they have brought and sit under pop-up awnings for shade on hot days to tell tales and discuss the days news. Atfter lunch there are usually a few more rounds of flying before people start packing up to go home. Another great day of float flying!!!!