THE OHIO RADIO KONTROL SOCIETY R/C Club, Inc. (TORKS) was formed in the early 1980's by a group of men who were flying radio-controlled model airplanes in western Franklin County.
In 1972 Lew Atkinson made arrangements with Richard Kuhlwein to use 3.75 acres of farm land on Alton-Darby Road. Lew and his son, Ted, were the only ones using the site at that time.
When the burden of field upkeep and the loneliness of flying alone overcame them, Lew approached TORKS. At that time, TORKS moved to the location on Alton-Darby Road. In honor of Lew's contributions to the club the flying site was dedicated as "The Lew Atkinson Memorial Field" in 1990.
In 1985, the membership voted to become a Chapter of the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA ). The reasons for this are the fostering of the hobby, representation before governmental entities and the insurance coverage that AMA provides the club and the land owner. TORKS holds AMA charter number 2172. Membership in the AMA helps the club pursue its constitutional mandate to promote the hobby of model aviation and put on public events such as the Heart of Ohio Jet Scramble. .
TORKS also sponsors the International Miniature Aircraft Association (IMAA) Chapter 625. Some, but not all, members belong to IMAA also. Meets involving IMAA members will be scheduled in the future.
In 1986, the TORKS R/C CLUB applied for and received non-profit status from the IRS and is therefor obligated to actively pursue the goals stated in the Constitution..
In 1996 the name "The Ohio Radio Kontrol Society" and " TORKS " were both registered with the Ohio Secretary of State.
A Memorial Plaque which contains the names of deceased members is maintained in a prominent place in the club house at the model airport.
As of February 2005, the TORKS roster contained nearly 100 members.
TORKS’ ACTIVITIES
TORKS sponsors several R/C events throughout the year, but not all events are held annually. Our famous FIRST FUN-FLY is always held on January 1 st regardless of weather conditions. A Swing-Into-Spring Fun Fly takes place in the spring at which time we clean up the field, fly some and eat a lot.
A FAMILY DAY is held in September at which time all family members are invited to the model airport for friendly conversation, flying and more eating. A CHALLENGE EVENT with another local club is held sometime during the summer and several fun fly events for members only, are held throughout the summer. In 1997 a lake was found at which we held a FLOAT FLY for members only.
The HEART OF OHIO JET SCRAMBLE is held in late August, and this is our major fund raising event. Jet model pilots from all over the United States congregate at one of the top three jet events in the country. Most years we have pilots from outside the U.S. participating, coming from places like England, Europe, the Phillipines, and South America. While there is no formal competition, awards are given for such categories as best of show, best finish, best twin, best markings & graphics, best craftsmanship, outstanding flight, best scale (no documentation required), and "hardest landing". The Jet Scramble is always held the weekend before Labor Day weekend.
TORKS also conducts model airplane flying demonstrations at various places around Central Ohio, such as at Buckeye Ranch, Brown Elementary School, Scioto-Darby Elementary School, etc.
TORKS hosts an indoor electric fly, open to the public (AMA required to fly) during the winter months.
THE TORKS MODEL AIRPORT
Two events drove TORKS to develop a new flying site. With the expansion of Hilliard toward the south and west, and the construction of a house just 100 yards to the east, the long term life of the Alton-Darby site for model airplane activities became doubtful. With the advent of jet models and high performance pattern ships, the need for more space was apparent.
In 1995 a search committee was named and they began the Field of Dreams field search. After scouring most of Franklin, Madison and Union counties they discovered an ideal site on the grounds of the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) on Young Road south of Grove City. A twenty year lease was signed in 1996 and in the summer of 1997 ground was broken for a new field at that location. This premier flying site included, a 70 x 1000 foot asphalt runway, 100 x 700 foot grass runway, a dedicated helicpoter flying area, a garage with covered patio, and plenty of parking. The location of the Field of Dreams made it ideal for flying aircraft of all sizes and types, including large-scale airplanes and turbine jets.
In the Spring of 2011, SWACO took back the Field of Dreams site so that they could develop a recycling plant . The club chose to move its model airport to the available Deer Creek State Park to the South of Mt. Sterling. In addition to paved and grass runways, this site also afforded the members to fly float planes as well. Flying activities began in the Winter of 2012 at Deer Creek State Park.
