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A buzz in the air

Remote control enthusiasts find their hobby under new scrutiny

By Jim Mount

Fort Wayne Reader

2015-02-19


You've probably read or heard of them in the news a lot over the last few years — unmanned craft flying through the air by way of remote control. Every now and again you'll hear about one crashing, one recently on the White House lawn triggering a lock-down. And maybe you've felt a little anxious about their capabilities or what they may be doing.

They’ve come to be known as “drones,” and just the name itself calls to mind some all-seeing eye in the sky intent on ferreting out any last remaining vestiges of what was once known as personal privacy. Pull up information on drones on the Internet and more than likely you'll pull up information related to surveillance. With the increasing apprehension about the encroachment on privacy, drones — or more accurately, radio controlled devices — have been thrust to the fore of public concern.

To the radio control community, these concerns are overblown, and hampering a fun and worthwhile hobby. If you haven't been around in the past 20 years you would probably think drones are a relatively new product of military surveillance technology, but the truth is that drones have been around for a long time. If you lived in the 70's, you've probably flown one. Just a simple little model airplane controlled by a battery-powered box with an antennae sprouting from it. Like most hobbies, clubs have been built around the remote control model aircraft, where members could share a common enthusiasm for a fun hobby.

One of those lifelong enthusiasts is Scott Gerber. Gerber, 56, a life long resident of Fort Wayne and a two way radio and systems I.T. communications technician for the 911 Call Center, explains that “radio control” encompasses almost all forms of motion like cars, boats, planes, helicopters, multi-rotor, robots and kites. “The ‘radio’ part of the hobby is a work of art, technically speaking,” Gerber says. “It’s common to be controlling six, eight, 10, and sometimes as many as 14 things all at the same time on the device.”

An enthusiast since the 70's, Gerber’s direction in model aircraft tends toward larger craft, what Gerber describes as “giant scale size airplanes consisting of models of wingspans greater than 80" generally.” Gerber continues: “Eight to 10 feet is normal for me. These models use purpose designed and built 2 stroke gasoline powered engines usually with two cylinders and a prop that approaches the length of a yardstick.” Gerber recounts the evolution of radio control technology over the years and how the ability to control the craft has become increasingly refined, “When I first got started in the mid 70's a radio was 4 or 5 controls only and all built with components that could readily and literally be bought at places like Radio Shack,” Gerber says. “By today's standards, however, even the cheapest of options are computer controlled, allowing for an endless combinations of mixing to refine the control of the craft, unheard of 40 years ago.”

As with any hobby, there are different levels of radio controlled aircraft corresponding to the skill level of the handler. Gerber owns what he calls “mid-grade level” radio controlled aircraft but there are more sophisticated and advanced radio controlled aircraft out there, “I personally own a couple radios of a so called mid-grade level.” Gerber says, “We have in the marketplace radios systems with as much as 18 and 28 channel capability used mostly by master modelers specializing in scale recreations of war-bird craft with countless functions, a work of art worthy of all the awards won for their investment. These radio systems utilize a computer controlled transmitter and receiver driving a set of servos on each control surface all independent of each other with reaction times of micro seconds. In most cases the controls can move faster than we can think about it.”

As much fun as it is for Gerber, what really bothers him is the use of the word “drone” and the sinister connotations associated with the word and how this paints the hobby in the media,

“The general public and more so, the mass media has adopted the term ‘Drone’ out of pure ignorance of what a drone really is.” Gerber says, “Unfortunately the negative impact on the hobby is taking a toll on the positive experience that the hobby can produce, by painting modelers and the hobby in a dark light as an insidious and dangerous activity.”

He continues: “In recent months several news reports have made major national headlines of ‘drones’ spotted overhead taking video where it was not welcome, drones falling uncontrollably from the sky causing injury to someone and generally becoming a total nuisance. This public display has drawn an unwanted outcry for government control and regulation. This in turn has started the process of building a literal fence around the general modeler limiting what, how, when and where they can fly their model aircraft whatever the form.”

As with any advancement in technology, a set of problems arises with the innovation, and the remote control community is no exception. Gerber understands that as with anything, individual and isolated abuses can and do occur, but maintains that the “radio control community” should be better understood and not judged in an environment of fear. “The creation of advanced electronics is a double edged sword for the masses, creating a well needed solution to a problem,” Gerber concedes. “However, it lends its self to abuse by others that seek ill-will or a total lack of maturity on their part to understand the price everyone else has to pay for their behavior. By and large the r/c community is a wonderful, peaceful and inventive addition to society. We do not deserve the impact that has been placed upon us by a few rouge individuals that ‘joy ride’ at our expense by placing a video camera equipped mult-rotor aircraft in airspace they have no right to be in and placing people in harms way. The Internet and sites like You tube are full of masterful videographers placing their latest antics in full view with no regards to others safety only for the self gratification of ‘look what I did’.”

Despite the antics of a few, Gerber maintains that the hobby is safe and enjoyable and invites anyone to learn more about the remote control community.

In Fort Wayne you can contact the Flying Circuits at lyingcircuits.org or in Wells County Huntingtoncountymodelers.com

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