SEQUIM — Twisting first left and then right, the bright red radio-controlled airplane climbs into the pure blue sky above a field in Dungeness before spiraling back toward Earth.
When the airplane is about 30 feet above the ground, John Schuy manipulates a toggle switch on the black box he’s holding to bring the aircraft to level flight.
As Schuy brings his airplane in for a near-perfect landing, a flock of sea gulls takes to the air after feeding in a newly plowed field, just to the north of the airstrip of Towne Road operated by Olympic R/C Aeronauts, and a single-engine full-size airplane flies across the sky from west to east.
Schuy, an engineer who retired after 36 years with The Boeing Co. in Seattle, is one of seven pilots of radio-controlled airplanes executing takeoffs, landings and aerobatic flight last week.
A slight breeze off the Strait of Juan de Fuca is perfect for flying despite chasing the warmth from the air.
“As a kid I was fascinated with airplanes,” Schuy said.
After completing his career in aeronatics he moved to the Dungeness area. The sound of the radio-controlled airplanes attracted him to the airfield.
Schuy says he enjoys building the airplanes he flies.
There are about 55 people in the club, according to Bill Stubblefield. He said the number who are flying fluctuates depending on the time of the year because many members head to warmer climates during the winter months.
—————–
The rest of this story appears in the Monday Peninsula Daily News. Click on “Subscribe” to get the PDN delivered to your home or office.