Trump visit grounds model airplane club at 4-H Fair

Nick Muscavage
Courier News and Home News Tribune
The Broken Props Airplane Club at the Somerset County 4-H Fair.

BRIDGEWATER - Marshall Hayward has been flying model airplanes and rockets at the Somerset County 4-H Fair for the past 15 years, but this year, the planes couldn't take flight.

As the leader of the Broken Props Airplane Club, a model airplane club associated with 4-H, Hayward has been teaching children and teens how to fly model planes and rockets, and the life lessons that come with it.

This year, however, the planes could not take off at the fair because of a temporary flight restriction since President Donald Trump is staying at his Bedminster golf course and club, Trump National Golf Club.

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Hayward said that he received notices from the Federal Aviation Administration instructing the club not fly.

"It's because the president is in Bedminster and we're in the zone, we're only four miles away. We're fairly close," Hayward said. "I don't think we've ever had a TFR (temporary flight restriction) during the fair previously."

Hayward became involved with the club when his son joined 15 years ago, but the club is 52 years old.

Peter Bellek, of Whitehouse, works on a model airplane at the Somerset County 4-H Fair.

Typically, club members will take their model aircraft to the county flying field during the fair right down the street, then watch their creations take flight.

This year, club members will instead be building airplanes, flying in a simulator and participating in other 4-H activities. 

"They're making the best of it," Hayward said. "They have a lot of respect for the rules and regulations because it is a regulated activity.

"Of course they're disappointed, but they're compliant with what the rules say we can do and what we can't do."

There are 10 members of the club. They build mainly radio-controlled airplanes. The members range from fourth grade to age 19.

A model airplane at the Somerset County 4-H Fair.

"It's not just airplanes and flying," Hayward said. "There's a lot of life lessons in respect to interacting with other people, adults and kids, and there's educational activities like public speaking and community service."

"A lot of it is about helping the kids grow up to be responsible citizens," Hayward said. 

James Hann is a former a Broken Props club member and now works as a professional pilot.

"It was actually a year or two after 9/11 that models were then included" in flight restrictions, he said. "It does include not just airplanes but also the model rockets, and free-flight models."

Drones also fall under temporary flight restrictions, Hann said.

Hann, a pilot for a large cargo airline, was a member of Broken Props from 1977 to 1987 when he lived in Bridgewater.

He began flying professionally in 1995, but before that, he was learning lessons from being a member of Broken Props.

Peter Bellek, vice president of the Broken Props Airplane Club, showing fairgoers a model airplane at the Somerset County 4-H Fair.

"I learned a lot of things," he said. "Just working with everyone, teaching, working with others and sharing knowledge. Just what these guys are doing here. That's why I come back."

Hann lives in St. Louis but comes back to the fair regularly to help with the club.

Although flight restrictions can put a damper on things, they're part of the business, he said.

"I deal with them on a daily basis," he explained.

He said that presidential TFRs are the most difficult because they tend to pop up without much notice and the no-fly zone moves with the president.

TFRs for the president prohibit all air traffic within a 10-mile radius of the president's head. Trump National has two airports within a 10-mile radius, including Somerset Airport in Bedminster and Solberg Airport in Readington.

The TFR will last through Aug. 21 and was issued because Trump is on vacation at his club.

"Their safety is obviously of paramount importance, and I am fine with that," Hann said. "It's disappointing on a local scale that it happens to affect us here this one week during the three days the kids wanted to display what they do, but they're necessary."

Hann also said he knew fellow pilots who were affected in Hawaii when former President Barack Obama would vacation in the state.

Robbie Devergillo, president of the Broken Props Airplane Club, works on a model plane.

Robbie Devergillo, a 13-year-old from Bedminster who is president of the Broken Props club, was looking forward to flying at the fair but said he understands the reasons he is not allowed to this year.

He became a member of the club five years ago because he has always been interested in planes and flying. He lives near Somerset Airport and rides his bike to a place near the airport so he can watch the planes take off and land.

Peter Bellek, a 14-year-old from Whitehouse who is the club's vice president, said that he wishes he could fly during the fair.

"I've never heard of this happening before at this fair, just because presidents don't usually visit in this area," he said.  "I wish I could fly, the weather is great this year, but you can't do much about it if they tell you no."

Peter hopes to one day have a pilot's license so he can fly recreationally.

Robbie, who wants to be a pilot when he grows up, works at Van Sant Airport in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. 

He has never experienced a no-fly zone restriction, though.

"This is the first time that I've encountered it," he said. "It's pretty unfortunate, but of course the president's protection is always number one. You can't complain about it, you just have to deal with it."

Staff Writer Nick Muscavage: 908-243-6615; ngmuscavage@gannettnj.com