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Club History
Since then, the club's field has been enlarged three times. It originally started with what would be considered a very small 220' wide x 260' deep field. Our size at the present time is around 700' wide x 400' deep, and it's a great place to call home if you're an avid flyer. Many great events have happened over the years, but none as exciting as Thistledown Flyers' involvement in 1980 with the creation of the AMA's largest special interest group, the International Miniature Aircraft Association (IMAA). The club was chartered as Chapter 2 of the IMAA. Thistledown Flyers is open to all types of flying, not just big airplanes. From rubber powered on up, .049, rocketry, control line, gliders or kites—anything a person wants that is in the model aviation hobby—are all welcome at our field. Thistledown Flyers has put on many AMA sanctioned events from 1973 to the present time. For more than two decades we put on our show, the IMAA Chapter 2 Thistledown Flyers Big Fly-in, each year in early September. Thistledown Flyers is one of the oldest clubs in northwest Ohio to remain in the same location throughout its existence. The community has been supportive of the Thistledown Flyers and recognizes us as a learning facility for young & old alike. We do our best to remain very community minded. Over the past few years the club has grown significantly and generally maintains 30 - 50 members.
Web site by DeTray Associates
 www.DeTray.com |
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The Thistledown Flyers came into being thanks primarily to a gentleman named Julian Heitman, Jr. (known as Corky to his family, friends and colleagues). Corky had been flying models since the early 1950's and around 1968, with the advent of proportional radio, found there was a need for people to have a place to fly. He decided that Thistledown Farms, his family's farm in Napoleon, Ohio, would be an ideal location. The club was chartered as Chapter 813 of the AMA in May of 1973.