BARNESVILLE - The sky may not have been ideal for flying Sunday morning but members of the Tuscarora Remote Control Flying Club were still able to get their planes off the ground and show off some aerial maneuvers at their annual Aerorama show at the club headquarters just outside Tuscarora State Park.
There was also food, refreshments, music, a drawing for a model plane flight simulator and a remote control monster truck to go along with the aerial show. All proceeds supported the club.
"Despite the weather, we had a nice turnout with our members and we had some guests from other clubs in the area," Jim Dunn, club president, said Sunday afternoon. "For the most part, it's been a good show."
Dunn said people just love to watch airplanes fly. "It's not for everyone to fly but everyone loves to watch the planes in the sky," Dunn said. "I come up here to fly and I just forget about everything else. It's something I can control. Everyone does it for different reasons, it's an outlet."
While some flyers preferred not to take off in the rain, George Moyer, Fountain Springs, was able to fly his red Kadet about five times before noon.
"I saw the weather this morning and figured I would bring something to have fun with," Moyer said. "This is my perfect airplane. I can slow it down to a walk and fly it backwards.
Moyer, who recently celebrated his 80th birthday, said he has been building and flying planes since he was a kid. The Kadet is one of his oldest models.
"I have a thing for airplanes, I just like them," Moyer said. "I like to see them fly and land. There's just something about them."
Moyer said controlling an R/C plane actually isn't much different than piloting a real one. In fact, Moyer said several years ago, his family took him to the Schuylkill County/Joe Zerbey Airport to pilot a plane for the first time.
"It's exactly how a real plane works," Moyer said. "If you can handle an R/C, you can handle a real plane. That was the thrill of my life. I never thought I would do that. I actually think it's easier to fly than an R/C."
Cullen Dixon said he was only able to get his plane in the air once before having issues with the tail and engine.
"Maybe I should have adjusted the engine more," Dixon said.
Dixon, Facebook coordinator for the club, said he hasn't had much time with sports this summer to get the plane out of storage.
"I'm actually not sure what kind of plane it is. I just call it the biplane and that's what everyone knows it as," Dixon said.
The black biplane has two main wings stacked one above the other and has orange and yellow stripes.
It's one of a few biplanes in the club and Dixon's favorite of the two he flies. He said he is still building about five more.
"I didn't build it but I'm only the second person to fly it," Dixon said.
He said he got it from a family friends in Kentucky who built it.
"It offers me a lot more aerobatic ability," Dixon said.
Dixon, one of the club's youngest members at 16, said the hobby is a great learning experience for people of all ages.
"There are scholarship opportunities from learning all the different skills you need to build and fly planes, like engineering, woodwork and physics," Dixon said.
One of the most unique planes at Aerorama on Sunday was not a plane at all. Walt Basiago, club treasurer, brought a green sportscar that was actually an R/C plane. The plane didn't have any wings but was still able to perform some of the most exciting aerial stunts of the day.
"It's just a novelty item," Basiago said. "It flies real nice once it gets off the ground. It's fun."
Basiago said he has been flying R/C planes for about 30 years. He also has one that looks like a lawn mower and another that's a witch on a broom.
"It's good to get people out of the house and away from the computers," Basiago said. "You can actually learn to do stuff with your hands and it gives you a sense of accomplishment. The expense is down today and it's affordable to fly. It's a good hobby, a great hobby. It's just a fun hobby."
Model plane kits are available online and at local hobby shops but Basiago said the best way to learn is from people with experience.
"The best thing to do is to come to a club, meet people who know the hobby and they can help you out. It's a real good way to learn how to fly," he said.
For more information about the club, visit www.tuscarorarcflyingclub.com or find the group on Facebook.