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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The buzz of propellers and motors filled the Multiplex DND gym on Feb. 7 as mini helicopters and planes whizzed through the air.

A group of Yellowknifers are attempting to make the biweekly Thursday night meeting a scheduled event, where owners of remote control hobby-grade models can perfect their skills and have fun.

Gord Stephenson said, in the summer months, Yellowknifers with models can head out to the Sand Pits or fields and let their small aircraft fly freely. But in the winter, sometimes small confines of a house or condo don't cut it.

"It's nice to have the space of a gym for sure. Some of this stuff you can fly inside your house but there's furniture and other people and pets. Dogs don't like helicopters too much," he said.

Stephenson remembers when he was eight years old, he would hear Roy Williams, owner of Roy's Audio Video Ltd., flying his remote control plane, which he would then watch from a dock in Old Town.

"I've been doing it for 20 years I guess," Stephenson said.

It started with one plane, and like any hobby, it grew. Now he has what he calls "a hangar" at home filled with floatplanes, jets, helicopters and trucks.

"Now the technology's evolved so we can do it inside and they're pretty high performance. It's affordable and not heartbreaking when it crashes," said Stephenson.

Basic models cost approximately $100, but some enthusiasts have models that cost hundreds of dollars.

During the evening, each model had its turn losing momentum and crashing into a wall or onto the gym floor.

"I crashed it into the wall and now I'm going to slap some tape on it and it'll be good to go," he said.

Mike Rolph manoeuvred his thumbs over the controls of the remote control to keep his Blade mSR X model remote-control helicopter climbing to the gym ceiling and back down, zooming back and forth until it hovered right in front of him.

"Flying and crashing, that's the way to go. You have the most fun that way. It's the most aggravating, but it's the most fun at the same time," he said.

He bought his first helicopter four or five years ago. It was quite big so it sat on a shelf in his condo for the most part. It was only when his wife bought him another model a year and a half ago that he really started investing in the flying hobby and upgrading as he goes.

"We want as many people as we can so we can extend flying times and get bigger places, stuff like that," said Rolph.

The venue changes depending on what's available, said group member Ben Baird, who informs fliers of the location of the biweekly gathering via e-mail. Last time they met, Baird said someone brought a remote control inflatable shark.

"This is the first winter it's been organized. It's a bit of an experiment more than anything else. For now, it's getting people out and fooling around," he said. "We help each other learn."

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