Anyone in Kansas with a Tricopter or Quadcopter?

kah00na

Senior Member
I'm looking for anyone in Kansas that has a tricopter or quadcopter. I'd like to see someone else's to see how you have things setup on yours and talk about doing FPV. I've tried it once before but now I'm going to give it a more serious try. I'm also interested in flips and learning anything you know. I've been flying a tricopter for several months and made a few videos about it. I'm not short on people wanting to watch it fly, but it is hard to find others locally that actually own one. Reply to this thread or send me PM if you have one and you're somewhere nearby.
 

Cyberdactyl

Misfit Multirotor Monkey
I would suggest going to a local flying club field on an early Saturday afternoon. Here in Raleigh NC, I too thought I was "the only one" in the region. :p I went to the Dix Flying field and found half a dozen guys flying quads and tricopters. :D
 

FlyingMonkey

Bought Another Trailer
Staff member
Admin
Yeah, but Dix field is a bit of a famous gathering point. ;) I know Diggs from ATTF used to mention it often...

That being said, who knows? It's good advice. Even if no one there flies them, you might find someone at your local club that knows someone that does those crazy multi motor rotor things.
 

Cyberdactyl

Misfit Multirotor Monkey
Mmmm, I think we may be talking about two different places.

Dix is Dorthea Dix Mental Hospital. When the great deinstitutionalisation began in the early 1970's, Dix hospital was one of the largest mental hospitals in the country. It had vast land holdings. One of which was the main hospital grounds. 90% of it was shutdown. A couple buildings remain in use as a general hospital for our state prison system because of the existing security systems.

The flying field is one of the large open areas where patients had their 'fresh air walks'. It's quite impressive. I took a few shots of it months ago and put them on Rcgroups.
 

Johan

Senior Member
LOL,

sounds appropriate: old mental hospital for "those crazy multi motor rotor things".

Maybe it's a pointer about the state it brings us in? :)

Just making fun,
 

FlyingMonkey

Bought Another Trailer
Staff member
Admin
Mmmm, I think we may be talking about two different places.

Dix is Dorthea Dix Mental Hospital. When the great deinstitutionalisation began in the early 1970's, Dix hospital was one of the largest mental hospitals in the country. It had vast land holdings. One of which was the main hospital grounds. 90% of it was shutdown. A couple buildings remain in use as a general hospital for our state prison system because of the existing security systems.

The flying field is one of the large open areas where patients had their 'fresh air walks'. It's quite impressive. I took a few shots of it months ago and put them on Rcgroups.

I'm 99% sure we're not. Diggs, one of the previous hosts and the first co-host of All Things That Fly podcast used to speak of it often. Here's one mention of it in the ATTF thread on RCG.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost.php?p=16324619&postcount=9794
 

Cyberdactyl

Misfit Multirotor Monkey
You're right. I think I've seen that guy out there.

There's a huge club of foamies and smaller scale electric fliers out there every weekend.
 

kah00na

Senior Member
I went down to what is called the "Airplane Circle" here a few weekends ago and there were older guys there flying airplanes in circles attached to cables. They were real friendly until they saw my tricopter and they said, "you need to go fly that up there" and "I've never had any use for RC stuff." They didn't want anything else to do with me at that point. Bunch of dummies.
 

xuzme720

Dedicated foam bender
Mentor
Nice video!

I went down to what is called the "Airplane Circle" here a few weekends ago and there were older guys there flying airplanes in circles attached to cables. They were real friendly until they saw my tricopter and they said, "you need to go fly that up there" and "I've never had any use for RC stuff." They didn't want anything else to do with me at that point. Bunch of dummies.

Wow. the control line group has gotten grumpy lately! Last time I saw a group of the control line guys, they were having a contest at one of the Lockheed Martin plants parking lots in Georgia. Seemed like a friendlier crew though as we talked about R/C as well as control line. Most of the guys did both IIRC as well as some free flight. Not at this contest however, as it was only control line...
 
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MrClean

Well-known member
There's a guy in Gardner, KS south of KC. He's got a couple of nice videos with his TBS discovery machine. Dang I can't think of the name right now.

His username is MidwestRob
 

MidwestRob

Member
Thanks! I sent him a message. Hopefully he replies.

Hey kah00na! I just got your message on YouTube. Sorry that I missed your forum thread when you first posted.

Sure, I'd be glad to meet up sometime to do some flying. I'll send you some contact information in a PM.
 

MrClean

Well-known member
I missed the post and your location in Topeka, my home town. Since 1954 Topeka has a dedicated Control line field in Gage park, dedicated to the Veterans of the Korean and later Korean and Vietnam wars. Until about 5-10 years ago when some rich mans wife decided SHE needed the acre park for a childrens museum and they got moved out of town to a place just north of the Topeka Public Golf course where they were told they'll have to not make much noise because it could bother the golfers AND find someplace to park because you can't block the Fire station and just a whole bunch of other stuff. Now, Topeka ain't doing that great and there are litteraly tons of available space that's not being used. The first inclosed mall in America, White Lakes mall just a mile up the road from where I used to live is half empty and the other half is being used by the state department of human resources. Plenty of open spaces. But instead of using open area it was more prudent for someone to kick those !#@$@!#$ed model airplane out of their park. About 20 years ago they figured they cure two problems with one stone, they started dumping the feces of all the animals from Gage Park Zoo in the woods just to the west of the Control Line Area. It generally wasn't too bad for us thanks to mostly southern/northern winds but it really bothered the Gay gentleman that were using the woods for odd activities. Truthfully I don't think it slowed them down a bit. The Westboro Baptist church actually did more to get rid of the drive up, roll down the window and perform a sex act that was going on in the park, probably the only good thing they've ever done.
So, after being jerked around, had a field that was dedicated for all time taken away from them and then given 'tentative' use of the new facility YES THEY ARE A MIGHT TOUCHY!!!!

Well, some of them anyways. If I still lived in Topeka, I'd still fly control line. RC is fun and I've had a blast. It doesn't compare to having a couple of buddies out in the middle of the circle, bumping and turning and laughing and gritting your teeth and competeing, fighting combat, flying Pattern, landing on a career. You are physically linked to your airplane, your only limitations a mixture of controls and your own physical abilities. Worried about your frequency hopping on 2.4? Not when you're flying lines that are 2-6 inches spaced at your hand.

But to take away your established site after fighting off soccer jerks, Softball folks, Balloon pilots all of which would drive right up on the grass, over the lines, planes and even into active flying circles, IT MAKES YOU TOUCHY.

Normally though they are pretty friendly but there are a couple of curmudgeons as there are at any field. And I know free flighters that think any of us that have active control over flight surfaces are just weak builders.

I just thought a little more of the story might explain things for ya. I loved my years of experience with the Topeka Control Line Association (TOPCLASS) Oh, check out Melvin and Breanda Schutte if you ever get out to the CL NATS at Muncie. They generally run (or used to) the Carrier events and live out just west of town in Auburn.
 

MrClean

Well-known member
The state park video, isn't that over by the old mental hospital or governor's mansion, the place with the clock tower north of I-70 by the river, west side of town WITH the clock tower?

I thought they flew RC up there. When I was a member of Capital City RC we flew down by Forbes, but that closed down and they flew over by Montara and Forbes Golf course, but I think that went away too. Been 20 years since I flew RC there.
 

MrClean

Well-known member
Checked out at least one other of your videos, ya you are flying over on the control line circle there. The little pad behind your bloody wonder video is the center of the grass circle they use for Old Time Stunt, beginner stunt and just generally more forgiving arrivals (one point landings) when someone is there flying control line.

At the old field it used to be posted, but I think it went down with the fence, no fly RC there. Now it IS a park and it IS public but you understand if you lose control of an airplane and it goes over to the golf course or into the fire station and causes damage TOPLCLASS is going to get the blame for it.

It's like riding a RC jacket through a MC's district without permission. All the public sees is a biker even though we know the difference and if there is a local MC, they get the blame for anything going wrong. Best to ride slick back in the more aggressive areas. I only ride to eat and eat to ride, when I did, so belonged to a RC. Now I just commute. If you've been out there multiple times and someone was flying CL, they probably have been a little ruffled with your incursions. It's like hovering over an active landing strip.

Though I contacted Rob back earlier in the year, I haven't made it out to Gardner yet. Busy with a low pay, new job. But if you guys do get a date worked out, drop me a line. I'd like to take a look at your gear and get some FPV notes. I don't fly quads very well but don't have problems with winged flight and I'd like to get a Park flying FPV system. I've been watching Stone Blue Airlines channel on you tube. Just have to save up a bit and make a purchase.
 
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kah00na

Senior Member
The state park video, isn't that over by the old mental hospital or governor's mansion, the place with the clock tower north of I-70 by the river, west side of town WITH the clock tower?.

Yup, that is where I was. I was there with family and just brought my quad along because I wanted to fly in a new location. It was a lot more fun than my street with trees on either side.
 

kah00na

Senior Member
MidwestRob is an amazing FPV pilot! Here he is conquering a pavilion in Celebration Park in Kansas!

 

MidwestRob

Member
It was a lot of fun Travis. We need to do it again sometime soon. Maybe we can get MrClean to join us for flying on our next meetup.

This is the first time I've seen my own FPV flying in a third person view. It looks pretty tame compared to how it felt flying in first person, LOL.

I want to see some footage of your first FPV experience. You did a really nice job for your first time flying FPV.
 
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