There’s definitely something boyish about a bunch of men flying model airplanes, but that doesn’t mean anyone can pick up the controls of a 1/5 scale World War II bomber and safely land it on water.

On Saturday, the men of the Bristol County Radio Control Club demonstrated their skills on the water at Mary’s Pond for the Fifth Annual John Nicolaci Memorial Float Fly.

John’s widow, Ruth Nicolaci, said her husband always drew attention when he flew his 15-foot PBM Mariner airplane, a model of the World War II flying boat he worked on at Glenn L. Martin Company.

“Whenever he flew, everybody was in awe of the airplane,” said Ruth.

Now the plane is in the Hagerstown Air Museum, but John’s legacy with the radio control club lives on each year as members gather for the “fun fly” in Rochester.

President Gary Carreiro said the planes become an addiction of sorts. Few in the club own only one model.

“The next thing you know you have two planes,” said Carreiro, who now owns seven.

Ned Watts, who started flying the planes in 1966, has his collection at both his Mattapoisett and Boston homes. The exact quantity of the planes, which range from one ounce to 11 pounds, is a “confidential number.”

Planes range from training models that cost a few hundred dollars to jet models that can reach the same speeds as their full-scale counterparts and cost at least $6,000.

“Anything you can do on a full scale, we can do in the RC world,” he said.

Since model airplanes are flown from land, all the navigation is done backwards, which Carreiro said is more challenging than flying from within a plane.

“People tell me it’s about boys and their toys. It doesn’t mean it’s a toy because we don’t get in them,” said Gary Dupont, the club’s safety officer. “The challenge is building models and navigating them through the most unforgiving environment there is. The wind will flip you like a cheese omelet.”

Over the years, the members have learned to stunts with their planes, the same as those seen at an air show. They twirl through the air, cut figure eights, and land on water or land, depending on the type of plane.

But there are still accidents. “Early in the game, it was heartbreaking,” said Ned Watts. “Now I’m just sort of used to it. Almost anything can be rebuilt.”

And there is one big difference between full scale and model planes.

“I’ve walked away from every crash landing I’ve made,” joked Dupont.