TAYLORCRAFT BC-12D WAS BUZZED BY RADIO CTLRED MODEL ACFT AT 0O4; CORNING; CA.

Narrative

WE LANDED AT 0O4 ON 00/10/SUN AT XA:00 IN MY STUDENT'S TAYLORCRAFT. MY STUDENT NOTICED A LARGE GROUP OF REMOTE CTL ACFT FLYING OVER THE RWY AND DOWN ON THE RWY ON THE N END OF THE ARPT (WE LANDED ON RWY 34R TFC). HE WAS WORRIED ABOUT THE RC ACFT; AND I ASSURED HIM THAT THE PEOPLE WERE COURTEOUS; AND THEY ALWAYS CLEAR THE AREA FOR ACFT USING THE ARPT; I WAS MISTAKEN. WE ANNOUNCED OUR DEP INTENTIONS TO THE OTHER ACFT IN THE PATTERN AND DEPARTED RWY 34. AS OUR TAIL CAME UP; AND WE LIFTED OFF; I REALIZED THAT THE RC ACFT WERE NOT CLRING THE AREA; RATHER THEY WERE RACING TOWARDS US. ONE PASSED CLOSE ENOUGH TO SEE THE EXHAUST MISTING FROM THE ENG. THIS MODEL ACTUALLY PASSED DIRECTLY OVERHEAD AND JOINED US IN FORMATION FLT. ANOTHER RED MODEL FLASHED TOWARD US FROM 2:00 LOW; AND THEN BROKE OFF AT THE LAST MIN STILL ANOTHER PASSED JUST BELOW US FROM E TO W. WE HELD OUR COURSE AND OUR BREATH UNTIL THEY FINISHED HASSLING US. WE LET THE OTHER ACFT IN THE PATTERN KNOW OF OUR EXPERIENCE. THE YOUNG MAN FLYING THE CESSNA 172 SAID HE WAS LCL AND WOULD TALK TO THEM. WE WOULD HAVE RETURNED TO DISCUSS THE EVENT WITH THE INDIVIDUALS; HOWEVER; IT WOULD HAVE BEEN COUNTERPRODUCTIVE AT THAT MOMENT. I HAVE BEEN A PILOT FOR 20 YRS; AND THIS WAS A RATHER WORRISOME MOMENT FOR ME. MY STUDENT WAS; IN THE VERNACULAR; 'FREAKED'. I FIND THE ENTHUSIASM OF THE INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN THE RC ACFT ADMIRABLE. THAT ENTHUSIASM MUST NOT GET OUT OF CTL; HOWEVER. THEY MUST RESPECT THE HAZARD THEY POSE TO 'FULL SCALE ACFT' AS THEY CALL US. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: PLT KNOWS OF AT LEAST THREE OTHER INCIDENTS WHERE MODELS HAVE BUZZED FULL SIZE ACFT. THE TOWN COUNCIL WAS NOTIFIED AS WELL AS THE SAC FSDO. BOTH SAID THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT THE PROBLEM UNTIL AN ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THERE IS A JOINT USE AGREEMENT ALLOWING MODEL FLYING AT THE ARPT. IT CLRLY SPELLS OUT WHERE THIS ACTIVITY IS TO TAKE PLACE. IN THIS CASE THE MODELS WERE CLRLY OUTSIDE THEIR DESIGNATED AREA OF OP.