About KAMS

KAMS' facilities seen from the take-off/landing area
		Google Earth view of roads to KAMS field. Click on image for larger scale. Here is an ordinary map
		KAMS field and surroundings.
		KAMS General Monthly Meetings are held at the RAAF Memorial Estate, next entrance in from the administration, across from the museum. The meeting are every third Wednesday of the month at 20.00 hours (as in 8 p.m.). Click on the image to the left for more details.
		This shows in detail where the General Meetings are held.
		Entrance to KAMS field from Jackson Road.

KAMS History continued . . .
The last repayment to MAAA was made in mid '96, and we were the owners of our Model Airport.
Since 2000 our membership has grown steadily, to 158 in June 2007, making us the premier club in WA. Activities at the field include sport flying, jets, scale, pylon, gliders and combat as well as the occasional old timer event and free flight scramble.
KAMS celebrates 20 years at the field in 2007, and we are proud of what we have achieved over the years by careful planning and management of club funds, and with members' contributions to construction and maintenance of the facilities.

Ken Wansbrough contributed this brief KAMS history.

KAMS History

KAMS started when a group of modelers flying with WARMS at Gibbs Road, Jandakot, decided that enough of them were from Kalamunda to form their own club there.
Of the original members only Chris Jones, Roy and Ian Dixon, Richard Bloor, Frank and Mark Jensen still fly at KAMS.
The first flying field was on Waterboard land at the end of Welshpool Road, Carmel. It was a cleared strip between the trees which produced strong eddies, making flying difficult.

The first meeting was in October 1975, when the idea of forming a club was discussed. In November 75 they decided on the name for the club and elected office bearers, set fees etc. They met at a member’s house for a while, and then held meetings in the C of E hall in Kalamunda.
In July 76 (at the time when Neil Giggins and Ken Wansbrough joined) we moved to a farmer's field in the foothills at Forrestfield, at the end of Bruce Road. Rubber belting was laid out to use for runway.
The membership grew, and we enjoyed five years at that site before the farmer told us to move on.

Eventually, after 18 months, we secured a new site at the end of Southern River Road where it meets Ranford Rd. This site was very wet in winter, and the entry was two feet under water until Ken Greaves got some fill and raised the road. After a year, when funds were sufficient, it was decided to lay down two bitumen strips, - a big improvement.

The club membership kept growing, and we started enduro pylon racing and scale events. The club had 84 members at this stage.
During this time cross country events from York to Northam were held each year with four legs of 10km each, with pit stops between. Pilots flew from sports cars, utes and station wagons.

After five years at the Southern River Road site we had to walk away from the runways as the land changed hands.

Then followed a low period for the club when we went for two years without a field.
Two locations were tried, but found unsuitable before, in November 86, a land agent had us inspecting the present field in Oldbury. At a historic meeting for the club in February 87 the Committee proposed a plan to purchase the site by using money from our field fund (started in 80), and by adding funds from public displays, and also by seeking advance fees from members to form a deposit. A bank loan was arranged, but 18% interest rate had us struggling with repayments.
Then MAAA announced that funds were available for clubs to buy fields and we were saved because the reduced repayments allowed us also to develop the field.
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