October 26, 2015
South Burnett residents are used to seeing helicopters buzzing about, but not flying upside or doing tricks … but that’s just one of the dramatic things that were happening over the skies of Booie on Sunday.
The Kingaroy Aero Modellers Society (KAMS) held an open day at their flying field to raise awareness about their sport as well as dollars for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
There were all sorts of scaled down aircraft taking off and landing – from gyrocopters to fighters, and everything in between.
The club has been running since 1983 and has been flying from the McLennan family farm on Booie-Crawford Road for more than 20 years.
Sunday’s open day coincided with similar events held across Australia by the Model Aeronautical Association of Australia but also provided KAMS with the opportunity to officially open (and show off) their new club facilities.
Club president John Box said the upgrade had been made possible by a $12,254 grant from the Gambling Community Benefit Fund.
These upgrades included a new water tank, a shipping container for storage, two new chemical toilets and fencing.
Club members also painted and enclosed the open shed, now dubbed the “KAMS Hilton”.
Club members Denis and Sheryl Hansen also donated and installed a solar system to trickle charge the mower batteries.
“The members have worked extremely hard together as a team over the last year,” Mr Box said.
“They’ve been very supportive and have participated in working bees through the upgrading of our facilities and I thank each and every one of them for all their support.
“I must single out one member for his untiring support and drive to complete the projects; that is our Treasurer and great mate of mine for nearly 40 years, Denis Hansen.
“He was seen to nearly bust his boiler on the tools on several occasions and always had each step of the upgrades planned to perfection.”
Special guests at the Open Day were Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington, who took a turn at the controls of a model aircraft, and South Burnett Deputy Mayor Keith Campbell.
Footnote: Cr Campbell’s wife Marion drew the KAMS raffle … ironically, the winning ticket belonged to Mike Brown, who along with Cr Campbell is also running for Mayor of the South Burnett Regional Council at the next election.
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