Our Club, Facilities, Flying and Events
Our Field
We operate a primary flying site located north of the Village of New Minas. Our members are involved in all aspects of remote modeling including power, gliders, and helicopters. We fly from three different sites over the course of a year.
Outdoor Flying
Radio Controlled RC flying has evolved dramatically over the last ten years with the advent of 2.4 GHZ radios and electric systems more powerful and reliable than gas and glow engines. Our field is the focus of club activity during the summer and fall flying seasons. You will find information below and across this site on our activity and members.
Indoor Flying
The end of the outdoor flying season at our field does not stop our members from flying, Join us at the Credit Union Complex in Kentvile every Wednesday through the winter from 1 to 4 p.m for indoor flying.
Our Primary Field
We are located north of New Minas, Nova Scotia, on the Wellington Dyke. Our facilities include our main building, solar station, flight prep benches, and parking areas. We operate two Runways. Our north/south runway is over 400 feet long. The east west is approx 350 feet long.
Our location - Exit 12 from the 101 in the Annapolis valley – Go straight North- Pass through three sets of lights, the last after a long up hill climb across the river. Keep going until you hit the stop sign at church street - Keep going 500 meters past the stop sign - dirt road on right. View on Google maps.
Outdoor Flying
Sunday mornings and afternoons are a good drop in time for the general public to spur interest in the hobby and club. We had requests from members and public for a common evening as well for getting out to fly through the week. So we also try to get out as a group on Wednesday evenings. This gives us an additional time to tell those who are interested in RC to come out and, more importantly for a chance for members to get together through the week at the same time. So, if you have only one chance to get out in the evening through the week and like to fly with others please schedule your Wednesday evenings as club flight night. Flying is weather dependent - contact one of our exec team members to confirm we will be there.
Indoor Flying
When it gets cold and the wind starts to blow we move indoors. Generally in October and through to the end of March you will find us every Wednesday afternoon from 1-4 pm at the Credit Union Complex in Kentville, Nova Scotia. The space provided is considered one of the best for indoor flying in the province. RC pilots from different parts of the province come to enjoy the flying experience provide by the huge facility and the camaraderie of their fellow aviators. The indoor season comes to a close with the Valley Gathering at the end of March.
The Valley Gathering - Event
The Valley Gathering is the only large scale indoor event held in the maritimes. For more then ten years flyers from three provinces decend on kentville to enjoy a full day of indoor flying. The Valley Gathering is held annually at the end of March in the Credit Union Rec Center, Kentville, Nova Scotia.
Oktoberfest - Event
Our main event of the year is the Oktoberfest Fun-fly. Is the last major fun-fly in the Atlantic Model Aeronautics Association Zone at the beginning of October. We are joined by members of other Club in the maritimes in a day of fellowship, good food, and flying. Meals are usually served. Check the MAAC Events calendar for dates and times.
Helis on Ice - Event
Helis (and other flying Machines on Ice) is held on Kill Dog Cove on Sherbrooke Lake, Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia. Typically in the middle, or end of, February. It is a chance to freeze your fingers, enjoy the company of your fellow RC aviators, fly on skis/snow/ice, and enjoy a meal of Chili and Pulled Pork. The event is hosted by Jeremy and Christie Dann annually at their cottage. It’s scheduled date is very weather and ice surface dependent. In recent years full scale aviators have also flown in to enjoy the company of fellow aviators.
Solar Station And Remote Cameras
The Solar Station project was launched originally in recognition of the need to charge batteries that were becoming more and more common after 2010. We went live with the station in 2014. Its capacity and features have grown significantly since we installed it. It provides both 12 volt DC and 120 volt AC and supports two cameras and a telecommunication link provided by Cross Country Cable. It has survived a hurricane and a tropical storm and a major collision with a farm tractor (a hazard on the dyke).
A look back - 2014 - The members of the Wings of Wellington were discussing the idea of a Solar system for more than a year before making the final decision to proceed. The budget was set – including the structure and tax at $1500. We came in well under that. The actual build and installation process, including collecting and buying materials took about three months. Everything was built and assembled offsite and then moved to the field and largely put together in a single evening. The system is generating up to 20 amps at 13.5 volts and is charging 2 x 120 Amp hour batteries. The batteries when charged have a capacity of approx. 3000 watts and the three panels replenish them on a reasonably sunny day with about 1200 – 1400 watts in 8-10 hours.
The project has been a major undertaking for the club. It was a great experience and we had almost our entire membership chipping in to help in construction and assembly. They are a great team. We have a complete how-to type article (click on the link below). Many thanks to all the members of the club who did an outstanding job with this, to Mike boulanger for turning our ideas into actual plans, and Dave Porter for the battery donation! Cheers Jeremy Dann
PDF Download
Going SolarOur History
Spring 1991
Allister Lance helped Gordon and Jeremy scour the dyke for five weeks before they stumbled across George Woodworth and the spot the club now calls home. Two meetings later and they had the field layout complete and parking areas established. They had found a home.
Building a Field
The last weeks of spring and into summer were spent mowing and rolling. The ground on the dykes hardens quickly when the sun hits it so the day before a rented “super roller” showed up, Mike Evans arranged to have the Canning Fire Department pumper truck come to the field to give it a good soaking.
Airborne
The honor of the first flight off the new field fell to Jeremy Dann – mainly because he was the first to get his engine running! He still has that old Super-Coup around today.
Turbulance
However, it was smooth flying for just a short period of time because in August of 1991 a bit of trouble was on the horizon. In spite of a thorough effort to canvass the area before locating on the dyke some objections were lodged concerning the possible 'unauthorized use of dyke land'. This all lead to public hearings on the matter before the County of Kings but thanks to a large, well-organized contingent of RCers accompanied by the then-President of the Model Aeronautics Association of Canada, local supporters, and land owners the club received permission to use the field.
The Original Gang
Left to right - Jeff Lantz, Gordon Thomson, David State Taylor, Allister Lantz, John Blanchard, Jeremy Dann, Mike Evans, Tom Easson, and Raymond Gates (in the wheel barrow)
Becoming a Member
Our Members
The club has a fairly steady membership at approx thirty pilots. We add a few every year and others move on to other hobbies or phases of life. Membership in the club is a privilege. We expect our members to help maintain the field and to participate in club activities and meetings which we work to ensure are fun and interesting.
What does it cost?
As of 2020 our annual dues is $80 and you have to belong to the Model Aeronautics Association of Canada (MAAC) which is approximately the same cost as our dues annually.
Who do I contact to Join or get further information?
Our Membership Chairman is Shane Morse. Send him an email by clicking on his name for more information. Or just come on out to the field on a nice Wednesday evening or during the day on Sunday and chat with whoever you meet there.
Field Rules and Bylaws
Safe Flying - Field Rules
To ensure the safety of our members and participants and the smooth running of our field we have established field rules. You can read these rules which are downloadable below. They are also posted at our field. New or guest flyers should be aware of them before flying at our field. The Field Director is the person delegated to ensure these are followed.
Bylaws, We Are Incorporated
The club has operated as an Incorporated body for more than two decades. Our Bylaws attached below define our clubs organization and operation.
We are a MAAC sanctioned club
Our club is registered with and insured through the Model Aeronautics Association of Canada (MAAC). Anyone who wishes to fly, must have an active MAAC membership and be prepared to produce proof of said membership upon request of any other member and must have an approved instructor present to fly unless he/she is a qualified flyer as deemed by an approved instructor. Flyers must obey all the rules and regulations of the Wings of Wellington and the MAAC Safety Code.
Contacts
The Executive
Here you will find a list of our Executive members. These elected representatives of the Club devote a lot of their time and efforts in the smooth running of all facets of our Club.
Our Executive Team
President: Shane Morse
Vice President: Jill MacDonald
Treasurer: John Weir
Secretary: Dave Ritcey
Field Director: Brent Patterson
Membership Chairman: Shane Morse
Activities Coordinator: Daniel Spencer
