Bill Edwards Memorial FieldHome of the Cronulla Model Aero Club The Bill Edwards Memorial Field is a 22acre (8.9 hectare) leased allotment of public land near Menai in Sydney's south. Originally a raw, exposed, wind-swept area, the club's grounds are now tailored to the sport of aeromodelling. Many improvements have been made over the years (see photo below). The field now boasts a graded airstrip about 220 metres long and about 40 metres wide; shaded pit area with ground coverings to protect models and equipment; a shelter shed that is perfectly shaded now that the plantings have matured and equiped with seating, tables, radio frequency control board and even a kitchen sink! However, a constant fight with vandals and hooligans, whose only entertainment seems to be the destruction of other people's efforts, has necessitated some rather draconian security measures. The airstrip and amenities are surrounded by a moat topped by a steel fence that would be the envy of many military installations - that's structural I-Beam, folks - none of this poncey waterpipe or wire mesh. The structures are mostly steel reinforced to stop being pushed down or broken off. This small inconvenience has ensured that the airstrip is always usable with a minor upside being that the shelter shed and other structures will never wear out! Click the links on the photo below to see the club's facilities. Use your browser's Back button to return here.
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The photo above is CMAC's field taken from a Qantas 707 flightdeck in the late '70s. The twin groove running left to right is Heathcote Rd at the top, and the Army's firebreak below it. The airfield is the triangular clearing at the centre left of the photo, with the airstrip being the cleared strip in the centre of the triangle. In this photo, there are two entrances: one is at the right-hand edge of the strip and the other is some distance further to the right. The current entrance is the one nearest the strip, and the carpark and pit area are at the left edge of the strip toward the tree-line. |
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Text by Webmaster |
