There's a lot of buzz over Cedar Glades Park, and it might not be what you expect.
It's the Hot Springs Radio Control Flying Club with their RC planes, helicopters and drones.
Several members meet in the park every Saturday at 8 a.m. to take to the skies. About 10 members came this past Saturday to get some flight time before the rain came through.
According to Secretary Jack Hord, about 40 members make up the club that's been around for nearly 20 years.
"I've been doing it almost my whole life," said Hord. "And I find it really fulfilling and fun and a challenge."
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Hord, who's been a member for a decade, has a collection of about 30 RC planes and helicopters.
For some, it's a lifelong hobby, and for others, it's a way to unlock a part of their past. Either way, with new RC technology, it's easier than ever to get off the ground.
"The first time I was here I flew the first day," said Jim McKeever, club member. "And I hadn't flown in like 25 years. The plane basically flies itself. It makes it easy for someone to come out and day one, be flying."
Others have found the club to be a great way to connect with those who share similar experiences as pilots and professionals in the aviation world. Club member George Sisterhen, for example, is a retired Navy F-14 pilot and has bonded with other ex-military and former aviation industry professionals in the club.
Hord, on the other hand, worked as a flight traffic controller.
"It's exciting to listen to the stories and the history of it all," McKeever said.
The park, located at 461 Wildcat Road, features a rock-climbing wall, mountain bike trails, 18 holes of disc golf, a tree house, an amphitheater, pavilions, playgrounds, a track for RC cars and the RC flying strip and a dedicated First Person View drone flying course. Before the county invested so much into the park, it was an old landfill.
It was the RC flying club that first brought attention to the space when they inquired about using it when the landfill was closed.
"Our club was actually the first people out here on top of an old landfill," Hord said. "And then they built the county park around us."
Club members pay annual dues to the Academy of Model Aeronautics and annual club fees, which cost $100. The club fees help to pay for the upkeep of the area like mowing and cleaning.
While the park is open every day from daylight to dark, it's common to see members congregate on Saturday and Tuesday mornings.
For more information about the club, visit https://www.hsrcfc.com/, email [email protected] or call 501-204-4314.
This model plane, owned by George Sisterhen, bears the words "Sisterhen's Flying Circus." Photo by Lance Brownfield.
Secretary of the Hot Springs Radio Control Flying Club, Jack Hord, points out the damage to his plane after a rough landing into the grass at Cedar Glades Park. He quickly reattached the nose cone before taking flight again. Photo by Lance Brownfield.
This flight controller, belonging to Jack Hord, is mounted to a custom-made harness to be worn around the neck. The harness allows the remote pilot better control over the air craft. Photo by Lance Brownfield.