The Basin Modelers club was in high spirits on Saturday, even if that was the only thing up in the air.

High winds grounded the plans for the Williston area's miniature aircraft pilots' club, which is having its Fun Fly days this weekend. The consensus was that Sunday's forecast is looking much better for flight.

On Fun Fly weekend, piloting clubs from around North Dakota and Montana visit Williston's official model airstrip, located north of town on U.S. Highway 2. Spectators are welcome.

Members from clubs in Minot, Sidney, Glendive, Dickinson, Miles City and others were on hand for Saturday, even if all they could do was swap stories and tricks of the trade.

Each club has its own airstrip, and they try to rotate weekends during the summer visiting each one. Williston's club, featuring about 20 members, also meets regularly at the home club. "About all of us have an interest in aviation of one kind or another," said Bob Schreiber, who has been with the club for about six years. "There's something really fun about controlling something you aren't standing or sitting in."

On regular Monday night training sessions, new prospects are trained on a "buddy box," which lets the instructor switch control from himself to the student and back again as needed.

Enthusiasts can get in with a basic helicopter or small, radio-controlled plane for as little as about $250. The basic models can be used for indoor or outdoor flight. The high-end planes featured in the club are called "42 Percent" products, which are 42 percent of the size of the actual aircraft they are modelling. They can feature twin-cylinder, 150 to 200 cc gasoline engines, and total investment can be as much as $9,000.

"You could almost buy a little Cessna for that and fly around yourself for that," Schreiber said.

The club is affiliated with the Academy of Model Aeronautics. Flying at an AMA-sponsored site, such as the one in Williston, requires AMA membership, which costs $58 per year. Membership comes with liability insurance while flying at sponsored sites.

More information on the club can be found at its website, http://basinmodelers.org. The Academy of Model Aeronautics is found at http://www.modelaircraft.org.