TARMAC

A well established club with a friendly atmosphere and a broad range of model aviation interests

About Us

Located on the New England Highway just 14 kilometres south of the beautiful city of Toowoomba, the Ivy James field has been the home of Tarmac since the 70's.

History

In the early 1960’s, aeronautical model enthusiasts were using a large tract of unimproved land on the corner of North & Tor Streets Toowoomba to engage in their sport. For many reasons, including the safety aspect and the encroachment of suburbia, this location, later to be developed into a sport ground and called the “Rockville Oval “, gradually became unsuitable. A new site was needed and in 1963, John Stacey, a private pilot and keen free flight and remote control aircraft buff, noticed an area just off the New England Highway at Hodgson Vale which had excellent potential. After meeting with the land owner, Mrs Ivy James, an agreement was reached which allowed for models to be flown at this new location. Since that time and with much help from many members, TARMAC has developed into a thriving club with wonderful facilities, friendly members and a vast array of models.

In 1998, MAAA purchased the property and granted a long-term lease to TARMAC through the MAAQ, thus ensuring our clubs home, well into the future. Our members will always be grateful to Ivy James for allowing us to use a section of her property, to John Stacey, Merve Williams, Brian West and Rod Borne for their foresight and persistence in forming TARMAC and to Dr. Jeffrey Phillps for his dedication and resolve in pursuing and obtaining a long-term tenure of the TARMAC site.

John Stacey   Jeff Phillps

Location

Our official address is 13292 New England Highway, Hodgson Vale.

Heading south from Toowooomba on Ruthven Street, we are off the right side of the New England Highway, approx. 14 km from the CBD. (Look for the sign). The map below shows our exact location and will allow you to find us regardless of the direction you are travelling from. Zoom in or out using your scroll wheel. You can also move the map around by clicking and dragging on it. Clicking the 'View larger map' button will open a 'full-screen' view in your browser. Please come and visit us soon. We would love to see you.

Meetings

Club Meetings are held on the first Sunday of every other month. All things being equal, we meet in February, April, June, August, October and December each year. Our AGM is held at the August meeting. All meetings take place at our field and begin at 10:00am sharp. Members are welcome to fly prior to and after the meeting.

Events

Any events we have planned will be advertised in the Club News section (the grey bar) that appears near the top of this page.

Committee

The Committee at TARMAC consists of a President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. TARMAC also elect Support personnel. These positions include a Field Officer, a Webmaster, a Security Officer and a Chief Flying Instructor. Members vote on these positions at our Annual General Meeting which is held each August, just prior to our regular bi-monthly meeting.