AMA Chartered Club #563


The STARS Flying Club is dedicated to promoting the hobby of building and flying radio controlled
model aircraft.  Our members reside in an area within a radius of 40-50 miles of Cuba, NY.
Visitors are welcome to our flying field, which is located near the intersection of Oil Spring Road
south of Cuba Lake and NY Route 446, and to our meetings.

Meetings are held at 7:30pm on the second Wednesday of each month.  Winter meetings are
held in room 124 of the College Center at Jamestown Community College in Olean, NY.
Summer meetings are held at the flying field.

Our goal with this web site is to provide members and fellow enthusiasts with current information
about Club events, member activities and projects, and any other information which might be
useful in making your investment in the hobby safe and personally rewarding.
AMA Awards STARS the
National Aeromodeling Historic Landmark Award
August 28, 2005

AMA Executive Director and District II VP presented the STARS with the highest honor
bestowed by the AMA.  This is only the second time in AMA history that this honor has been
presented.

Today it is difficult to imagine what STARS members Jim Messer, Bill Messer, Bob Dunn, Bob
Brown, Charlie Nellis, Lou Eltscher, and deceased members Ken Koeppel, George Privateer
and George Clapp accomplished.  During the 1970's, they spent several years and many
trials in their development of a flyable 1/4 scale Bristol Scout.  This was a significant task
because there were no kits, engines, wheels, cowls, or propellers for Giant Scale aircraft at
that time.  A total of six Bristol Scouts made up the first squadron of 1/4 scale models shown
anywhere.
The STARS members traveled to numerous flying events in the US and Canada, showing off
their "huge" aircraft and flying in formation.  National fame came when they flew in formation
at the Rhinebeck Jamboree in 1977 and 1978, where they were voted "best of show".

Their Bristol Scouts were featured on the cover of
Radio Control Speed & Sport magazine,
and a construction article was published in
Model Airplane News.  All the RC magazines
featured the STARS and their Bristol Scouts in one way or another, and the idea of building
big rapidly became a worldwide craze.
Excerpted from an article by Gary Fitch, STARS member
Click here to view the full text of article by Gary Fitch, and more pictures
Counter
Visitor #
Webmaster - bob_bush@verizon.net
STARS Flying Field
Our flying field is on Cuba Lake Rd just North of Route 446