The Puerto Rico Prop Busters (PRPB) control-line club was founded in 1997 with the merging of two small groups of control-line enthusiasts, one group who flew in the parking-lot of a San Juan baseball park and the other who flew at a military installation. That same year the club was formally registered as a non-profit corporation under the name of Puerto Rico Model Aircraft Control-line Association, Inc.
The Prop Busters succeeded in getting old timers and younger generations together to become the only active control-line club in the island. In 1998 the club negotiated its first flying site with Ciudad Deportiva Roberto Clemente (CDRC), a large sports complex that belongs to the family of the late baseball star. Since then, an excellent grassy area, large enough for four circles, inside of CDRC has been the club's center of operation for all C-L flying including contests.
The Prop Busters are proudly bound by its by-laws objectives which are to: 1) promote and foster the interest in aviation to everyone with particular emphasis on the youth through control-line model aircraft building and flying; 2) revive the interest in control-line building and flying among those who flew C-L in the past; 3) develop excellence in C-L flying through frequent practice sessions and conduct contests at the local and regional levels and 4) accomplish all these things in an atmosphere of fun and camaraderie.
As an Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) chartered club and having amongst its membership two qualified contest directors, the Puerto Rico Prop Busters hold AMA sanctioned contests and other flying and social activities. All flying activities are open to all AMA members. The club's main-stream interest leans towards aerobatics, but there are also racing, combat and plain sport flying enthusiasts.
Prop Busters' presence at the flying field on Sundays is almost like a sacred ritual, regardless of the windy conditions which generally prevail over the island, flying is very rarely cancelled. In Puerto Rico, generally after 9 o'clock in the morning, a 10 to 15 knot breeze from the east can be expected due to the trade winds pattern.
The core of the Prop Busters precision aerobatics enthusiasts is a very dedicated and highly motivated team which aims at competing at the AMA Control-line Nationals every year. To help them achieve their purpose, the club created a program called "Sponsoring the Nats Program" to try to obtain round trip airline tickets and/or cash donations from local businesses for deserving Nats competitors.
Other club programs available to the youth are: the "Prop Buster Little School of Aviation," originally created to provide the Puerto Rico Charter of the Boys Scouts of America with an alternative to fulfilling the coveted Aviation Badge prerequisites (at no charge); and the "Prop Busters Adopt a School Program," which has been introduced to various schools in the community.
In 2006 and 2007 the Puerto Rico Prop Busters club was awarded Gold AMA Leader Club status. In recognition for the new status, the club received a plaque from the AMA acknowledging the club's contributions to the community and to the aero-modeling sport.
The club is open for membership to all control-line enthusiasts. If interested in joining, or if you want information and/or copies of the club bylaws and/or any of the club programs, in English or in Spanish, you may contact:
José Parodi (Club President)
E-Mail: prpb1997@hotmail.com
The club annual membership fees: Open/Assoc $20.00 and Juniors/Seniors $5.00 (All club fees are due annually on the 1st of July.)
