Deer Park RC Flyers Club call Matthiessen State Park home

If you’re walking through the sunflower field at Matthiessen State Park and hear a buzzing noise it may not be a bee.

The Deer Park RC Flyers Club has been flying model aircrafts since the mid-1970s out of the Model Airplane Field at Matthiessen State Park. Bill Alleman, a club member, has been flying model airplanes since he was 10.

“The field is owned by the state but is maintained by the club,” Alleman said.

The club’s maintenance crew members consist of Bernie Kane and Jake Krancic. Both men volunteer their time to mow grass, trim and do other chores at the site in an agreement with the state to take care of the section. The flyers can be seen daily at the park when the weather conditions are favorable. Morning seems to be a better window of viewing the planes and other aircrafts as the winds are calmer usually.

Krancic, volunteers his time at the Starved Rock Visitors Center and is an RC member.

“We are always open to having new members,” Krancic said.

The club asks for those visiting the sunflowers next door not to cut through the model airplane field. It creates a safety hazard when flying the planes as the remote pilot cannot be distracted.

The area is an open field but visitors need to be a member of the American Model Association to fly there. You can contact the club through their email address at Krancic@aol.com if you are interested or have questions.

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Larry Moore of Oglesby flies a model airplane on Monday, July 1, 2024, at the Model Airplane Field in Matthiessen State Park. The Deer Park RC Flyers radio-controlled aircraft club maintains the model airplane field and utilizes the site. (Scott Anderson)