Flights Have Been Banned From Park Where Clubs Had Flown For 20 Years

A neighborhood association has come to the defense of RC aircraft enthusiasts who had been flying their airplanes at Arroyo del Oso Park in Albuquerque, NM for 20 years but who were recently told that they could no longer use the park for that purpose by the city.

The boundaries of the neighborhood association include the park, and the group circulated a petition after a unanimous vote by the association supporting the RC pilots. The Albuquerque Journal reports that the petition was delivered to city Parks and Recreation director Barbara Taylor, City Councilor Brad Winter, whose district includes Arroyo del Oso, and Mayor Richard Berry asking that the prohibition against flying in the park be lifted.

The ban apparently was imposed without any input from the surrounding community, however a city ordinance does prohibit the operation of RC aircraft in most city parks, according to Winter, due to "safety concerns. But Winter also told the paper that the activity could be reinstated. He has scheduled a meeting with the Parks and Recreation department as well as representatives from the several neighborhood associations which use the park, and members of the two flying clubs who had regularly flown there.

Winter did say that a "policy amendment" would have to be approved by the City Council to allow the activity.

The clubs had used the park under an agreement with the previous mayor.

Deputy Parks and Recreation director Keith Reed told the paper that the ban was put in place because of an increase in model aircraft activity, as well as in increase in general usage of the park, which made it "dangerous."

The president of Duke City Electric Flyers, Greg Rullman, requested copies of all the complaints made concerning electric model aircraft over the past year. The only one that was provided was from a person who called the pilots "obnoxious, irresponsible old jerks" who "buzz maintenance men on the roofs of nearby homes" and "crash planes all over the park at the feet of people walking dogs, women pushing strollers, joggers," and others.

But Barb Turiciano, secretary of the neighborhood association, said she has never seen an RC aircraft leave the boundaries of the park, and they never interfere with soccer games or other activities. She added that trees at the north end of the park would make buzzing nearby homes nearly impossible.

(Image from file)

FMI: www.cabq.gov/council