Their name: The Balsa Buzzards. Their mission: building model planes, performing loops, spins, dive-bombs, and promoting RC plane flying as a hobby.

At the Southern Wake Aeronautical Model Pilots Society (SWAMPS) field located in Duncan, event coordinator Richard L. Pettit put together the sixth annual Balsa Buzzards club Big Bird Fly-In competition on Saturday June 20, bringing together model airplane enthusiasts from around the area together for the International Miniature Aircraft Association sponsored event.

“It’s a competition, but we don’t actually compete” says Pettit. “What we do out here is more of a social event and learning experience. At the end of the day you can take home something new”.

Pettit, a well-known figure in the RC plane world, is an author and reviewer for RC Report Magazine, and has been flying miniature aircrafts for over 28 years.

“I used to conduct model trains, but when I got into model planes, I found it so much more fun because it adds that third dimension to it.” said Pettit.

However, the SWAMPS field in Duncan is not a public airspace. It takes a trip down a winding gravel road to get to the private property, which is owned by resident Ralph Tutor.

“I bought the property back in 1993, and spent unbelievable amounts of money just trying to clear out some of the land for a field. The flying picked up around 1998, and by 2001 we had our first event.” said Tutor. “I believe what attracts people to the hobby is the incredible amount of focus it takes. You have to 100 percent focus on what you’re doing, because one error can affect the safety of those around you. It’s something where you forget about your work, and everything else around you because you have to stay focused on what you’re doing”.

The event brought several members and other well known Balsa Buzzards together to display their aerial savvy.  Known for their recreation of the WWI-era Sopwith Pup fighter plane, Rick Cawley, Bob Wesley, and Jay Ingle each undertook three month projects to complete their planes, dedicating many hours of design to build them. Known by Buzzard members as “The Puppeteers”, the gang flies together in various formations and patterns, and was the only group to do so at the event. “ We’ve had a few tough missions, but overall it’s a lot of fun. We’ve put somewhere between 100 and 120 hours each in these planes, and its cool to see them up in the air” said Jay Ingle.

The Balsa Buzzards will continue to have more events through the end of the year. Coordinator Pettit feels confident of the club’s foundation.  “ We’re not doing this for the money, we’re doing this because it’s what we like to do” said Pettit. “As long as we’re getting fifteen to twenty planes out here, we do alright” The Buzzards next event is slated for the third weekend in September.