RC Club Faces Uncertain Future After Losing Airfield of 30 Years

For the past 30 years the club has operated from a purposefully constructed runway at Flaming Geyser State Park east of Auburn, Washington. Recently Washington State Parks notified the club that the memorandum of understanding (MOU) permitting its operations in the park would not be renewed. That means as of March 17, 2025, the field is closed.

According to a Washington State Parks spokesperson, the decision to not renew the MOU was based on "ongoing safety concerns."

"Since 2018, we have had eight self-reported flying violations as well as an incident report in 2022 where a member of the club verbally threatened and flew their RC helicopter at a park visitor and her dog. Of the self-reported flying violations, six have occurred in 2024," the spokesperson said. "The self-reported violations include crash landings on neighbor properties and tree collisions and/or entrapments (the plane remained stuck in the tree) along the park’s trail system, which is frequented by other park visitors. Additionally, on November 15, 2023, the area manager met with the club’s president to discuss impacts to wildlife after personally witnessing plane interference with four bald eagles flying in the airfield."

Damian Floth, president of Flaming Geyser Flyers, told FLYING that the club has a culture of safety and courtesy.

In the 2022 incident, two women, one walking her dog, climbed over a fence to walk across the RC runway while a RC helicopter was flying, he said.

"The guy flying the helicopter was doing some extreme flying and tricky maneuvers," Floth said. "He told them it was not safe for them to be there. It became verbal and it escalated. The club closed for three weeks while there was an investigation into the incident." 

Following the incident, the pilot of the RC helicopter was removed from the organization, Floth added. 

In 2023, terms of the RC club's MOU outline operations at the park were updated: "The association will ensure that all members strictly adhere to all safety rules, flight rules, incident reporting, and plane retrieval considerations as agreed. Members will be polite and considerate to other park visitors and private residences along the park boundaries. Violations of these requirements will result in the immediate closure of the field.”

In addition to safety concerns, Floth said there is a park reclamation project spearheaded by the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and appears to be in conflict with the RC club. As part of the project, hundreds of tree saplings have been planted 150 feet into the left side of the RC club fly zone. While trees and RC aircraft do not mix, the trees are intended to help keep the area cooler, which will benefit the salmon habitat that the state is trying to restore, he said.

The club is actively looking for a new place to fly. According to Floth there have been discussions with local farmers and city officials to find a new space, and they have enlisted the help of the Academy of Model Aeronautics, which has resources to help RC clubs find places to fly.

"It's disheartening as club members are basically park volunteers and do their part to protect and improve the space by picking up trash and ensuring the restrooms and picnic tables are in good order," Floth said. "In 30 years we figure we've had 2,300 fliers come through the club and have had thousands of flight hours with very few incidents. Keep in mind these are battery powered aircraft with a flight time of five to 10 minutes."

The next steps will determine the club's future, he added.

"If we cannot find someplace we will have to dissolve," Floth said. "Our intention is to find another place. We are very passionate about RC flying and finding a place. We're still going to be looking."