ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — Members of a radio control flying club in northern St. Lucie County say continued growth and development may soon force them out of the space they have used for more than two decades.
The Flying Eagles Radio Control Club has long gathered on a patch of undeveloped land just off Interstate 95 in northern St. Lucie County to fly their aircraft and build community.
WATCH BELOW: Flying club may lose its long-time home to development
"It's fun, it's educational and the camaraderie we have in the club can't be beat," Jeff Kramer said.
Kramer, who flies with the RC Flying Tigers, said the hobby has become more accessible over the years.
"Ninety percent of what we fly today is made out of foam. It takes a licking, and it's also easy to repair," Kramer said.
But the property the club has relied on was recently sold and may soon be developed into homes. The site sits on the north side of Indrio Road, just across the street from where a future Buc-ee's is expected to be built — a sign of the area's rapid growth.
Kevin Ballash has taken a hands-on role in maintaining the roughly 5.5-acre property.
"There's 5.5 acres that I mow three times a week," Ballash said.
Despite his investment in the land, Ballash said the possibility of losing it was never a surprise.
"We always knew from day one it may be numbered," Ballash said.
The club was in the process of breaking down its setup on the day WPTV visited — possibly for the last time.
Other radio control clubs exist in the region, including Sebastian, West Palm Beach and Delray Beach. There is also one closer in Port St. Lucie, though that club does not allow gas-powered planes.
While some aircraft can cost thousands of dollars, club members say most planes run only a few hundred dollars, making the hobby accessible to a wide range of people.
Ballash said he is actively searching for a new location to keep the group together.
"I've got places I'm looking at, and I've got places that I'm waiting for an answer on," Ballash said.
He said the stakes go beyond just finding a place to fly.
"I love flying, but I love helping, repairing and training," Ballash said. "You lose friends every time a club closes."
WPTV reached out to St. Lucie County, where a spokesman said the county is not aware of any current requests to find space for radio control clubs.
The spokesman said the county did receive a request about a year ago from a club that was losing the South Florida Water Management District property it had been using, but the county was unable to find any suitable space at that time.
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