Fritz Field Friction: Nature Trail Neighbors are Not Happy

At least one resident of the Nature Trail Subdivision in Beulah is demanding that Fritz Field, a Board of County Commissioner's park established for RC Airplane enthusiasts to utilize to fly their planes, be shut down due to noise that is annoying them now that they have built their houses near this existing field...  We are not shutting Fritz Field down though, we are not running out the Modeler's Club.  The residents will have to compromise with the RC flyers, there will have to be a way for both sides to coexist peacefully.  :) 

Fritz Field in Beulah has been an established location for RC controlled model airplane enthusiasts to fly their planes for nearly 17 years.  Located on the site of a former landfill in Beulah just north of Mobile Highway and South of 9-Mile Road--the field is home to the NW Florida Modelers club--a group of model airplane enthusiasts.

In 2018, the friction reached a boiling point as growth encroached on the field.  A portion of the Nature Trail subdivision that loops southward literally found itself in the flight path of some of the flyers.  They complained about the noise and also about some of the planes flying over their houses.  

So a compromise was worked and the county expended monies to repair the field's bridge (which had been washed out in the flood of 2014) as well as to "turn" the runways such that the flight pattern went south--away from Nature Trail.  In addition to this, hours were limited, strict guidelines were established that prohibited any planes from "flyovers" of the subdivision, and a decibel-level threshold was established as a compromise so that the Nature Trail residents and the model airplane flyers could peacefully coexist.  An agreement was approved by the BCC and the Modeler's Club in 2018.

So far as I knew--this arrangement was working out well.

Then out of the clear blue sky I was copied on an email from a Nature Trail resident late last week demanding the field be shut down.  From the email:

"My name is XXXXXX  XXXXXXXX and I am a board member of Nature Trail HOA. Over the last five years the board and several residents have filed multiple complaints regarding safety violations and noise violations against the RC club and its members.  This resulted in the club agreeing to a very specific dB level limit for its members and that flying over top of our homes and properties are off limits.  This took place a few years ago and was facilitated by Mr Rhodes.  Although the dB level agreement was still very much a disturbance to the tranquil setting of our neighborhood our residents were satisfied if the agreement was adhered to.  We are sitting here many years later and the problem is worse than ever.  It is even more exaggerated now due to Covid.  Many of our families have decided to either home school or take advantage of remote learning.  At the same time the field is being used more.  This is a significant distraction to the learning environment of our community's children.  The planes are close enough and loud enough to be heard clearly inside of our homes.  I ask you would you enjoy that, would you allow that, would you not use your influence to put a stop to it?  We do not, we will not, and we are certainly ready to use our resources and influence to stop if action is not taken.

The club has no regard for the agreement, our residents, and infringing upon our lives.  While at the time of the agreement we respected the club,they continue to disrespect us. With the number of houses being built in our area the problem is only going to get worse. We all have supported growth and progress in our area. We also know that means change and sacrifice to ensure its success.   It is time to take action.  You would not be reading this if the club would have abided with the rules.  They have proven that they either cannot control their members or they don't care.  Either way, there needs to be consequences.  

My proposal is to close the field.  Give them area in a more rural part of the county if available.  If not the club has 2 additional fields to fly in.  I am eagerly awaiting your responses.  Please feel free to reach out and if need be I am able to meet.  In the meantime our group of concerned citizens are researching options, legal and political."

 So here's the thing:  I will NEVER support shutting this field down--especially if there are threats associated with such demands.  I do not Kow Tow to threats. The citizens that use that field have been there long before the growth happened out here in Beulah, long before "Nature Trail"--and these citizens that utilize Fritz Field have every right to fly planes at the field, and I will steadfastly support this as the elected county commissioner representing Beulah.  With this said--staff has been engaged with the modelers and the residents now to hopefully diffuse the situation and put the previous agreement back on track.  I totally support the modelers' continued use of the field under the terms of the agreement we worked out with them in 2018.  And I also support the residents' request for peace and quiet.

I believe this is not a binary choice and that both interests can be respected.

This is what I am working toward.

NW Florida Modelers Use of Fritz Field: A New Agreement Will Be Considered This Thursday

Some of the RC Planes that are out there are spectacular.  I've never seen one as large as this B-52 replica pictured here, but I have seen some very large and impressive models....

Earlier this month, there was a dust-up of sorts between a few residents in Beulah, and the Northwest Florida Modelers Club, a 14-year user of Fritz Field in Beulah.

The issues centered on noise.  A few residents of a newer subdivision in Beulah wanted the club to operate later in the day and also wanted the club to agree to reduced levels of noise as the new standard.

When the bridge to the field was finally repaired recently-the county made some modifications to the field, and now the RC planes only fly south of the runway-whereas before this change the planes would fly north of the runway.

I've visited the site, and I have met with many of the members of the club.

Some with which I have spoken feel they were being unfairly treated.  "What about the county ordinances, we can use backpack leaf blowers, lawn mowers, and gas powered weed eaters at 7:00 AM---but they want us to start later than that even though we are a lot quieter than these lawn-care tools?  said one member with whom I spoke.

Another observer noted that nearby construction activities on roads and other subdivisions can commence as early as 6:30 or 7:00 AM.

So the agreement that will be considered this Thursday represents a compromise: the modelers, according to their previous agreement, could begin flying as early as 7:30 AM.

An interim, unofficial, "back of the bar napkin" agreement the modelers accepted between themselves and two nearby residents specified the flights would not commence before 9:00AM.  "That agreement was when they were threatening to shut us down.  We were under duress" said one of the NW Florida Modelers representatives with whom I spoke when I made my site visit a few weeks back.

This new, official agreement will split the difference and allow the modelers to fly beginning at 8:15.  Additionally, this agreement has stipulations that will protect the residents by making the airspace above the residences strictly OFF LIMITS.

I hope all parties can recognize that this agreement is generally fair to all and does indeed represent a compromise.  I anticipate this will pass this Thursday with a unanimous, affirmative vote in support.

Dog-Fighting over Decibels

Fritz Flying field in Beulah, home of the NorthWest Florida Modeler's RC flying club since 2004

The term dogfight refers to aerial combat between two aviators.  Full Disclosure: I'm using extreme hyperbole here when I describe the ongoing strife between a handful of neighbors in Nature Trail and the NW Florida Modeler's RC Airplane flying club over noise levels as a "dogfight"--obviously nobody is engaged in combat, nobody is dying.  Not being literal here....

But lately, there has been tension.  And it is reaching a boiling point. Yet to their joint credit--members of the RC club and the  handful of Nature Trail residents that are upset have engaged in dialogue and have tried to reach a compromise.

They even reached a tentative, informal, "back of a bar napkin" written agreement in April of 2016--which until very recently has maintained the peace between the opposing sides.  I believe this is due,

"Written agreement" between two Nature Trail residents
and the president of the NorthWest Florida modelers
RC Flying Club.

in part, to the fact that activities at this field until recently had been halted due to a bridge on the property over 11-Mile creek being washed out and unusable until it was repaired recently by the county.  Now that the bridge has been repaired, activities at the field have resumed full speed and the neighbors are upset.

The NW Florida Modeler's club has utilized a small air strip located in Beulah off of Jamesville lane for various model flying events for the last 14 years (construction of residential housing in Nature Trail began several years after the RC club began flying their aircraft at Fritz Field).  The area is large, open, and conducive to this type of activity.  I went out to the field yesterday, I took pictures of the area and I took readings of the sound levels at the corner of the property adjacent to Nature Trail.

The loudest reading I picked up, at the edge of the property County's property line was 73 decibels.  (I estimate the distance from the edge of the field's property line to the first of the houses in Nature Trail to be 100 150 yards.)  The average reading I picked up, even as the planes were flying, was 60 decibels.


I spoke to a representative of the club yesterday at the property.  "We're good people out here, we are trying to be respectful of the neighbors--but they are trying to shut us down and that's not right."

A resident I spoke with from Nature Trail, one of the residents that has reached out to work with the club in the hopes of working a compromise, contacted me Saturday and Sunday to let me know that the club was not living up to the agreement about starting times for flying.

The average decibel reading from my
visit yesterday to the corner of the
Fritz Field property, was 60 dB

"They are violating the rules.  They began flying before 9:00 AM Saturday and the airplanes are already flying at 8:15 today [Sunday]"...  "Two days in a row they fly before 9:00 AM.  The club just does what they want and nothing happens."


I called the club president this morning to ask him about why they started flying before 9:00 AM today, Sunday.  Initially, I got no answer.  Later in the morning I did get a call back from the President who said that he would talk to the club about why they started earlier than 9:00AM.  "When we made that deal we did it under duress" he stated.  "We had to give in on every demand because we thought the County was going to shut us down if we didn't give in to all of these demands..."

My intention going forward, because I believe a solution can be brokered that allows both parties to amicably coexist, is to have our Administrator and also our Director of Parks and recreation sit down with these two residents and the club members representatives to hammer-out an enforceable agreement that is fair and reasonable.

I think this can be accomplished.

That's what I'm going to do.




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