Kansas City, MO Area Question for KCRC

[crash bandicoot]

I live in the KC area, and I currently fly in parks (city parks without rules regarding r/c craft), and on some private land. Anyway, I know there is an R/C field in the Blue Valley Greenway. I know according to the park's website, that you must be a member of the AMA, which I plan to join for the insurance, and then you must join the Jackson County Parks and Rec. Anyway, after that can you fly, or do you also have to join KCRC.
I am mostly just curious. I plan on checking out the field sometime just to see how big it is, I am starting to fly some DLGs, EDF jets and other larger foamies and would like some space to fly them. If the park is nice and the people are nice I don't see any problem in joining. But if I have to join KCRC I'm not sure. It just seems like a lot of cost to join the AMA ($60), the Jackson County Parks & Rec ($25), and then possibly KCRC, which is ($30).

I'm sure the club is nice, and I don't mean knock it at all, I was just wondering if I can fly at the park with just my AMA and county registrations. I of course would follow all AMA and park specific rules.

 

[themajik1]

Crash,

I cannot speak for KCRC, but I am pretty sure you will have to join to fly unless you are invited by a member to fly there and you will only be able to do that a couple of times before they ask you to join. They also have fly-ins certain times of the year where you pay a pilot fee only as long as you have your AMA card.

I am sure its more travel for you, but there are 3 clubs north... Northern Knights, SunChasers, and my club, Smithville Dambusters. Not sure what the dues are at the other clubs, but Smithville has dues of $55.00 and your AMA number. We are a good bunch, not heavy with members and we don't have any other fees.

Check out the others, as I know SunChasers don't have extra fees either, but don't know their dues. Northern Knights may have some park fees but not sure.

Good luck finding something you want, I hope you will give us a shot we are a fun bunch of guys!

Mike

 

[xuzme720]

I live in the KC area, and I currently fly in parks (city parks without rules regarding r/c craft), and on some private land. Anyway, I know there is an R/C field in the Blue Valley Greenway. I know according to the park's website, that you must be a member of the AMA, which I plan to join for the insurance, and then you must join the Jackson County Parks and Rec. Anyway, after that can you fly, or do you also have to join KCRC.
I am mostly just curious. I plan on checking out the field sometime just to see how big it is, I am starting to fly some DLGs, EDF jets and other larger foamies and would like some space to fly them. If the park is nice and the people are nice I don't see any problem in joining. But if I have to join KCRC I'm not sure. It just seems like a lot of cost to join the AMA ($60), the Jackson County Parks & Rec ($25), and then possibly KCRC, which is ($30).

I'm sure the club is nice, and I don't mean knock it at all, I was just wondering if I can fly at the park with just my AMA and county registrations. I of course would follow all AMA and park specific rules.

That sounds like a bargain! My area clubs are in the $120-150 range to join! That is club membership and doesn't include AMA...

 

[crash bandicoot]

Thanks for the help themajik1! I joined the AMA yesterday, the insurance will be nice and also I need it for Flite Fest 2014. We'll see about joining a local club. I am going to check out the Blue Valley Parkway field next week. But for now the park down the street will be my field.

You club sound really nice, I might have to check it out sometime!

 

[themajik1]

Thanks for the help themajik1! I joined the AMA yesterday, the insurance will be nice and also I need it for Flite Fest 2014. We'll see about joining a local club. I am going to check out the Blue Valley Parkway field next week. But for now the park down the street will be my field.

You club sound really nice, I might have to check it out sometime!

Well, we try to make it fun, that is what its all about. Mostly middle age and older guys, but not as strict as some of the clubs around KC. I looked long and hard before I found what I wanted out of a club. Mostly the same few flying every chance we can get, but we are starting a combat fly every other weekend once the weather starts cooperating a little more.

You going to FliteFest are you? I am going to try and get there, would like to meet everyone I have seen on the forums and of course the Flite Test crew.

Should be a great time!

Good luck with finding a club you want to belong to!

 

[crash bandicoot]

Oh, to anyone who reads this later, the Blue Valley Parkway field in KC is helicopters only. It's a nice large field, and there were even some pilots there when I went to check it out, but they had some pretty intimidating signs telling me to stay out since I didn't have a permit. I am interested to go meet the Dambusters hopefully soon though!

 

[themajik1]

Crash, I sent you a message give me a call and let's see if we can meet up... Would be happy to take you up to our club.

 

[MrClean]

Northern Knights meeting is tomorrow night at the field. I-435 and 96th st, go East on 96th a little under a mile on your right (south), if you hit the roundabout You've missed it. Go around, back to the soccer field and try again. It's the next right turn.
Club dues are 35 a year, 5 dollars to buy a key. You must be an AMA member to fly but past that it is an open KCMO park, obey AMA safety rules. You only need be a member to have a key to open the gate. If the gates open you can fly.

Sunchasers, continue on I-435 north around the bend towards KCI. Get off at Woodland avenue. club field is on the SouthEast side of that junction. Must be a member or a guest to fly. Forget the dues. You have the info to get to dambusters already. Interesting field to fly on. You fly on top of the hill, you can actually stand above the flight path of your airplane, I used that bunches flying combat once upon a time.

I don't know what the membership is like at Sunchasers anymore, it's been quite a while since I flew there, was a member there, was newsletter editor all three, a long time. But they're all fun to fly at. There's a float fly coming up at Elkhorn sponsored by the Knights and there should be one coming up by Dambusters as well.

I got the park permit once down at KCRC but never could get back down to fly PLUS you had to register your aircraft at the rangers station as just north of the field there was a lawyer who's soul purpose in life was to complain about and try to get the club shut down. Last I heard He had died but his lawyer son assumed his father's goal. Looked like a nice field but its just catycorner to me up here in Parkville.

Best suggestion is to move up to Liberty or just a tad north and have 3 excellant KC clubs and a couple others just north to fly at. Leave the mess of the Grandview Triangle to those fools that like to park on south 435 so much.

 

[Winglet]

I'm a very lonely club of 1 member. (Me) I fly about 3 miles east of Hillsdale Kansas on our property behind my home. My field is mostly wide open grass and sets adjacent to a 6 acre lake. Much of my flying takes place over the lake. I try to crash on the ground. The field is mowed but it is usually a little long for ROG unless it is winter. Other Flitetest fanatics in the area are invited to join me for some foam flying fun. I mostly fly my Blunt nose Versa Wing. The area is interesting geographically and would lend itself well to FPV which is my ultimate goal.

We have no rules, fees or published traffic patterns. No AMA unless you want it. Heck, we don't even have a name. It would be nice to get together with other Flitetest fans to fly and learn form each other. PM me if interested. Will try to set up some times if I get some interest.

Mike

 

[MrClean]

There is a club over by the lake isn't there? with 2.4 you don't have to worry about being walked over like we did with 72mhz but you wouldn't have to fly alone though you would need AMA and pay club dues. I've flown combat there before albeit before 2002.

 

[Winglet]

There is a club over at the lake. Found them and joined. RC Barnstormers. Great guys! My new home.

 

[MrClean]

I remember the signs and directions. Thought there was a park defined boundry they had to commit too and those big scaley jobs really like it when everyone is flying in the right pattern. Lotta work to lose to a midair. I think they also like one up flying.

Which really surprised me that we were flying combat there.

 

[pelotron]

Hey guys! Sorry to resurrect this thread but I moved to the KC area last year and am looking for a good place to fly and people to fly with. I've visited the websites of most of the big area clubs and was looking for signs of any of them being particularly multi-rotor friendly but they all looked to be focused more on scale model flying (cool stuff!). My hangar has two aircraft - both of them hand-built Windestal style tricopters. Are there clubs in the area that have a population of multi-rotor pilots? Not that I wouldn't join a plane-focused club; I intend to build some foamies at some point in the future. But this is just the direction I've been going in the hobby for the last 2 years.

I'm also finally getting an FPV setup in a couple weeks and my dream is to find some people interested in FPV racing. But I'd like to get to know the local community first!

 

[themajik1]

Where in KC are you located pelotron? I have a couple of multi's and going to be putting together a 250 size soon. Let me know, I am a member of Smithville Dambusters!

Mike

 

[pelotron]

I'm near 81st and Switzer.

 

[MrClean]

Wow, so you want to join the shawnee mission club out at shawnee mission park. I don't do south of I-70 but have been member with Smithville Dambusters, Sunflyers at 435 and woodlawn and currently and always Northern Knights (1 mile east of 435 and n 96th street).

If you ever end up North of the river someday that looks like a flying day, nights will let you fly if you're an AMA member and there is someone there to open the gate (Most the time, combat on Friday nights, weekends). Don't have to be a member but do have to be to have a gate key. That's just to verify the AMA insurance that the city of KCMO requires us to have.

 

[pelotron]

That's something else I need to learn about - the legalities. I haven't flown at all in KC except to hover my new tri build behind my apartment building a little bit. I figured an AMA license was a must. What are the rules for local parks? Are there fly / no-fly zones?

 

[crash bandicoot]

Just to let pelotron know. I have my AMA, and I joined the Jackson County MO fields for $25.
It's a public field, but everyone has their AMA. I had to do this to fly any of my bigger planes because of the stupid FAA rules. I live within 5 miles of Lee's Summit Airport.

They have a field at Lake Jocomo and one south of Longview Lake. The Jocomo one is pretty popular, but the Longview one is relatively sparse from what I have heard.

 

[jtuttle11]

I'm near 81st and Switzer.

Good Lord, You're only about 10 blocks from My stepson. Have you tried the Shawnee Mission RC club? They have a GREAT field.