Flight, Foam, and Forward Thinking: RC Tech Demo at Bronson Family Farm

This past weekend, we hosted a private tour of Bronson Family Farm for a select group of partners and collaborators—people who believe in the future we’re building, and the intersection of land, learning, and low-barrier tech. While the original plan was simply a walking tour of the grounds, we decided to give our guests something a little different—something that embodied what Youngstown RC Club and Tinker Forward are really about.

So we brought out a runway, a few planes, and let technology do what it does best: spark imagination.

✈️ Taking Off With Intention

The highlight of the demonstration was the FT Simple Stick, a classic in the Flite Test lineup and our go-to aircraft for both educational sessions and community demos. It’s light, simple, and elegant in the air—ideal for showing just how accessible and fun this hobby can be, even for newcomers.

But this wasn’t just about putting a plane in the sky. We wanted to demonstrate the how behind the magic. The Simple Stick we brought was outfitted with a basic AIO (all-in-one) FPV camera for real-time aerial video and a minimalist Remote ID (RID) module to ensure FAA compliance. The whole setup took off cleanly from an actual grass runway on the farm—an experience that felt simultaneously grounded and futuristic.

In a world full of PowerPoint decks and pitch meetings, there’s something refreshing about walking a field, looking someone in the eye, and showing them a physical example of what you believe in. That’s what this flight was about.

🛒 Want to try the same setup? The FT Simple Stick kit is available here:
👉 https://store.flitetest.com/ft-simple-stick-mkr2-1067-mm/?ref=YRCCLUB

🤝 A New Kind of Partnership

Our visitors weren’t investors, clients, or casual spectators—they were mission-aligned partners. Some were educators, others were community organizers or technologists who’ve been quietly supporting our initiatives behind the scenes. All of them have a stake in helping us bridge gaps between creativity, accessibility, and applied learning.

The RC demo wasn’t for show—it was a real-time conversation starter. We talked about flight physics, open-source hardware, scalable outreach models, and even how these tools could be deployed in halfway houses or reentry programs. Being able to illustrate those ideas while standing next to a buzzing FPV feed—right after a takeoff from our own farm’s runway—hit different.

This is what we mean when we talk about bringing STEM to the soil. It's not about making education flashy—it’s about making it tangible.

🎮 Buddy Boxing and Bouncing Corsairs

While the Simple Stick performed like the seasoned demo bird it is, we didn’t stop there. We also brought out our Fatty Corsair, a stylized foamboard RC plane with big cartoonish curves and the heart of a warbird.

Editor Anthony—usually behind the lens and away from the controls—was convinced to step up and give it a spin. Thanks to our buddy box setup, we could safely hand him control of the plane while maintaining a backup safety switch on a second transmitter. It’s a common method in RC education, but it’s also a fantastic way to onboard new pilots or—let’s be real—entertain your colleagues.

Anthony managed a few good turns before a hard landing forced what we in the hobby lovingly call “The Walk of Shame.” There’s no judgment—only applause for trying. And in the spirit of RC, the Fatty Corsair was back in flying shape before we packed up for the day.

📡 Tech Specs for the Curious

For those who want the inside scoop on the setup:

• Aircraft: FT Simple Stick

• Power System: Flite Test Power Pack B

• Camera: AIO FPV with integrated VTX

• Remote ID: Compliant with a low-profile RID module

• Transmitter Setup: Spektrum D6

• Runway: Landing strip at Landsdowne Airport, home of Bronson Family Farm

• Flight Conditions: Light breeze, 68°F, perfectly flyable

It wasn’t just a cool moment—it was a functional field test, and proof that even out here, we can create scalable, replicable STEM demonstrations with minimal overhead.

🛩️ Other Aircraft… Coming Soon

We had other planes on standby that day—including a couple of advanced builds, a micro-glider with custom mods, and one of our prototype training airframes. We held those back intentionally. Each of those platforms serves a different purpose, and they’ll get their time in the spotlight in future posts.

For now, we wanted the focus on what’s real, buildable, and immediately useful for organizations looking to bring low-cost, high-impact STEM to their communities. And that’s what the FT Simple Stick represents.

🌿 Why This Matters

This demo wasn’t just about RC flight. It was about showing partners that our work has legs—and wings. It’s scalable. It’s repeatable. It’s engaging without being expensive. Most of all, it’s accessible.

If we can take off from a grass runway on a community farm in Youngstown with a foamboard aircraft and a $20 FPV camera, imagine what we could do in schools, reentry programs, or youth clubs with a little more coordination and support.

That’s the vision. Not just to fly—but to lift.

🚀 Want In?

If you’d like to get involved, sponsor a build session, or just try your hand at RC flight with gear that actually makes sense for beginners, we recommend starting here:

🛒 FT Simple Stick – Official Kit (Affiliate Link)

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