VALLEY GRANDE — After several months of planning and hours spent clearing land off of Alabama Highway 16, the Valley Grande Remote Control Airport is open for business.

During their regular council meeting Monday, Ronald Sawyer, place 2 representative, announced that the airport is ready for action.

“There’s not many other places to fly remote control airplanes in Dallas County,” Sawyer said. “It’s something both kids and adults can enjoy.”

The airport, located behind the city baseball fields on Alabama Highway 16, offers some 80 acres where residents can fly their remote control airplanes. As a long-time enthusiast of remote control airplanes, Sawyer said the hobby can be quite relaxing.

“This is safe, fun and not as expensive as it used to be because the hobby is much more common today than it was 10 years ago,” Sawyer said in a previous interview with the Times-Journal. “It’s also very peaceful. Once you are in the air, you have nothing on your mind except that little thing up in the sky and trying to get it back together on the ground in one piece.”

Tim White, place 1 representative, also shares a love of remote controlled airplanes and said he hopes residents take advantage of the new airport.

“It’s easy to learn and it’s something people of all ages can enjoy,” White said. “We hope to get a lot of residents out there, and this will add to the activity going on at the baseball fields too.”

Other than flying airplanes and enjoying the outdoors, Sawyer said he also hopes those who participate in the unique hobby learn more about aviation.

“I just want this to be a place where we can teach kids how to fly and more about aviation,” Sawyer said. “But it will also teach them patience and a hands-on skill once they learn to make the planes as well.”

For more information about the airport and how to get involved, call Sawyer at 875-7757.