WcFlyers.com
Title
Wine Country Flyers
Description
1997
Club members who have joined since 1995 have often had questions in regards to our flying field. In an effort to answer most of these questions, here is a thumbnail history of the site.
In October of 1989 the club was flying on a farm located on Fulton Rd. A woman who lives nearly a mile away wrote a letter to the Sonoma County Planning Dept. complaining that the noise from our models was making her horses nervous. The Planning Dept. upon having received a formal complaint was obligated to investigate. The results were simple, dramatic, and to some... rather unbelievable. Planning informed us that we could no longer fly at the location as the property is zoned Agricultural and that flying model airplanes was not a proper use of agricultural land! We then asked Planning, "Where can we fly?" We were shown county maps and was told we could use any area zoned Recreational. All we had to do was select the land, locate the owner and work out an agreement to fly on their property. Nothing to it, until you try to work out the logistics and then it can be an impossible task!
Fortunately a retired county official and ex-Navy pilot came to our aid. He suggested we try the Santa Rosa City Public Works Dept. We were given a friendly reception but again were shot down by an environmentalist when he noted that the city owned property was also zoned Agricultural. After all, we would need a parking area and in no way is a parking area the proper use of agricultural land. You get the idea! Land in this area is of premium value as well as primarily agricultural. Finding a legal flying site in Sonoma County is extremely difficult. Again our ex-Navy friend came to our aid. He talked with the head of the County Public Works Dept. who again was receptive. This time the proposed land was zoned Recreational, but it was the closed Healdsburg Landfill and it was still being shut down.
