MY PURPOSE in writing this is to help
clubs and individuals who have never done so
put on an event that will not only be fun, but
also increase club membership and make
money for flying-field preservation in the
process.
This isn’t about my events; it’s about how
I put them together. I know of several clubs
that have put on fun-flys that lost money
instead of making money, just by how they
did things. The ideas I will present to you
have helped a few of them turn a modest
profit.
In addition, this is just one way of doing
things—not the only way. With your thoughts
and volunteers’ input, I am sure you can make
these ideas suit your area and event.
When I started one of my favorite events, the
Super Fun Fly, it was all about having fun
without concern for
club profit. It still is,
and always will be,
about fun first and
foremost, but now it
makes money for
our club.
Our first event
was nothing fancy,
but it was a huge
success because
April 2009 35
Above: Checks exceeding $2,000 apiece are presented to presidents (L, R) of two local clubs that joined to
put on a successful event. Any club event can make money.
Above left: Building is a fun activity that the young and mature can appreciate. The opportunity attracts a
lot of attention.
Left: Summer activities that include water fun attract not only pilots, but also the families who appreciate
the parklike setting.
everybody had fun. I decided to make the
affair larger in its third year, so I sanctioned it
with the AMA. I also added another day to it,
Sunday, and told pilots they could set up and
fly on Friday.
The club members set things up on
Wednesday, and, since the fly-in is held
during Labor Day weekend, pilots are
welcomed from Wednesday until Monday.
So in a sense, they could be there six days
and stay five nights; that’s more bang for
their buck and it costs the club nothing to
allow them to stay longer.
It’s Easy: Many people think that putting on
an event is too much for them, but I disagree.
It’s easy to organize, and it mostly only takes
bits and pieces of your time. For me, this
translates into six to 12 months of planning.
I start preparing for the two big annual
events I do as soon as the previous years’ are
over; that way, the tasks are spread out over a
longer period of time. Breaking it into pieces
makes it much more manageable.
I’ll take you through the process of how I
create an event and break it down to make it
easier to understand. At times I will refer to
my last event: this year’s Super Fun Fly.
Lay the Groundwork: If neither you nor
your club has put on an event, go to a good
one, watch, and take notes. Don’t try to
remember everything—and leave your
airplanes at home.
One person will need to be “in charge” of
the event; this is the CD. If you want to have
a sanctioned event, you will first need to pass
the AMA CD test.
Once you have attained CD status, pick a
date for your event. Look at event schedules
such as AMA’s “Contest Calendar,” those on
other clubs’ Web sites, etc. I suggest that you
choose a date that is three to four weeks away
from huge events that are within 250 miles of
your area.
Next, look at the likely weather conditions
during the time of year you are considering.
Decide on a tentative date now as your
preferred date of choice. You might also want
to pick an alternate date as you are looking at
the calendars.
Before I decide to put on an event, I do the
wise thing and talk with my wife. She always
ends up running back and forth from town for
everything for my fun-fly, from ice to, well,
who knows what.
Since she and my youngest son help me,
it’s important to hold the event at times that
work for them. It would be unfair to just
expect them to be a part of it, and our families
share in everything we do in some way.
Present the event idea and date(s) at a club
meeting, roughly eight to 12 months in
advance. For my last event, I told everybody
that I wanted to gear it toward the public first,
pilots second, and moneymaking third,
because I wanted to strengthen our ties with
the community. Doing this is not only good
for the hobby, but it also attracts members,
which is something all clubs need.
The only comment was that some
members wanted to make sure we would
04sig2.QXD 2/24/09 9:40 AM Page 35
36 MODEL AVIATION
Photos by the author
The optimal layout for a fly-in includes good
parking and shaded areas so that spectators,
workers, and pilots can find comfort.
Volunteers make the event. Place the right
people in the right places, and things will go
smoothly. Reward them as often as possible.
A middle school cheerleader group was welcomed as a vendor at the
Super Fun Fly. Consider the public-relations opportunities of having
an event in your community.
Any event can benefit from raffles. Display the prizes and sponsors
prominently, and save the drawing for last.
Activities that include young people are appreciated by the
parents as well. The news media typically love these stories.
Provisions for camping extends the life of the fun-fly beyond official hours. The
community that builds encourages return visits.
Parents can relax at
an event when their
children feel like
participants. Have
things for the kids to
do, and the parents
will attend.
04sig2.QXD 2/24/09 9:25 AM Page 36
April 2009 37
Sanctions and Safety
Safety should be top priority—especially at events, since
some of the pilots might not be used to flying together.
Following are the basics.
Communication at the flightline is key. Using spotters and
talking to each other will go a long way. I believe in
employing a transmitter impound for other than 2.4 GHz
systems and a maximum of five models in the air at one time
(depending on site conditions).
Airplane inspections are not done at all events. It is a
choice, but it is for the benefit of all pilots and spectators.
When I conduct safety inspections, I make sure that things
are tight, such as the engine or motor, propeller/spinner,
landing gear, and all flying surfaces. I also check to ensure
that some kind of keeper is on all clevises and that superior
linkages such as ball joints or Z-bends are used.
We all sign the AMA forms stating that our airplanes
are airworthy when we fly at a sanctioned event, but that
doesn’t mean we always check for worn hinges or a loose
motor or engine. We have saved countless airplanes from
tragedy with
the discovery
of broken
hinges alone.
Think
safety in every
aspect of your
event—not just
in regards to
the pilots and
airplanes. MA
—Michael
Brown
Make spectators part of the show. Interactive activities
such as this Delta Dart launch promote the hobby/sport
and makes the public feel appreciated.
Your club can award the pilots with simple and low-cost yet
effective trophies. This can help boost the talent attendance.
The sunset is a good part of the day and the perfect end to the
event. Be sure to thank everyone who is there as often as you can.
How did you feel when
you built your first
model? You probably
wanted to fly it then
and now!
04sig2.QXD 2/24/09 9:46 AM Page 37
profit if we were going to have to work four
or five days. I assured all present that there
would be registration fees and a raffle booth,
both of which make money.
After your club has approved the event,
start talking with potential volunteers. Look
at members you respect or who already help
the club in other ways. Even consider what
they do or have done for a living. If you
have a great chef in your club, why ask a
bartender to cook your banquet dinner?
It helps if you can have regular event
meetings with all volunteers and, for
goodness sakes, listen to them! If they work
a department, they will probably have a good
understanding of what it needs. As long as
safety isn’t adversely affected, go for it.
I believe in lists for everything. You
don’t forget much if you can check off each
item as it’s received and then again when it’s
loaded and taken to the field. Make one
checklist for each department (registration,
impound, food, raffle, volunteers, etc.).
I don’t care if you have the most
beautiful event site in the world; it’s going to
be a mess if you are unprepared and
unorganized.
I send off the AMA sanction papers at
least six months early, to make sure I get the
three free months of magazine advertising. If
your club doesn’t own the event property,
you will need AMA’s site insurance; it’s
affordable and protects the property owners.
Spread the News: I make three flyers: one
to send to out-of-town pilots, one for the
newsletter, and one for the public. Each is
unique, since I am targeting different types
of people.
Out-of-town pilots want event
information, maps, motel phone numbers,
the number of days they can stay, whether or
not they can arrive early, and more. I say
they can come at least a day early, to give
them a day to relax and put their airplanes
together. They can also fly if they want.
The second flyer, for the club newsletter,
announces the event and prepares members
for the “Can you volunteer?” questions to
come. It also goes to many other clubs’
newsletter editors.
You need to think about the flyer for the
public. You are targeting people who don’t
fly models, so you need to help them
understand what you are offering and make
them want to attend the event. Don’t call it a
“fun-fly”; they will have no idea what that is.
Use headlines such as “Free Air Show.”
Schedule a couple of pilots to fly a Combat
round or mock Pylon race each day, and put
that on the handout. Call it an “Air Race” and
write “Airplane Combat.”
Advertise food, drinks, a free swap meet,
and a raffle, if you will have those things, and
emphasize “Public Welcome.” If other
activities are planned, such as buddy-box
flying or a Delta Dart building seminar,
publicize those as well. Include the contact
information and a map on the back of the
flyer. And don’t forget the date!
I post flyers for the public on supermarket
information boards, for great free advertising.
Raffle Talk: You don’t have to host a raffle,
but you will want to if your goal is to make
money. Start buying items to give away
during the Christmas shopping season; it’s the
best time for super sales, and not just on
hobby items.
Aeromodeling supplies can be difficult to
give as prizes. If you raffle off a 12-ounce fuel
tank, the winner might fly with electric power.
I concentrate on items that most attendees
would probably like, such as tools, folding
chairs, coolers, picture frames, etc. If it isn’t
on sale or on closeout, I’m not interested.
The public will probably buy lots of raffle
tickets if you offer everyday items. The most
important thing to give away is a trainer
model.
Your local hobby shop can be a great
source for raffle items, but don’t expect it to
fill a truck. Ask for a donation, sure, but also
ask if the store personnel will talk with their
suppliers. If this is the only event your local
hobby shop supports and it actively asks
several suppliers, you are most likely in for a
treat.
At least three months before the event, sit
down with a few newer hobby magazines.
(This is a time when you will be glad for all
those ads.) Start a spreadsheet to keep track of
all of the hobby suppliers’ postal-mail
addresses, e-mail addresses, telephone
numbers, and Web sites. Make a list that you
can easily print. (Saving this and all other lists
helps greatly with future events.)
When you have your register of
companies, craft a donation-request letter.
Make it look as professional as possible, and
request their product brochures to hand out
with any contributions they make. Send
requests to 50 companies (12-15 weeks early).
Include your letter, a copy of your sanction,
and an event flyer.
To save a buck, put the sanction and flyer
on one piece of paper. Print the request on one
side of another sheet, and add the sponsor’s
address and your return address on the other
side. Fold it twice and stamp it, and no
envelope is necessary. Don’t forget to include
local businesses in your mailing.
The last and most important thing for my
raffle is the raffle wheel. We sell tickets for $1
each, and $5 buys six tickets and a chance to
spin the wheel. It has 16 spaces numbered
from 6 to 20. The purchaser gets the six
tickets plus the number of tickets on which the
wheel lands.
You can probably afford to hold a raffle, at
less than $10 for 2,000 tickets. And many
people love to spin the wheel; it entices them
to spend at least $5. We sold 31/2 rolls of
tickets at one event; that’s 7,000!
The raffle area is a great place to pass on
old magazines; set up a small table on which
to put them. The public generally loves free
publications, and this might help get them into
the hobby.
I have nicknamed raffles “event killers.” If
you are holding a big drawing and people are
waiting for it to happen, they will leave as
soon as it’s finished, as sure as if it started
pouring down rain.
Reward your sponsors. Print their names
on nice colored-paper stock and post in a few
spots at the event. When the fly-in is finished,
send those companies thank-you letters and
maybe a picture or two. They deserve it.
Contact Your Talent: If you don’t know
many out-of-town pilots, think of clubs as
resources. The AMA Web site’s club locator
or event directory will help.
If you can, attend a few events and ask the
CDs for copies of the sign-up sheets. As long
as there are no conflicts, he or she should
consent. But don’t go to a jet event looking
for fun-fly pilots.
Get e-mail addresses of potential attendees
if you can, and ask them to pass the flyer on to
all their flying friends in their address books.
Do this at least two months early; a few
months gives people time to really plan for the
fly-in.
Publicize Your Event: At this point, make a
press release about your fun-fly. It costs only
a few stamps and several sheets of paper to
get tons of free advertising.
I send a press release to every television
station, radio station, and newspaper within
150 miles, which works out to 34 companies
for me. Include such true phrasing as “ … a
free air show,” “Aeromodeling is a good
family hobby,” and “ … will help bring the
community together.”
Sure Path to the Heart: If you prepare
concessions for the event instead of having it
catered, make a list of everything you’ll need,
from the food to tape for keeping cloths on
tables. As for everything else you’ll purchase
for the fly-in, shop smart but get quality
products.
Buy decent paper plates and plastic ware.
Nothing’s worse than a plate that won’t hold
the food you serve.
If you can get items on sale or even on
closeout, do it. Having time to find bargains is
one of the benefits of taking your time to put
on an event. I bought 1,000 knives and forks
on sale—not because I needed that many, but
because they were the same price as 250, and
I knew our future events would require free
utensils.
If you want to keep it simple, buy hot dogs
(all-beef—no other meat) and barbecue them;
don’t boil them. People don’t go to a party for
the smell of boiled anything.
Buy brand-name soft drinks; most people
don’t like the cheap store brands. Charge $1
per can and keep it ice-cold.
One annual event I put on features a
banquet dinner, and it works out great but is a
lot of extra work. Ask how many would be
interested in a dinner for the following year. If
many like the idea, host one; if not, don’t.
Either way, limit the amount of dinners and
sell tickets.
Our events’ main food is lunch. A burger,
chips, and a drink doesn’t cost anywhere near
the $5 we charge. You could also serve some
kind of breakfast. A couple pancakes, three
pieces of sausage, and two eggs for $5 sounds
good and is even more profitable.
Food equals money for your club, but you
must have volunteers. They are the key to
everything.
Keep ’Em Busy: This is where some extra
fun can come in, and it will make your
event different than the regular fly-eat-fly
gathering. We noticed that kids would get
bored after awhile and want to leave, but
their parents wanted to stay. At first my
wife and I bought cheap toys for the
children, and occasionally I would give the
kids a pick of a couple things out of a bag.
One year my wife said, “Why don’t we
have some kids’ games, off to the side, and
well away from the flying area?” So we
started doing a few games for the little ones
and it worked well.
I was looking at the AMA store one day
and saw the Delta Dart (a simple rubberband-
powered model for beginners to
construct), and this project became a part of
our event. It’s great!
We have held three of these airplane
builds, and everybody from spectators to
pilots, young and old, take part. It is free to
all, and we have volunteers to help. It takes
just one hour, when done properly, and is
limited to the first 40 participants.
The Delta Dart build concludes with a
mass launch, and the pilot with the longest
flight wins a much larger rubber-powered
kit. It’s a blast, with big smiles and
participants cheering for their friends.
Another fun thing we do is buddy-box
flying with the public. The event attendees
not only enjoy seeing their family members
fly an airplane, but some of the new
students enjoy the experience and end up
being future club members.
We don’t run buddy-box flights all day.
We hold them for two to three hours at one
of our five flying stations; this way, we
don’t bother the other pilots too much.
The Delta Dart build and buddy-box
flying are free. But if you think you don’t
make money doing them, think again.
Parents and children stay to see the next
race, then stay for the Delta Dart building,
and then stay a little longer to see more
airplanes fly. The longer they stick around,
the more excited they get and the more
drinks, food, and raffle tickets they buy.
This year we spent $15 on toys and $55 on
Delta Darts, so we invested $70 to
encourage everyone to stay both of the full
days.
Be Heard: You need a sound system for
your fly-in. You can’t yell at everybody,
and you should be able to communicate to
everyone: public and pilots. You need to
announce your pilots’ meeting, information
about food, who the event sponsors are
(mention them repeatedly throughout the
weekend), safety concerns, etc.
You can borrow a sound system, or
RadioShack sells cheap units with horntype
speakers that will suffice. This is
where your club needs to make more
decisions.
Many groups borrow tables, chairs,
sound systems, shade tents, and other
equipment. There is nothing wrong with
this; a large number of clubs get what they
have from volunteers and donations in the
first place. Churches or maybe the local
Moose or Elks Lodge can be great sources.
However, if you hold fun-flys for a few
years and they make money as they should,
your club can buy things it requires. Mine
owns everything it needs: 20-30 tables, 125
chairs, storage shelves, several huge shade
tents, mowers, a generator, a blower, and
more. Be patient and spend wisely, and
soon your club will be equipped for events.
Remember that you must spend money to
make money—not lots but just enough.
Clubs could end up investing $20 for the
sanction, $100-$150 for paper and stamps,
$70 for entertainment (Delta Darts, kids’
toys), maybe $200-$500 for raffle prizes, $8
for each roll of raffle tickets, etc.
If you’ve never done it, try hosting an
event and start small. If you already hold a
one-day fly-in, try expanding it by adding
days to the schedule.
If I can answer any questions or if you’d
like to see some of my signs, flyers, or
whatever else I have, please feel free to ask.
I’d love to help—but that’s just the CD in
me. MA
Michael Brown
[email protected]
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/04
Page Numbers: 34,35,36,37,38,40,42
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/04
Page Numbers: 34,35,36,37,38,40,42
MY PURPOSE in writing this is to help
clubs and individuals who have never done so
put on an event that will not only be fun, but
also increase club membership and make
money for flying-field preservation in the
process.
This isn’t about my events; it’s about how
I put them together. I know of several clubs
that have put on fun-flys that lost money
instead of making money, just by how they
did things. The ideas I will present to you
have helped a few of them turn a modest
profit.
In addition, this is just one way of doing
things—not the only way. With your thoughts
and volunteers’ input, I am sure you can make
these ideas suit your area and event.
When I started one of my favorite events, the
Super Fun Fly, it was all about having fun
without concern for
club profit. It still is,
and always will be,
about fun first and
foremost, but now it
makes money for
our club.
Our first event
was nothing fancy,
but it was a huge
success because
April 2009 35
Above: Checks exceeding $2,000 apiece are presented to presidents (L, R) of two local clubs that joined to
put on a successful event. Any club event can make money.
Above left: Building is a fun activity that the young and mature can appreciate. The opportunity attracts a
lot of attention.
Left: Summer activities that include water fun attract not only pilots, but also the families who appreciate
the parklike setting.
everybody had fun. I decided to make the
affair larger in its third year, so I sanctioned it
with the AMA. I also added another day to it,
Sunday, and told pilots they could set up and
fly on Friday.
The club members set things up on
Wednesday, and, since the fly-in is held
during Labor Day weekend, pilots are
welcomed from Wednesday until Monday.
So in a sense, they could be there six days
and stay five nights; that’s more bang for
their buck and it costs the club nothing to
allow them to stay longer.
It’s Easy: Many people think that putting on
an event is too much for them, but I disagree.
It’s easy to organize, and it mostly only takes
bits and pieces of your time. For me, this
translates into six to 12 months of planning.
I start preparing for the two big annual
events I do as soon as the previous years’ are
over; that way, the tasks are spread out over a
longer period of time. Breaking it into pieces
makes it much more manageable.
I’ll take you through the process of how I
create an event and break it down to make it
easier to understand. At times I will refer to
my last event: this year’s Super Fun Fly.
Lay the Groundwork: If neither you nor
your club has put on an event, go to a good
one, watch, and take notes. Don’t try to
remember everything—and leave your
airplanes at home.
One person will need to be “in charge” of
the event; this is the CD. If you want to have
a sanctioned event, you will first need to pass
the AMA CD test.
Once you have attained CD status, pick a
date for your event. Look at event schedules
such as AMA’s “Contest Calendar,” those on
other clubs’ Web sites, etc. I suggest that you
choose a date that is three to four weeks away
from huge events that are within 250 miles of
your area.
Next, look at the likely weather conditions
during the time of year you are considering.
Decide on a tentative date now as your
preferred date of choice. You might also want
to pick an alternate date as you are looking at
the calendars.
Before I decide to put on an event, I do the
wise thing and talk with my wife. She always
ends up running back and forth from town for
everything for my fun-fly, from ice to, well,
who knows what.
Since she and my youngest son help me,
it’s important to hold the event at times that
work for them. It would be unfair to just
expect them to be a part of it, and our families
share in everything we do in some way.
Present the event idea and date(s) at a club
meeting, roughly eight to 12 months in
advance. For my last event, I told everybody
that I wanted to gear it toward the public first,
pilots second, and moneymaking third,
because I wanted to strengthen our ties with
the community. Doing this is not only good
for the hobby, but it also attracts members,
which is something all clubs need.
The only comment was that some
members wanted to make sure we would
04sig2.QXD 2/24/09 9:40 AM Page 35
36 MODEL AVIATION
Photos by the author
The optimal layout for a fly-in includes good
parking and shaded areas so that spectators,
workers, and pilots can find comfort.
Volunteers make the event. Place the right
people in the right places, and things will go
smoothly. Reward them as often as possible.
A middle school cheerleader group was welcomed as a vendor at the
Super Fun Fly. Consider the public-relations opportunities of having
an event in your community.
Any event can benefit from raffles. Display the prizes and sponsors
prominently, and save the drawing for last.
Activities that include young people are appreciated by the
parents as well. The news media typically love these stories.
Provisions for camping extends the life of the fun-fly beyond official hours. The
community that builds encourages return visits.
Parents can relax at
an event when their
children feel like
participants. Have
things for the kids to
do, and the parents
will attend.
04sig2.QXD 2/24/09 9:25 AM Page 36
April 2009 37
Sanctions and Safety
Safety should be top priority—especially at events, since
some of the pilots might not be used to flying together.
Following are the basics.
Communication at the flightline is key. Using spotters and
talking to each other will go a long way. I believe in
employing a transmitter impound for other than 2.4 GHz
systems and a maximum of five models in the air at one time
(depending on site conditions).
Airplane inspections are not done at all events. It is a
choice, but it is for the benefit of all pilots and spectators.
When I conduct safety inspections, I make sure that things
are tight, such as the engine or motor, propeller/spinner,
landing gear, and all flying surfaces. I also check to ensure
that some kind of keeper is on all clevises and that superior
linkages such as ball joints or Z-bends are used.
We all sign the AMA forms stating that our airplanes
are airworthy when we fly at a sanctioned event, but that
doesn’t mean we always check for worn hinges or a loose
motor or engine. We have saved countless airplanes from
tragedy with
the discovery
of broken
hinges alone.
Think
safety in every
aspect of your
event—not just
in regards to
the pilots and
airplanes. MA
—Michael
Brown
Make spectators part of the show. Interactive activities
such as this Delta Dart launch promote the hobby/sport
and makes the public feel appreciated.
Your club can award the pilots with simple and low-cost yet
effective trophies. This can help boost the talent attendance.
The sunset is a good part of the day and the perfect end to the
event. Be sure to thank everyone who is there as often as you can.
How did you feel when
you built your first
model? You probably
wanted to fly it then
and now!
04sig2.QXD 2/24/09 9:46 AM Page 37
profit if we were going to have to work four
or five days. I assured all present that there
would be registration fees and a raffle booth,
both of which make money.
After your club has approved the event,
start talking with potential volunteers. Look
at members you respect or who already help
the club in other ways. Even consider what
they do or have done for a living. If you
have a great chef in your club, why ask a
bartender to cook your banquet dinner?
It helps if you can have regular event
meetings with all volunteers and, for
goodness sakes, listen to them! If they work
a department, they will probably have a good
understanding of what it needs. As long as
safety isn’t adversely affected, go for it.
I believe in lists for everything. You
don’t forget much if you can check off each
item as it’s received and then again when it’s
loaded and taken to the field. Make one
checklist for each department (registration,
impound, food, raffle, volunteers, etc.).
I don’t care if you have the most
beautiful event site in the world; it’s going to
be a mess if you are unprepared and
unorganized.
I send off the AMA sanction papers at
least six months early, to make sure I get the
three free months of magazine advertising. If
your club doesn’t own the event property,
you will need AMA’s site insurance; it’s
affordable and protects the property owners.
Spread the News: I make three flyers: one
to send to out-of-town pilots, one for the
newsletter, and one for the public. Each is
unique, since I am targeting different types
of people.
Out-of-town pilots want event
information, maps, motel phone numbers,
the number of days they can stay, whether or
not they can arrive early, and more. I say
they can come at least a day early, to give
them a day to relax and put their airplanes
together. They can also fly if they want.
The second flyer, for the club newsletter,
announces the event and prepares members
for the “Can you volunteer?” questions to
come. It also goes to many other clubs’
newsletter editors.
You need to think about the flyer for the
public. You are targeting people who don’t
fly models, so you need to help them
understand what you are offering and make
them want to attend the event. Don’t call it a
“fun-fly”; they will have no idea what that is.
Use headlines such as “Free Air Show.”
Schedule a couple of pilots to fly a Combat
round or mock Pylon race each day, and put
that on the handout. Call it an “Air Race” and
write “Airplane Combat.”
Advertise food, drinks, a free swap meet,
and a raffle, if you will have those things, and
emphasize “Public Welcome.” If other
activities are planned, such as buddy-box
flying or a Delta Dart building seminar,
publicize those as well. Include the contact
information and a map on the back of the
flyer. And don’t forget the date!
I post flyers for the public on supermarket
information boards, for great free advertising.
Raffle Talk: You don’t have to host a raffle,
but you will want to if your goal is to make
money. Start buying items to give away
during the Christmas shopping season; it’s the
best time for super sales, and not just on
hobby items.
Aeromodeling supplies can be difficult to
give as prizes. If you raffle off a 12-ounce fuel
tank, the winner might fly with electric power.
I concentrate on items that most attendees
would probably like, such as tools, folding
chairs, coolers, picture frames, etc. If it isn’t
on sale or on closeout, I’m not interested.
The public will probably buy lots of raffle
tickets if you offer everyday items. The most
important thing to give away is a trainer
model.
Your local hobby shop can be a great
source for raffle items, but don’t expect it to
fill a truck. Ask for a donation, sure, but also
ask if the store personnel will talk with their
suppliers. If this is the only event your local
hobby shop supports and it actively asks
several suppliers, you are most likely in for a
treat.
At least three months before the event, sit
down with a few newer hobby magazines.
(This is a time when you will be glad for all
those ads.) Start a spreadsheet to keep track of
all of the hobby suppliers’ postal-mail
addresses, e-mail addresses, telephone
numbers, and Web sites. Make a list that you
can easily print. (Saving this and all other lists
helps greatly with future events.)
When you have your register of
companies, craft a donation-request letter.
Make it look as professional as possible, and
request their product brochures to hand out
with any contributions they make. Send
requests to 50 companies (12-15 weeks early).
Include your letter, a copy of your sanction,
and an event flyer.
To save a buck, put the sanction and flyer
on one piece of paper. Print the request on one
side of another sheet, and add the sponsor’s
address and your return address on the other
side. Fold it twice and stamp it, and no
envelope is necessary. Don’t forget to include
local businesses in your mailing.
The last and most important thing for my
raffle is the raffle wheel. We sell tickets for $1
each, and $5 buys six tickets and a chance to
spin the wheel. It has 16 spaces numbered
from 6 to 20. The purchaser gets the six
tickets plus the number of tickets on which the
wheel lands.
You can probably afford to hold a raffle, at
less than $10 for 2,000 tickets. And many
people love to spin the wheel; it entices them
to spend at least $5. We sold 31/2 rolls of
tickets at one event; that’s 7,000!
The raffle area is a great place to pass on
old magazines; set up a small table on which
to put them. The public generally loves free
publications, and this might help get them into
the hobby.
I have nicknamed raffles “event killers.” If
you are holding a big drawing and people are
waiting for it to happen, they will leave as
soon as it’s finished, as sure as if it started
pouring down rain.
Reward your sponsors. Print their names
on nice colored-paper stock and post in a few
spots at the event. When the fly-in is finished,
send those companies thank-you letters and
maybe a picture or two. They deserve it.
Contact Your Talent: If you don’t know
many out-of-town pilots, think of clubs as
resources. The AMA Web site’s club locator
or event directory will help.
If you can, attend a few events and ask the
CDs for copies of the sign-up sheets. As long
as there are no conflicts, he or she should
consent. But don’t go to a jet event looking
for fun-fly pilots.
Get e-mail addresses of potential attendees
if you can, and ask them to pass the flyer on to
all their flying friends in their address books.
Do this at least two months early; a few
months gives people time to really plan for the
fly-in.
Publicize Your Event: At this point, make a
press release about your fun-fly. It costs only
a few stamps and several sheets of paper to
get tons of free advertising.
I send a press release to every television
station, radio station, and newspaper within
150 miles, which works out to 34 companies
for me. Include such true phrasing as “ … a
free air show,” “Aeromodeling is a good
family hobby,” and “ … will help bring the
community together.”
Sure Path to the Heart: If you prepare
concessions for the event instead of having it
catered, make a list of everything you’ll need,
from the food to tape for keeping cloths on
tables. As for everything else you’ll purchase
for the fly-in, shop smart but get quality
products.
Buy decent paper plates and plastic ware.
Nothing’s worse than a plate that won’t hold
the food you serve.
If you can get items on sale or even on
closeout, do it. Having time to find bargains is
one of the benefits of taking your time to put
on an event. I bought 1,000 knives and forks
on sale—not because I needed that many, but
because they were the same price as 250, and
I knew our future events would require free
utensils.
If you want to keep it simple, buy hot dogs
(all-beef—no other meat) and barbecue them;
don’t boil them. People don’t go to a party for
the smell of boiled anything.
Buy brand-name soft drinks; most people
don’t like the cheap store brands. Charge $1
per can and keep it ice-cold.
One annual event I put on features a
banquet dinner, and it works out great but is a
lot of extra work. Ask how many would be
interested in a dinner for the following year. If
many like the idea, host one; if not, don’t.
Either way, limit the amount of dinners and
sell tickets.
Our events’ main food is lunch. A burger,
chips, and a drink doesn’t cost anywhere near
the $5 we charge. You could also serve some
kind of breakfast. A couple pancakes, three
pieces of sausage, and two eggs for $5 sounds
good and is even more profitable.
Food equals money for your club, but you
must have volunteers. They are the key to
everything.
Keep ’Em Busy: This is where some extra
fun can come in, and it will make your
event different than the regular fly-eat-fly
gathering. We noticed that kids would get
bored after awhile and want to leave, but
their parents wanted to stay. At first my
wife and I bought cheap toys for the
children, and occasionally I would give the
kids a pick of a couple things out of a bag.
One year my wife said, “Why don’t we
have some kids’ games, off to the side, and
well away from the flying area?” So we
started doing a few games for the little ones
and it worked well.
I was looking at the AMA store one day
and saw the Delta Dart (a simple rubberband-
powered model for beginners to
construct), and this project became a part of
our event. It’s great!
We have held three of these airplane
builds, and everybody from spectators to
pilots, young and old, take part. It is free to
all, and we have volunteers to help. It takes
just one hour, when done properly, and is
limited to the first 40 participants.
The Delta Dart build concludes with a
mass launch, and the pilot with the longest
flight wins a much larger rubber-powered
kit. It’s a blast, with big smiles and
participants cheering for their friends.
Another fun thing we do is buddy-box
flying with the public. The event attendees
not only enjoy seeing their family members
fly an airplane, but some of the new
students enjoy the experience and end up
being future club members.
We don’t run buddy-box flights all day.
We hold them for two to three hours at one
of our five flying stations; this way, we
don’t bother the other pilots too much.
The Delta Dart build and buddy-box
flying are free. But if you think you don’t
make money doing them, think again.
Parents and children stay to see the next
race, then stay for the Delta Dart building,
and then stay a little longer to see more
airplanes fly. The longer they stick around,
the more excited they get and the more
drinks, food, and raffle tickets they buy.
This year we spent $15 on toys and $55 on
Delta Darts, so we invested $70 to
encourage everyone to stay both of the full
days.
Be Heard: You need a sound system for
your fly-in. You can’t yell at everybody,
and you should be able to communicate to
everyone: public and pilots. You need to
announce your pilots’ meeting, information
about food, who the event sponsors are
(mention them repeatedly throughout the
weekend), safety concerns, etc.
You can borrow a sound system, or
RadioShack sells cheap units with horntype
speakers that will suffice. This is
where your club needs to make more
decisions.
Many groups borrow tables, chairs,
sound systems, shade tents, and other
equipment. There is nothing wrong with
this; a large number of clubs get what they
have from volunteers and donations in the
first place. Churches or maybe the local
Moose or Elks Lodge can be great sources.
However, if you hold fun-flys for a few
years and they make money as they should,
your club can buy things it requires. Mine
owns everything it needs: 20-30 tables, 125
chairs, storage shelves, several huge shade
tents, mowers, a generator, a blower, and
more. Be patient and spend wisely, and
soon your club will be equipped for events.
Remember that you must spend money to
make money—not lots but just enough.
Clubs could end up investing $20 for the
sanction, $100-$150 for paper and stamps,
$70 for entertainment (Delta Darts, kids’
toys), maybe $200-$500 for raffle prizes, $8
for each roll of raffle tickets, etc.
If you’ve never done it, try hosting an
event and start small. If you already hold a
one-day fly-in, try expanding it by adding
days to the schedule.
If I can answer any questions or if you’d
like to see some of my signs, flyers, or
whatever else I have, please feel free to ask.
I’d love to help—but that’s just the CD in
me. MA
Michael Brown
[email protected]
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/04
Page Numbers: 34,35,36,37,38,40,42
MY PURPOSE in writing this is to help
clubs and individuals who have never done so
put on an event that will not only be fun, but
also increase club membership and make
money for flying-field preservation in the
process.
This isn’t about my events; it’s about how
I put them together. I know of several clubs
that have put on fun-flys that lost money
instead of making money, just by how they
did things. The ideas I will present to you
have helped a few of them turn a modest
profit.
In addition, this is just one way of doing
things—not the only way. With your thoughts
and volunteers’ input, I am sure you can make
these ideas suit your area and event.
When I started one of my favorite events, the
Super Fun Fly, it was all about having fun
without concern for
club profit. It still is,
and always will be,
about fun first and
foremost, but now it
makes money for
our club.
Our first event
was nothing fancy,
but it was a huge
success because
April 2009 35
Above: Checks exceeding $2,000 apiece are presented to presidents (L, R) of two local clubs that joined to
put on a successful event. Any club event can make money.
Above left: Building is a fun activity that the young and mature can appreciate. The opportunity attracts a
lot of attention.
Left: Summer activities that include water fun attract not only pilots, but also the families who appreciate
the parklike setting.
everybody had fun. I decided to make the
affair larger in its third year, so I sanctioned it
with the AMA. I also added another day to it,
Sunday, and told pilots they could set up and
fly on Friday.
The club members set things up on
Wednesday, and, since the fly-in is held
during Labor Day weekend, pilots are
welcomed from Wednesday until Monday.
So in a sense, they could be there six days
and stay five nights; that’s more bang for
their buck and it costs the club nothing to
allow them to stay longer.
It’s Easy: Many people think that putting on
an event is too much for them, but I disagree.
It’s easy to organize, and it mostly only takes
bits and pieces of your time. For me, this
translates into six to 12 months of planning.
I start preparing for the two big annual
events I do as soon as the previous years’ are
over; that way, the tasks are spread out over a
longer period of time. Breaking it into pieces
makes it much more manageable.
I’ll take you through the process of how I
create an event and break it down to make it
easier to understand. At times I will refer to
my last event: this year’s Super Fun Fly.
Lay the Groundwork: If neither you nor
your club has put on an event, go to a good
one, watch, and take notes. Don’t try to
remember everything—and leave your
airplanes at home.
One person will need to be “in charge” of
the event; this is the CD. If you want to have
a sanctioned event, you will first need to pass
the AMA CD test.
Once you have attained CD status, pick a
date for your event. Look at event schedules
such as AMA’s “Contest Calendar,” those on
other clubs’ Web sites, etc. I suggest that you
choose a date that is three to four weeks away
from huge events that are within 250 miles of
your area.
Next, look at the likely weather conditions
during the time of year you are considering.
Decide on a tentative date now as your
preferred date of choice. You might also want
to pick an alternate date as you are looking at
the calendars.
Before I decide to put on an event, I do the
wise thing and talk with my wife. She always
ends up running back and forth from town for
everything for my fun-fly, from ice to, well,
who knows what.
Since she and my youngest son help me,
it’s important to hold the event at times that
work for them. It would be unfair to just
expect them to be a part of it, and our families
share in everything we do in some way.
Present the event idea and date(s) at a club
meeting, roughly eight to 12 months in
advance. For my last event, I told everybody
that I wanted to gear it toward the public first,
pilots second, and moneymaking third,
because I wanted to strengthen our ties with
the community. Doing this is not only good
for the hobby, but it also attracts members,
which is something all clubs need.
The only comment was that some
members wanted to make sure we would
04sig2.QXD 2/24/09 9:40 AM Page 35
36 MODEL AVIATION
Photos by the author
The optimal layout for a fly-in includes good
parking and shaded areas so that spectators,
workers, and pilots can find comfort.
Volunteers make the event. Place the right
people in the right places, and things will go
smoothly. Reward them as often as possible.
A middle school cheerleader group was welcomed as a vendor at the
Super Fun Fly. Consider the public-relations opportunities of having
an event in your community.
Any event can benefit from raffles. Display the prizes and sponsors
prominently, and save the drawing for last.
Activities that include young people are appreciated by the
parents as well. The news media typically love these stories.
Provisions for camping extends the life of the fun-fly beyond official hours. The
community that builds encourages return visits.
Parents can relax at
an event when their
children feel like
participants. Have
things for the kids to
do, and the parents
will attend.
04sig2.QXD 2/24/09 9:25 AM Page 36
April 2009 37
Sanctions and Safety
Safety should be top priority—especially at events, since
some of the pilots might not be used to flying together.
Following are the basics.
Communication at the flightline is key. Using spotters and
talking to each other will go a long way. I believe in
employing a transmitter impound for other than 2.4 GHz
systems and a maximum of five models in the air at one time
(depending on site conditions).
Airplane inspections are not done at all events. It is a
choice, but it is for the benefit of all pilots and spectators.
When I conduct safety inspections, I make sure that things
are tight, such as the engine or motor, propeller/spinner,
landing gear, and all flying surfaces. I also check to ensure
that some kind of keeper is on all clevises and that superior
linkages such as ball joints or Z-bends are used.
We all sign the AMA forms stating that our airplanes
are airworthy when we fly at a sanctioned event, but that
doesn’t mean we always check for worn hinges or a loose
motor or engine. We have saved countless airplanes from
tragedy with
the discovery
of broken
hinges alone.
Think
safety in every
aspect of your
event—not just
in regards to
the pilots and
airplanes. MA
—Michael
Brown
Make spectators part of the show. Interactive activities
such as this Delta Dart launch promote the hobby/sport
and makes the public feel appreciated.
Your club can award the pilots with simple and low-cost yet
effective trophies. This can help boost the talent attendance.
The sunset is a good part of the day and the perfect end to the
event. Be sure to thank everyone who is there as often as you can.
How did you feel when
you built your first
model? You probably
wanted to fly it then
and now!
04sig2.QXD 2/24/09 9:46 AM Page 37
profit if we were going to have to work four
or five days. I assured all present that there
would be registration fees and a raffle booth,
both of which make money.
After your club has approved the event,
start talking with potential volunteers. Look
at members you respect or who already help
the club in other ways. Even consider what
they do or have done for a living. If you
have a great chef in your club, why ask a
bartender to cook your banquet dinner?
It helps if you can have regular event
meetings with all volunteers and, for
goodness sakes, listen to them! If they work
a department, they will probably have a good
understanding of what it needs. As long as
safety isn’t adversely affected, go for it.
I believe in lists for everything. You
don’t forget much if you can check off each
item as it’s received and then again when it’s
loaded and taken to the field. Make one
checklist for each department (registration,
impound, food, raffle, volunteers, etc.).
I don’t care if you have the most
beautiful event site in the world; it’s going to
be a mess if you are unprepared and
unorganized.
I send off the AMA sanction papers at
least six months early, to make sure I get the
three free months of magazine advertising. If
your club doesn’t own the event property,
you will need AMA’s site insurance; it’s
affordable and protects the property owners.
Spread the News: I make three flyers: one
to send to out-of-town pilots, one for the
newsletter, and one for the public. Each is
unique, since I am targeting different types
of people.
Out-of-town pilots want event
information, maps, motel phone numbers,
the number of days they can stay, whether or
not they can arrive early, and more. I say
they can come at least a day early, to give
them a day to relax and put their airplanes
together. They can also fly if they want.
The second flyer, for the club newsletter,
announces the event and prepares members
for the “Can you volunteer?” questions to
come. It also goes to many other clubs’
newsletter editors.
You need to think about the flyer for the
public. You are targeting people who don’t
fly models, so you need to help them
understand what you are offering and make
them want to attend the event. Don’t call it a
“fun-fly”; they will have no idea what that is.
Use headlines such as “Free Air Show.”
Schedule a couple of pilots to fly a Combat
round or mock Pylon race each day, and put
that on the handout. Call it an “Air Race” and
write “Airplane Combat.”
Advertise food, drinks, a free swap meet,
and a raffle, if you will have those things, and
emphasize “Public Welcome.” If other
activities are planned, such as buddy-box
flying or a Delta Dart building seminar,
publicize those as well. Include the contact
information and a map on the back of the
flyer. And don’t forget the date!
I post flyers for the public on supermarket
information boards, for great free advertising.
Raffle Talk: You don’t have to host a raffle,
but you will want to if your goal is to make
money. Start buying items to give away
during the Christmas shopping season; it’s the
best time for super sales, and not just on
hobby items.
Aeromodeling supplies can be difficult to
give as prizes. If you raffle off a 12-ounce fuel
tank, the winner might fly with electric power.
I concentrate on items that most attendees
would probably like, such as tools, folding
chairs, coolers, picture frames, etc. If it isn’t
on sale or on closeout, I’m not interested.
The public will probably buy lots of raffle
tickets if you offer everyday items. The most
important thing to give away is a trainer
model.
Your local hobby shop can be a great
source for raffle items, but don’t expect it to
fill a truck. Ask for a donation, sure, but also
ask if the store personnel will talk with their
suppliers. If this is the only event your local
hobby shop supports and it actively asks
several suppliers, you are most likely in for a
treat.
At least three months before the event, sit
down with a few newer hobby magazines.
(This is a time when you will be glad for all
those ads.) Start a spreadsheet to keep track of
all of the hobby suppliers’ postal-mail
addresses, e-mail addresses, telephone
numbers, and Web sites. Make a list that you
can easily print. (Saving this and all other lists
helps greatly with future events.)
When you have your register of
companies, craft a donation-request letter.
Make it look as professional as possible, and
request their product brochures to hand out
with any contributions they make. Send
requests to 50 companies (12-15 weeks early).
Include your letter, a copy of your sanction,
and an event flyer.
To save a buck, put the sanction and flyer
on one piece of paper. Print the request on one
side of another sheet, and add the sponsor’s
address and your return address on the other
side. Fold it twice and stamp it, and no
envelope is necessary. Don’t forget to include
local businesses in your mailing.
The last and most important thing for my
raffle is the raffle wheel. We sell tickets for $1
each, and $5 buys six tickets and a chance to
spin the wheel. It has 16 spaces numbered
from 6 to 20. The purchaser gets the six
tickets plus the number of tickets on which the
wheel lands.
You can probably afford to hold a raffle, at
less than $10 for 2,000 tickets. And many
people love to spin the wheel; it entices them
to spend at least $5. We sold 31/2 rolls of
tickets at one event; that’s 7,000!
The raffle area is a great place to pass on
old magazines; set up a small table on which
to put them. The public generally loves free
publications, and this might help get them into
the hobby.
I have nicknamed raffles “event killers.” If
you are holding a big drawing and people are
waiting for it to happen, they will leave as
soon as it’s finished, as sure as if it started
pouring down rain.
Reward your sponsors. Print their names
on nice colored-paper stock and post in a few
spots at the event. When the fly-in is finished,
send those companies thank-you letters and
maybe a picture or two. They deserve it.
Contact Your Talent: If you don’t know
many out-of-town pilots, think of clubs as
resources. The AMA Web site’s club locator
or event directory will help.
If you can, attend a few events and ask the
CDs for copies of the sign-up sheets. As long
as there are no conflicts, he or she should
consent. But don’t go to a jet event looking
for fun-fly pilots.
Get e-mail addresses of potential attendees
if you can, and ask them to pass the flyer on to
all their flying friends in their address books.
Do this at least two months early; a few
months gives people time to really plan for the
fly-in.
Publicize Your Event: At this point, make a
press release about your fun-fly. It costs only
a few stamps and several sheets of paper to
get tons of free advertising.
I send a press release to every television
station, radio station, and newspaper within
150 miles, which works out to 34 companies
for me. Include such true phrasing as “ … a
free air show,” “Aeromodeling is a good
family hobby,” and “ … will help bring the
community together.”
Sure Path to the Heart: If you prepare
concessions for the event instead of having it
catered, make a list of everything you’ll need,
from the food to tape for keeping cloths on
tables. As for everything else you’ll purchase
for the fly-in, shop smart but get quality
products.
Buy decent paper plates and plastic ware.
Nothing’s worse than a plate that won’t hold
the food you serve.
If you can get items on sale or even on
closeout, do it. Having time to find bargains is
one of the benefits of taking your time to put
on an event. I bought 1,000 knives and forks
on sale—not because I needed that many, but
because they were the same price as 250, and
I knew our future events would require free
utensils.
If you want to keep it simple, buy hot dogs
(all-beef—no other meat) and barbecue them;
don’t boil them. People don’t go to a party for
the smell of boiled anything.
Buy brand-name soft drinks; most people
don’t like the cheap store brands. Charge $1
per can and keep it ice-cold.
One annual event I put on features a
banquet dinner, and it works out great but is a
lot of extra work. Ask how many would be
interested in a dinner for the following year. If
many like the idea, host one; if not, don’t.
Either way, limit the amount of dinners and
sell tickets.
Our events’ main food is lunch. A burger,
chips, and a drink doesn’t cost anywhere near
the $5 we charge. You could also serve some
kind of breakfast. A couple pancakes, three
pieces of sausage, and two eggs for $5 sounds
good and is even more profitable.
Food equals money for your club, but you
must have volunteers. They are the key to
everything.
Keep ’Em Busy: This is where some extra
fun can come in, and it will make your
event different than the regular fly-eat-fly
gathering. We noticed that kids would get
bored after awhile and want to leave, but
their parents wanted to stay. At first my
wife and I bought cheap toys for the
children, and occasionally I would give the
kids a pick of a couple things out of a bag.
One year my wife said, “Why don’t we
have some kids’ games, off to the side, and
well away from the flying area?” So we
started doing a few games for the little ones
and it worked well.
I was looking at the AMA store one day
and saw the Delta Dart (a simple rubberband-
powered model for beginners to
construct), and this project became a part of
our event. It’s great!
We have held three of these airplane
builds, and everybody from spectators to
pilots, young and old, take part. It is free to
all, and we have volunteers to help. It takes
just one hour, when done properly, and is
limited to the first 40 participants.
The Delta Dart build concludes with a
mass launch, and the pilot with the longest
flight wins a much larger rubber-powered
kit. It’s a blast, with big smiles and
participants cheering for their friends.
Another fun thing we do is buddy-box
flying with the public. The event attendees
not only enjoy seeing their family members
fly an airplane, but some of the new
students enjoy the experience and end up
being future club members.
We don’t run buddy-box flights all day.
We hold them for two to three hours at one
of our five flying stations; this way, we
don’t bother the other pilots too much.
The Delta Dart build and buddy-box
flying are free. But if you think you don’t
make money doing them, think again.
Parents and children stay to see the next
race, then stay for the Delta Dart building,
and then stay a little longer to see more
airplanes fly. The longer they stick around,
the more excited they get and the more
drinks, food, and raffle tickets they buy.
This year we spent $15 on toys and $55 on
Delta Darts, so we invested $70 to
encourage everyone to stay both of the full
days.
Be Heard: You need a sound system for
your fly-in. You can’t yell at everybody,
and you should be able to communicate to
everyone: public and pilots. You need to
announce your pilots’ meeting, information
about food, who the event sponsors are
(mention them repeatedly throughout the
weekend), safety concerns, etc.
You can borrow a sound system, or
RadioShack sells cheap units with horntype
speakers that will suffice. This is
where your club needs to make more
decisions.
Many groups borrow tables, chairs,
sound systems, shade tents, and other
equipment. There is nothing wrong with
this; a large number of clubs get what they
have from volunteers and donations in the
first place. Churches or maybe the local
Moose or Elks Lodge can be great sources.
However, if you hold fun-flys for a few
years and they make money as they should,
your club can buy things it requires. Mine
owns everything it needs: 20-30 tables, 125
chairs, storage shelves, several huge shade
tents, mowers, a generator, a blower, and
more. Be patient and spend wisely, and
soon your club will be equipped for events.
Remember that you must spend money to
make money—not lots but just enough.
Clubs could end up investing $20 for the
sanction, $100-$150 for paper and stamps,
$70 for entertainment (Delta Darts, kids’
toys), maybe $200-$500 for raffle prizes, $8
for each roll of raffle tickets, etc.
If you’ve never done it, try hosting an
event and start small. If you already hold a
one-day fly-in, try expanding it by adding
days to the schedule.
If I can answer any questions or if you’d
like to see some of my signs, flyers, or
whatever else I have, please feel free to ask.
I’d love to help—but that’s just the CD in
me. MA
Michael Brown
[email protected]
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/04
Page Numbers: 34,35,36,37,38,40,42
MY PURPOSE in writing this is to help
clubs and individuals who have never done so
put on an event that will not only be fun, but
also increase club membership and make
money for flying-field preservation in the
process.
This isn’t about my events; it’s about how
I put them together. I know of several clubs
that have put on fun-flys that lost money
instead of making money, just by how they
did things. The ideas I will present to you
have helped a few of them turn a modest
profit.
In addition, this is just one way of doing
things—not the only way. With your thoughts
and volunteers’ input, I am sure you can make
these ideas suit your area and event.
When I started one of my favorite events, the
Super Fun Fly, it was all about having fun
without concern for
club profit. It still is,
and always will be,
about fun first and
foremost, but now it
makes money for
our club.
Our first event
was nothing fancy,
but it was a huge
success because
April 2009 35
Above: Checks exceeding $2,000 apiece are presented to presidents (L, R) of two local clubs that joined to
put on a successful event. Any club event can make money.
Above left: Building is a fun activity that the young and mature can appreciate. The opportunity attracts a
lot of attention.
Left: Summer activities that include water fun attract not only pilots, but also the families who appreciate
the parklike setting.
everybody had fun. I decided to make the
affair larger in its third year, so I sanctioned it
with the AMA. I also added another day to it,
Sunday, and told pilots they could set up and
fly on Friday.
The club members set things up on
Wednesday, and, since the fly-in is held
during Labor Day weekend, pilots are
welcomed from Wednesday until Monday.
So in a sense, they could be there six days
and stay five nights; that’s more bang for
their buck and it costs the club nothing to
allow them to stay longer.
It’s Easy: Many people think that putting on
an event is too much for them, but I disagree.
It’s easy to organize, and it mostly only takes
bits and pieces of your time. For me, this
translates into six to 12 months of planning.
I start preparing for the two big annual
events I do as soon as the previous years’ are
over; that way, the tasks are spread out over a
longer period of time. Breaking it into pieces
makes it much more manageable.
I’ll take you through the process of how I
create an event and break it down to make it
easier to understand. At times I will refer to
my last event: this year’s Super Fun Fly.
Lay the Groundwork: If neither you nor
your club has put on an event, go to a good
one, watch, and take notes. Don’t try to
remember everything—and leave your
airplanes at home.
One person will need to be “in charge” of
the event; this is the CD. If you want to have
a sanctioned event, you will first need to pass
the AMA CD test.
Once you have attained CD status, pick a
date for your event. Look at event schedules
such as AMA’s “Contest Calendar,” those on
other clubs’ Web sites, etc. I suggest that you
choose a date that is three to four weeks away
from huge events that are within 250 miles of
your area.
Next, look at the likely weather conditions
during the time of year you are considering.
Decide on a tentative date now as your
preferred date of choice. You might also want
to pick an alternate date as you are looking at
the calendars.
Before I decide to put on an event, I do the
wise thing and talk with my wife. She always
ends up running back and forth from town for
everything for my fun-fly, from ice to, well,
who knows what.
Since she and my youngest son help me,
it’s important to hold the event at times that
work for them. It would be unfair to just
expect them to be a part of it, and our families
share in everything we do in some way.
Present the event idea and date(s) at a club
meeting, roughly eight to 12 months in
advance. For my last event, I told everybody
that I wanted to gear it toward the public first,
pilots second, and moneymaking third,
because I wanted to strengthen our ties with
the community. Doing this is not only good
for the hobby, but it also attracts members,
which is something all clubs need.
The only comment was that some
members wanted to make sure we would
04sig2.QXD 2/24/09 9:40 AM Page 35
36 MODEL AVIATION
Photos by the author
The optimal layout for a fly-in includes good
parking and shaded areas so that spectators,
workers, and pilots can find comfort.
Volunteers make the event. Place the right
people in the right places, and things will go
smoothly. Reward them as often as possible.
A middle school cheerleader group was welcomed as a vendor at the
Super Fun Fly. Consider the public-relations opportunities of having
an event in your community.
Any event can benefit from raffles. Display the prizes and sponsors
prominently, and save the drawing for last.
Activities that include young people are appreciated by the
parents as well. The news media typically love these stories.
Provisions for camping extends the life of the fun-fly beyond official hours. The
community that builds encourages return visits.
Parents can relax at
an event when their
children feel like
participants. Have
things for the kids to
do, and the parents
will attend.
04sig2.QXD 2/24/09 9:25 AM Page 36
April 2009 37
Sanctions and Safety
Safety should be top priority—especially at events, since
some of the pilots might not be used to flying together.
Following are the basics.
Communication at the flightline is key. Using spotters and
talking to each other will go a long way. I believe in
employing a transmitter impound for other than 2.4 GHz
systems and a maximum of five models in the air at one time
(depending on site conditions).
Airplane inspections are not done at all events. It is a
choice, but it is for the benefit of all pilots and spectators.
When I conduct safety inspections, I make sure that things
are tight, such as the engine or motor, propeller/spinner,
landing gear, and all flying surfaces. I also check to ensure
that some kind of keeper is on all clevises and that superior
linkages such as ball joints or Z-bends are used.
We all sign the AMA forms stating that our airplanes
are airworthy when we fly at a sanctioned event, but that
doesn’t mean we always check for worn hinges or a loose
motor or engine. We have saved countless airplanes from
tragedy with
the discovery
of broken
hinges alone.
Think
safety in every
aspect of your
event—not just
in regards to
the pilots and
airplanes. MA
—Michael
Brown
Make spectators part of the show. Interactive activities
such as this Delta Dart launch promote the hobby/sport
and makes the public feel appreciated.
Your club can award the pilots with simple and low-cost yet
effective trophies. This can help boost the talent attendance.
The sunset is a good part of the day and the perfect end to the
event. Be sure to thank everyone who is there as often as you can.
How did you feel when
you built your first
model? You probably
wanted to fly it then
and now!
04sig2.QXD 2/24/09 9:46 AM Page 37
profit if we were going to have to work four
or five days. I assured all present that there
would be registration fees and a raffle booth,
both of which make money.
After your club has approved the event,
start talking with potential volunteers. Look
at members you respect or who already help
the club in other ways. Even consider what
they do or have done for a living. If you
have a great chef in your club, why ask a
bartender to cook your banquet dinner?
It helps if you can have regular event
meetings with all volunteers and, for
goodness sakes, listen to them! If they work
a department, they will probably have a good
understanding of what it needs. As long as
safety isn’t adversely affected, go for it.
I believe in lists for everything. You
don’t forget much if you can check off each
item as it’s received and then again when it’s
loaded and taken to the field. Make one
checklist for each department (registration,
impound, food, raffle, volunteers, etc.).
I don’t care if you have the most
beautiful event site in the world; it’s going to
be a mess if you are unprepared and
unorganized.
I send off the AMA sanction papers at
least six months early, to make sure I get the
three free months of magazine advertising. If
your club doesn’t own the event property,
you will need AMA’s site insurance; it’s
affordable and protects the property owners.
Spread the News: I make three flyers: one
to send to out-of-town pilots, one for the
newsletter, and one for the public. Each is
unique, since I am targeting different types
of people.
Out-of-town pilots want event
information, maps, motel phone numbers,
the number of days they can stay, whether or
not they can arrive early, and more. I say
they can come at least a day early, to give
them a day to relax and put their airplanes
together. They can also fly if they want.
The second flyer, for the club newsletter,
announces the event and prepares members
for the “Can you volunteer?” questions to
come. It also goes to many other clubs’
newsletter editors.
You need to think about the flyer for the
public. You are targeting people who don’t
fly models, so you need to help them
understand what you are offering and make
them want to attend the event. Don’t call it a
“fun-fly”; they will have no idea what that is.
Use headlines such as “Free Air Show.”
Schedule a couple of pilots to fly a Combat
round or mock Pylon race each day, and put
that on the handout. Call it an “Air Race” and
write “Airplane Combat.”
Advertise food, drinks, a free swap meet,
and a raffle, if you will have those things, and
emphasize “Public Welcome.” If other
activities are planned, such as buddy-box
flying or a Delta Dart building seminar,
publicize those as well. Include the contact
information and a map on the back of the
flyer. And don’t forget the date!
I post flyers for the public on supermarket
information boards, for great free advertising.
Raffle Talk: You don’t have to host a raffle,
but you will want to if your goal is to make
money. Start buying items to give away
during the Christmas shopping season; it’s the
best time for super sales, and not just on
hobby items.
Aeromodeling supplies can be difficult to
give as prizes. If you raffle off a 12-ounce fuel
tank, the winner might fly with electric power.
I concentrate on items that most attendees
would probably like, such as tools, folding
chairs, coolers, picture frames, etc. If it isn’t
on sale or on closeout, I’m not interested.
The public will probably buy lots of raffle
tickets if you offer everyday items. The most
important thing to give away is a trainer
model.
Your local hobby shop can be a great
source for raffle items, but don’t expect it to
fill a truck. Ask for a donation, sure, but also
ask if the store personnel will talk with their
suppliers. If this is the only event your local
hobby shop supports and it actively asks
several suppliers, you are most likely in for a
treat.
At least three months before the event, sit
down with a few newer hobby magazines.
(This is a time when you will be glad for all
those ads.) Start a spreadsheet to keep track of
all of the hobby suppliers’ postal-mail
addresses, e-mail addresses, telephone
numbers, and Web sites. Make a list that you
can easily print. (Saving this and all other lists
helps greatly with future events.)
When you have your register of
companies, craft a donation-request letter.
Make it look as professional as possible, and
request their product brochures to hand out
with any contributions they make. Send
requests to 50 companies (12-15 weeks early).
Include your letter, a copy of your sanction,
and an event flyer.
To save a buck, put the sanction and flyer
on one piece of paper. Print the request on one
side of another sheet, and add the sponsor’s
address and your return address on the other
side. Fold it twice and stamp it, and no
envelope is necessary. Don’t forget to include
local businesses in your mailing.
The last and most important thing for my
raffle is the raffle wheel. We sell tickets for $1
each, and $5 buys six tickets and a chance to
spin the wheel. It has 16 spaces numbered
from 6 to 20. The purchaser gets the six
tickets plus the number of tickets on which the
wheel lands.
You can probably afford to hold a raffle, at
less than $10 for 2,000 tickets. And many
people love to spin the wheel; it entices them
to spend at least $5. We sold 31/2 rolls of
tickets at one event; that’s 7,000!
The raffle area is a great place to pass on
old magazines; set up a small table on which
to put them. The public generally loves free
publications, and this might help get them into
the hobby.
I have nicknamed raffles “event killers.” If
you are holding a big drawing and people are
waiting for it to happen, they will leave as
soon as it’s finished, as sure as if it started
pouring down rain.
Reward your sponsors. Print their names
on nice colored-paper stock and post in a few
spots at the event. When the fly-in is finished,
send those companies thank-you letters and
maybe a picture or two. They deserve it.
Contact Your Talent: If you don’t know
many out-of-town pilots, think of clubs as
resources. The AMA Web site’s club locator
or event directory will help.
If you can, attend a few events and ask the
CDs for copies of the sign-up sheets. As long
as there are no conflicts, he or she should
consent. But don’t go to a jet event looking
for fun-fly pilots.
Get e-mail addresses of potential attendees
if you can, and ask them to pass the flyer on to
all their flying friends in their address books.
Do this at least two months early; a few
months gives people time to really plan for the
fly-in.
Publicize Your Event: At this point, make a
press release about your fun-fly. It costs only
a few stamps and several sheets of paper to
get tons of free advertising.
I send a press release to every television
station, radio station, and newspaper within
150 miles, which works out to 34 companies
for me. Include such true phrasing as “ … a
free air show,” “Aeromodeling is a good
family hobby,” and “ … will help bring the
community together.”
Sure Path to the Heart: If you prepare
concessions for the event instead of having it
catered, make a list of everything you’ll need,
from the food to tape for keeping cloths on
tables. As for everything else you’ll purchase
for the fly-in, shop smart but get quality
products.
Buy decent paper plates and plastic ware.
Nothing’s worse than a plate that won’t hold
the food you serve.
If you can get items on sale or even on
closeout, do it. Having time to find bargains is
one of the benefits of taking your time to put
on an event. I bought 1,000 knives and forks
on sale—not because I needed that many, but
because they were the same price as 250, and
I knew our future events would require free
utensils.
If you want to keep it simple, buy hot dogs
(all-beef—no other meat) and barbecue them;
don’t boil them. People don’t go to a party for
the smell of boiled anything.
Buy brand-name soft drinks; most people
don’t like the cheap store brands. Charge $1
per can and keep it ice-cold.
One annual event I put on features a
banquet dinner, and it works out great but is a
lot of extra work. Ask how many would be
interested in a dinner for the following year. If
many like the idea, host one; if not, don’t.
Either way, limit the amount of dinners and
sell tickets.
Our events’ main food is lunch. A burger,
chips, and a drink doesn’t cost anywhere near
the $5 we charge. You could also serve some
kind of breakfast. A couple pancakes, three
pieces of sausage, and two eggs for $5 sounds
good and is even more profitable.
Food equals money for your club, but you
must have volunteers. They are the key to
everything.
Keep ’Em Busy: This is where some extra
fun can come in, and it will make your
event different than the regular fly-eat-fly
gathering. We noticed that kids would get
bored after awhile and want to leave, but
their parents wanted to stay. At first my
wife and I bought cheap toys for the
children, and occasionally I would give the
kids a pick of a couple things out of a bag.
One year my wife said, “Why don’t we
have some kids’ games, off to the side, and
well away from the flying area?” So we
started doing a few games for the little ones
and it worked well.
I was looking at the AMA store one day
and saw the Delta Dart (a simple rubberband-
powered model for beginners to
construct), and this project became a part of
our event. It’s great!
We have held three of these airplane
builds, and everybody from spectators to
pilots, young and old, take part. It is free to
all, and we have volunteers to help. It takes
just one hour, when done properly, and is
limited to the first 40 participants.
The Delta Dart build concludes with a
mass launch, and the pilot with the longest
flight wins a much larger rubber-powered
kit. It’s a blast, with big smiles and
participants cheering for their friends.
Another fun thing we do is buddy-box
flying with the public. The event attendees
not only enjoy seeing their family members
fly an airplane, but some of the new
students enjoy the experience and end up
being future club members.
We don’t run buddy-box flights all day.
We hold them for two to three hours at one
of our five flying stations; this way, we
don’t bother the other pilots too much.
The Delta Dart build and buddy-box
flying are free. But if you think you don’t
make money doing them, think again.
Parents and children stay to see the next
race, then stay for the Delta Dart building,
and then stay a little longer to see more
airplanes fly. The longer they stick around,
the more excited they get and the more
drinks, food, and raffle tickets they buy.
This year we spent $15 on toys and $55 on
Delta Darts, so we invested $70 to
encourage everyone to stay both of the full
days.
Be Heard: You need a sound system for
your fly-in. You can’t yell at everybody,
and you should be able to communicate to
everyone: public and pilots. You need to
announce your pilots’ meeting, information
about food, who the event sponsors are
(mention them repeatedly throughout the
weekend), safety concerns, etc.
You can borrow a sound system, or
RadioShack sells cheap units with horntype
speakers that will suffice. This is
where your club needs to make more
decisions.
Many groups borrow tables, chairs,
sound systems, shade tents, and other
equipment. There is nothing wrong with
this; a large number of clubs get what they
have from volunteers and donations in the
first place. Churches or maybe the local
Moose or Elks Lodge can be great sources.
However, if you hold fun-flys for a few
years and they make money as they should,
your club can buy things it requires. Mine
owns everything it needs: 20-30 tables, 125
chairs, storage shelves, several huge shade
tents, mowers, a generator, a blower, and
more. Be patient and spend wisely, and
soon your club will be equipped for events.
Remember that you must spend money to
make money—not lots but just enough.
Clubs could end up investing $20 for the
sanction, $100-$150 for paper and stamps,
$70 for entertainment (Delta Darts, kids’
toys), maybe $200-$500 for raffle prizes, $8
for each roll of raffle tickets, etc.
If you’ve never done it, try hosting an
event and start small. If you already hold a
one-day fly-in, try expanding it by adding
days to the schedule.
If I can answer any questions or if you’d
like to see some of my signs, flyers, or
whatever else I have, please feel free to ask.
I’d love to help—but that’s just the CD in
me. MA
Michael Brown
[email protected]
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/04
Page Numbers: 34,35,36,37,38,40,42
MY PURPOSE in writing this is to help
clubs and individuals who have never done so
put on an event that will not only be fun, but
also increase club membership and make
money for flying-field preservation in the
process.
This isn’t about my events; it’s about how
I put them together. I know of several clubs
that have put on fun-flys that lost money
instead of making money, just by how they
did things. The ideas I will present to you
have helped a few of them turn a modest
profit.
In addition, this is just one way of doing
things—not the only way. With your thoughts
and volunteers’ input, I am sure you can make
these ideas suit your area and event.
When I started one of my favorite events, the
Super Fun Fly, it was all about having fun
without concern for
club profit. It still is,
and always will be,
about fun first and
foremost, but now it
makes money for
our club.
Our first event
was nothing fancy,
but it was a huge
success because
April 2009 35
Above: Checks exceeding $2,000 apiece are presented to presidents (L, R) of two local clubs that joined to
put on a successful event. Any club event can make money.
Above left: Building is a fun activity that the young and mature can appreciate. The opportunity attracts a
lot of attention.
Left: Summer activities that include water fun attract not only pilots, but also the families who appreciate
the parklike setting.
everybody had fun. I decided to make the
affair larger in its third year, so I sanctioned it
with the AMA. I also added another day to it,
Sunday, and told pilots they could set up and
fly on Friday.
The club members set things up on
Wednesday, and, since the fly-in is held
during Labor Day weekend, pilots are
welcomed from Wednesday until Monday.
So in a sense, they could be there six days
and stay five nights; that’s more bang for
their buck and it costs the club nothing to
allow them to stay longer.
It’s Easy: Many people think that putting on
an event is too much for them, but I disagree.
It’s easy to organize, and it mostly only takes
bits and pieces of your time. For me, this
translates into six to 12 months of planning.
I start preparing for the two big annual
events I do as soon as the previous years’ are
over; that way, the tasks are spread out over a
longer period of time. Breaking it into pieces
makes it much more manageable.
I’ll take you through the process of how I
create an event and break it down to make it
easier to understand. At times I will refer to
my last event: this year’s Super Fun Fly.
Lay the Groundwork: If neither you nor
your club has put on an event, go to a good
one, watch, and take notes. Don’t try to
remember everything—and leave your
airplanes at home.
One person will need to be “in charge” of
the event; this is the CD. If you want to have
a sanctioned event, you will first need to pass
the AMA CD test.
Once you have attained CD status, pick a
date for your event. Look at event schedules
such as AMA’s “Contest Calendar,” those on
other clubs’ Web sites, etc. I suggest that you
choose a date that is three to four weeks away
from huge events that are within 250 miles of
your area.
Next, look at the likely weather conditions
during the time of year you are considering.
Decide on a tentative date now as your
preferred date of choice. You might also want
to pick an alternate date as you are looking at
the calendars.
Before I decide to put on an event, I do the
wise thing and talk with my wife. She always
ends up running back and forth from town for
everything for my fun-fly, from ice to, well,
who knows what.
Since she and my youngest son help me,
it’s important to hold the event at times that
work for them. It would be unfair to just
expect them to be a part of it, and our families
share in everything we do in some way.
Present the event idea and date(s) at a club
meeting, roughly eight to 12 months in
advance. For my last event, I told everybody
that I wanted to gear it toward the public first,
pilots second, and moneymaking third,
because I wanted to strengthen our ties with
the community. Doing this is not only good
for the hobby, but it also attracts members,
which is something all clubs need.
The only comment was that some
members wanted to make sure we would
04sig2.QXD 2/24/09 9:40 AM Page 35
36 MODEL AVIATION
Photos by the author
The optimal layout for a fly-in includes good
parking and shaded areas so that spectators,
workers, and pilots can find comfort.
Volunteers make the event. Place the right
people in the right places, and things will go
smoothly. Reward them as often as possible.
A middle school cheerleader group was welcomed as a vendor at the
Super Fun Fly. Consider the public-relations opportunities of having
an event in your community.
Any event can benefit from raffles. Display the prizes and sponsors
prominently, and save the drawing for last.
Activities that include young people are appreciated by the
parents as well. The news media typically love these stories.
Provisions for camping extends the life of the fun-fly beyond official hours. The
community that builds encourages return visits.
Parents can relax at
an event when their
children feel like
participants. Have
things for the kids to
do, and the parents
will attend.
04sig2.QXD 2/24/09 9:25 AM Page 36
April 2009 37
Sanctions and Safety
Safety should be top priority—especially at events, since
some of the pilots might not be used to flying together.
Following are the basics.
Communication at the flightline is key. Using spotters and
talking to each other will go a long way. I believe in
employing a transmitter impound for other than 2.4 GHz
systems and a maximum of five models in the air at one time
(depending on site conditions).
Airplane inspections are not done at all events. It is a
choice, but it is for the benefit of all pilots and spectators.
When I conduct safety inspections, I make sure that things
are tight, such as the engine or motor, propeller/spinner,
landing gear, and all flying surfaces. I also check to ensure
that some kind of keeper is on all clevises and that superior
linkages such as ball joints or Z-bends are used.
We all sign the AMA forms stating that our airplanes
are airworthy when we fly at a sanctioned event, but that
doesn’t mean we always check for worn hinges or a loose
motor or engine. We have saved countless airplanes from
tragedy with
the discovery
of broken
hinges alone.
Think
safety in every
aspect of your
event—not just
in regards to
the pilots and
airplanes. MA
—Michael
Brown
Make spectators part of the show. Interactive activities
such as this Delta Dart launch promote the hobby/sport
and makes the public feel appreciated.
Your club can award the pilots with simple and low-cost yet
effective trophies. This can help boost the talent attendance.
The sunset is a good part of the day and the perfect end to the
event. Be sure to thank everyone who is there as often as you can.
How did you feel when
you built your first
model? You probably
wanted to fly it then
and now!
04sig2.QXD 2/24/09 9:46 AM Page 37
profit if we were going to have to work four
or five days. I assured all present that there
would be registration fees and a raffle booth,
both of which make money.
After your club has approved the event,
start talking with potential volunteers. Look
at members you respect or who already help
the club in other ways. Even consider what
they do or have done for a living. If you
have a great chef in your club, why ask a
bartender to cook your banquet dinner?
It helps if you can have regular event
meetings with all volunteers and, for
goodness sakes, listen to them! If they work
a department, they will probably have a good
understanding of what it needs. As long as
safety isn’t adversely affected, go for it.
I believe in lists for everything. You
don’t forget much if you can check off each
item as it’s received and then again when it’s
loaded and taken to the field. Make one
checklist for each department (registration,
impound, food, raffle, volunteers, etc.).
I don’t care if you have the most
beautiful event site in the world; it’s going to
be a mess if you are unprepared and
unorganized.
I send off the AMA sanction papers at
least six months early, to make sure I get the
three free months of magazine advertising. If
your club doesn’t own the event property,
you will need AMA’s site insurance; it’s
affordable and protects the property owners.
Spread the News: I make three flyers: one
to send to out-of-town pilots, one for the
newsletter, and one for the public. Each is
unique, since I am targeting different types
of people.
Out-of-town pilots want event
information, maps, motel phone numbers,
the number of days they can stay, whether or
not they can arrive early, and more. I say
they can come at least a day early, to give
them a day to relax and put their airplanes
together. They can also fly if they want.
The second flyer, for the club newsletter,
announces the event and prepares members
for the “Can you volunteer?” questions to
come. It also goes to many other clubs’
newsletter editors.
You need to think about the flyer for the
public. You are targeting people who don’t
fly models, so you need to help them
understand what you are offering and make
them want to attend the event. Don’t call it a
“fun-fly”; they will have no idea what that is.
Use headlines such as “Free Air Show.”
Schedule a couple of pilots to fly a Combat
round or mock Pylon race each day, and put
that on the handout. Call it an “Air Race” and
write “Airplane Combat.”
Advertise food, drinks, a free swap meet,
and a raffle, if you will have those things, and
emphasize “Public Welcome.” If other
activities are planned, such as buddy-box
flying or a Delta Dart building seminar,
publicize those as well. Include the contact
information and a map on the back of the
flyer. And don’t forget the date!
I post flyers for the public on supermarket
information boards, for great free advertising.
Raffle Talk: You don’t have to host a raffle,
but you will want to if your goal is to make
money. Start buying items to give away
during the Christmas shopping season; it’s the
best time for super sales, and not just on
hobby items.
Aeromodeling supplies can be difficult to
give as prizes. If you raffle off a 12-ounce fuel
tank, the winner might fly with electric power.
I concentrate on items that most attendees
would probably like, such as tools, folding
chairs, coolers, picture frames, etc. If it isn’t
on sale or on closeout, I’m not interested.
The public will probably buy lots of raffle
tickets if you offer everyday items. The most
important thing to give away is a trainer
model.
Your local hobby shop can be a great
source for raffle items, but don’t expect it to
fill a truck. Ask for a donation, sure, but also
ask if the store personnel will talk with their
suppliers. If this is the only event your local
hobby shop supports and it actively asks
several suppliers, you are most likely in for a
treat.
At least three months before the event, sit
down with a few newer hobby magazines.
(This is a time when you will be glad for all
those ads.) Start a spreadsheet to keep track of
all of the hobby suppliers’ postal-mail
addresses, e-mail addresses, telephone
numbers, and Web sites. Make a list that you
can easily print. (Saving this and all other lists
helps greatly with future events.)
When you have your register of
companies, craft a donation-request letter.
Make it look as professional as possible, and
request their product brochures to hand out
with any contributions they make. Send
requests to 50 companies (12-15 weeks early).
Include your letter, a copy of your sanction,
and an event flyer.
To save a buck, put the sanction and flyer
on one piece of paper. Print the request on one
side of another sheet, and add the sponsor’s
address and your return address on the other
side. Fold it twice and stamp it, and no
envelope is necessary. Don’t forget to include
local businesses in your mailing.
The last and most important thing for my
raffle is the raffle wheel. We sell tickets for $1
each, and $5 buys six tickets and a chance to
spin the wheel. It has 16 spaces numbered
from 6 to 20. The purchaser gets the six
tickets plus the number of tickets on which the
wheel lands.
You can probably afford to hold a raffle, at
less than $10 for 2,000 tickets. And many
people love to spin the wheel; it entices them
to spend at least $5. We sold 31/2 rolls of
tickets at one event; that’s 7,000!
The raffle area is a great place to pass on
old magazines; set up a small table on which
to put them. The public generally loves free
publications, and this might help get them into
the hobby.
I have nicknamed raffles “event killers.” If
you are holding a big drawing and people are
waiting for it to happen, they will leave as
soon as it’s finished, as sure as if it started
pouring down rain.
Reward your sponsors. Print their names
on nice colored-paper stock and post in a few
spots at the event. When the fly-in is finished,
send those companies thank-you letters and
maybe a picture or two. They deserve it.
Contact Your Talent: If you don’t know
many out-of-town pilots, think of clubs as
resources. The AMA Web site’s club locator
or event directory will help.
If you can, attend a few events and ask the
CDs for copies of the sign-up sheets. As long
as there are no conflicts, he or she should
consent. But don’t go to a jet event looking
for fun-fly pilots.
Get e-mail addresses of potential attendees
if you can, and ask them to pass the flyer on to
all their flying friends in their address books.
Do this at least two months early; a few
months gives people time to really plan for the
fly-in.
Publicize Your Event: At this point, make a
press release about your fun-fly. It costs only
a few stamps and several sheets of paper to
get tons of free advertising.
I send a press release to every television
station, radio station, and newspaper within
150 miles, which works out to 34 companies
for me. Include such true phrasing as “ … a
free air show,” “Aeromodeling is a good
family hobby,” and “ … will help bring the
community together.”
Sure Path to the Heart: If you prepare
concessions for the event instead of having it
catered, make a list of everything you’ll need,
from the food to tape for keeping cloths on
tables. As for everything else you’ll purchase
for the fly-in, shop smart but get quality
products.
Buy decent paper plates and plastic ware.
Nothing’s worse than a plate that won’t hold
the food you serve.
If you can get items on sale or even on
closeout, do it. Having time to find bargains is
one of the benefits of taking your time to put
on an event. I bought 1,000 knives and forks
on sale—not because I needed that many, but
because they were the same price as 250, and
I knew our future events would require free
utensils.
If you want to keep it simple, buy hot dogs
(all-beef—no other meat) and barbecue them;
don’t boil them. People don’t go to a party for
the smell of boiled anything.
Buy brand-name soft drinks; most people
don’t like the cheap store brands. Charge $1
per can and keep it ice-cold.
One annual event I put on features a
banquet dinner, and it works out great but is a
lot of extra work. Ask how many would be
interested in a dinner for the following year. If
many like the idea, host one; if not, don’t.
Either way, limit the amount of dinners and
sell tickets.
Our events’ main food is lunch. A burger,
chips, and a drink doesn’t cost anywhere near
the $5 we charge. You could also serve some
kind of breakfast. A couple pancakes, three
pieces of sausage, and two eggs for $5 sounds
good and is even more profitable.
Food equals money for your club, but you
must have volunteers. They are the key to
everything.
Keep ’Em Busy: This is where some extra
fun can come in, and it will make your
event different than the regular fly-eat-fly
gathering. We noticed that kids would get
bored after awhile and want to leave, but
their parents wanted to stay. At first my
wife and I bought cheap toys for the
children, and occasionally I would give the
kids a pick of a couple things out of a bag.
One year my wife said, “Why don’t we
have some kids’ games, off to the side, and
well away from the flying area?” So we
started doing a few games for the little ones
and it worked well.
I was looking at the AMA store one day
and saw the Delta Dart (a simple rubberband-
powered model for beginners to
construct), and this project became a part of
our event. It’s great!
We have held three of these airplane
builds, and everybody from spectators to
pilots, young and old, take part. It is free to
all, and we have volunteers to help. It takes
just one hour, when done properly, and is
limited to the first 40 participants.
The Delta Dart build concludes with a
mass launch, and the pilot with the longest
flight wins a much larger rubber-powered
kit. It’s a blast, with big smiles and
participants cheering for their friends.
Another fun thing we do is buddy-box
flying with the public. The event attendees
not only enjoy seeing their family members
fly an airplane, but some of the new
students enjoy the experience and end up
being future club members.
We don’t run buddy-box flights all day.
We hold them for two to three hours at one
of our five flying stations; this way, we
don’t bother the other pilots too much.
The Delta Dart build and buddy-box
flying are free. But if you think you don’t
make money doing them, think again.
Parents and children stay to see the next
race, then stay for the Delta Dart building,
and then stay a little longer to see more
airplanes fly. The longer they stick around,
the more excited they get and the more
drinks, food, and raffle tickets they buy.
This year we spent $15 on toys and $55 on
Delta Darts, so we invested $70 to
encourage everyone to stay both of the full
days.
Be Heard: You need a sound system for
your fly-in. You can’t yell at everybody,
and you should be able to communicate to
everyone: public and pilots. You need to
announce your pilots’ meeting, information
about food, who the event sponsors are
(mention them repeatedly throughout the
weekend), safety concerns, etc.
You can borrow a sound system, or
RadioShack sells cheap units with horntype
speakers that will suffice. This is
where your club needs to make more
decisions.
Many groups borrow tables, chairs,
sound systems, shade tents, and other
equipment. There is nothing wrong with
this; a large number of clubs get what they
have from volunteers and donations in the
first place. Churches or maybe the local
Moose or Elks Lodge can be great sources.
However, if you hold fun-flys for a few
years and they make money as they should,
your club can buy things it requires. Mine
owns everything it needs: 20-30 tables, 125
chairs, storage shelves, several huge shade
tents, mowers, a generator, a blower, and
more. Be patient and spend wisely, and
soon your club will be equipped for events.
Remember that you must spend money to
make money—not lots but just enough.
Clubs could end up investing $20 for the
sanction, $100-$150 for paper and stamps,
$70 for entertainment (Delta Darts, kids’
toys), maybe $200-$500 for raffle prizes, $8
for each roll of raffle tickets, etc.
If you’ve never done it, try hosting an
event and start small. If you already hold a
one-day fly-in, try expanding it by adding
days to the schedule.
If I can answer any questions or if you’d
like to see some of my signs, flyers, or
whatever else I have, please feel free to ask.
I’d love to help—but that’s just the CD in
me. MA
Michael Brown
[email protected]
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/04
Page Numbers: 34,35,36,37,38,40,42
MY PURPOSE in writing this is to help
clubs and individuals who have never done so
put on an event that will not only be fun, but
also increase club membership and make
money for flying-field preservation in the
process.
This isn’t about my events; it’s about how
I put them together. I know of several clubs
that have put on fun-flys that lost money
instead of making money, just by how they
did things. The ideas I will present to you
have helped a few of them turn a modest
profit.
In addition, this is just one way of doing
things—not the only way. With your thoughts
and volunteers’ input, I am sure you can make
these ideas suit your area and event.
When I started one of my favorite events, the
Super Fun Fly, it was all about having fun
without concern for
club profit. It still is,
and always will be,
about fun first and
foremost, but now it
makes money for
our club.
Our first event
was nothing fancy,
but it was a huge
success because
April 2009 35
Above: Checks exceeding $2,000 apiece are presented to presidents (L, R) of two local clubs that joined to
put on a successful event. Any club event can make money.
Above left: Building is a fun activity that the young and mature can appreciate. The opportunity attracts a
lot of attention.
Left: Summer activities that include water fun attract not only pilots, but also the families who appreciate
the parklike setting.
everybody had fun. I decided to make the
affair larger in its third year, so I sanctioned it
with the AMA. I also added another day to it,
Sunday, and told pilots they could set up and
fly on Friday.
The club members set things up on
Wednesday, and, since the fly-in is held
during Labor Day weekend, pilots are
welcomed from Wednesday until Monday.
So in a sense, they could be there six days
and stay five nights; that’s more bang for
their buck and it costs the club nothing to
allow them to stay longer.
It’s Easy: Many people think that putting on
an event is too much for them, but I disagree.
It’s easy to organize, and it mostly only takes
bits and pieces of your time. For me, this
translates into six to 12 months of planning.
I start preparing for the two big annual
events I do as soon as the previous years’ are
over; that way, the tasks are spread out over a
longer period of time. Breaking it into pieces
makes it much more manageable.
I’ll take you through the process of how I
create an event and break it down to make it
easier to understand. At times I will refer to
my last event: this year’s Super Fun Fly.
Lay the Groundwork: If neither you nor
your club has put on an event, go to a good
one, watch, and take notes. Don’t try to
remember everything—and leave your
airplanes at home.
One person will need to be “in charge” of
the event; this is the CD. If you want to have
a sanctioned event, you will first need to pass
the AMA CD test.
Once you have attained CD status, pick a
date for your event. Look at event schedules
such as AMA’s “Contest Calendar,” those on
other clubs’ Web sites, etc. I suggest that you
choose a date that is three to four weeks away
from huge events that are within 250 miles of
your area.
Next, look at the likely weather conditions
during the time of year you are considering.
Decide on a tentative date now as your
preferred date of choice. You might also want
to pick an alternate date as you are looking at
the calendars.
Before I decide to put on an event, I do the
wise thing and talk with my wife. She always
ends up running back and forth from town for
everything for my fun-fly, from ice to, well,
who knows what.
Since she and my youngest son help me,
it’s important to hold the event at times that
work for them. It would be unfair to just
expect them to be a part of it, and our families
share in everything we do in some way.
Present the event idea and date(s) at a club
meeting, roughly eight to 12 months in
advance. For my last event, I told everybody
that I wanted to gear it toward the public first,
pilots second, and moneymaking third,
because I wanted to strengthen our ties with
the community. Doing this is not only good
for the hobby, but it also attracts members,
which is something all clubs need.
The only comment was that some
members wanted to make sure we would
04sig2.QXD 2/24/09 9:40 AM Page 35
36 MODEL AVIATION
Photos by the author
The optimal layout for a fly-in includes good
parking and shaded areas so that spectators,
workers, and pilots can find comfort.
Volunteers make the event. Place the right
people in the right places, and things will go
smoothly. Reward them as often as possible.
A middle school cheerleader group was welcomed as a vendor at the
Super Fun Fly. Consider the public-relations opportunities of having
an event in your community.
Any event can benefit from raffles. Display the prizes and sponsors
prominently, and save the drawing for last.
Activities that include young people are appreciated by the
parents as well. The news media typically love these stories.
Provisions for camping extends the life of the fun-fly beyond official hours. The
community that builds encourages return visits.
Parents can relax at
an event when their
children feel like
participants. Have
things for the kids to
do, and the parents
will attend.
04sig2.QXD 2/24/09 9:25 AM Page 36
April 2009 37
Sanctions and Safety
Safety should be top priority—especially at events, since
some of the pilots might not be used to flying together.
Following are the basics.
Communication at the flightline is key. Using spotters and
talking to each other will go a long way. I believe in
employing a transmitter impound for other than 2.4 GHz
systems and a maximum of five models in the air at one time
(depending on site conditions).
Airplane inspections are not done at all events. It is a
choice, but it is for the benefit of all pilots and spectators.
When I conduct safety inspections, I make sure that things
are tight, such as the engine or motor, propeller/spinner,
landing gear, and all flying surfaces. I also check to ensure
that some kind of keeper is on all clevises and that superior
linkages such as ball joints or Z-bends are used.
We all sign the AMA forms stating that our airplanes
are airworthy when we fly at a sanctioned event, but that
doesn’t mean we always check for worn hinges or a loose
motor or engine. We have saved countless airplanes from
tragedy with
the discovery
of broken
hinges alone.
Think
safety in every
aspect of your
event—not just
in regards to
the pilots and
airplanes. MA
—Michael
Brown
Make spectators part of the show. Interactive activities
such as this Delta Dart launch promote the hobby/sport
and makes the public feel appreciated.
Your club can award the pilots with simple and low-cost yet
effective trophies. This can help boost the talent attendance.
The sunset is a good part of the day and the perfect end to the
event. Be sure to thank everyone who is there as often as you can.
How did you feel when
you built your first
model? You probably
wanted to fly it then
and now!
04sig2.QXD 2/24/09 9:46 AM Page 37
profit if we were going to have to work four
or five days. I assured all present that there
would be registration fees and a raffle booth,
both of which make money.
After your club has approved the event,
start talking with potential volunteers. Look
at members you respect or who already help
the club in other ways. Even consider what
they do or have done for a living. If you
have a great chef in your club, why ask a
bartender to cook your banquet dinner?
It helps if you can have regular event
meetings with all volunteers and, for
goodness sakes, listen to them! If they work
a department, they will probably have a good
understanding of what it needs. As long as
safety isn’t adversely affected, go for it.
I believe in lists for everything. You
don’t forget much if you can check off each
item as it’s received and then again when it’s
loaded and taken to the field. Make one
checklist for each department (registration,
impound, food, raffle, volunteers, etc.).
I don’t care if you have the most
beautiful event site in the world; it’s going to
be a mess if you are unprepared and
unorganized.
I send off the AMA sanction papers at
least six months early, to make sure I get the
three free months of magazine advertising. If
your club doesn’t own the event property,
you will need AMA’s site insurance; it’s
affordable and protects the property owners.
Spread the News: I make three flyers: one
to send to out-of-town pilots, one for the
newsletter, and one for the public. Each is
unique, since I am targeting different types
of people.
Out-of-town pilots want event
information, maps, motel phone numbers,
the number of days they can stay, whether or
not they can arrive early, and more. I say
they can come at least a day early, to give
them a day to relax and put their airplanes
together. They can also fly if they want.
The second flyer, for the club newsletter,
announces the event and prepares members
for the “Can you volunteer?” questions to
come. It also goes to many other clubs’
newsletter editors.
You need to think about the flyer for the
public. You are targeting people who don’t
fly models, so you need to help them
understand what you are offering and make
them want to attend the event. Don’t call it a
“fun-fly”; they will have no idea what that is.
Use headlines such as “Free Air Show.”
Schedule a couple of pilots to fly a Combat
round or mock Pylon race each day, and put
that on the handout. Call it an “Air Race” and
write “Airplane Combat.”
Advertise food, drinks, a free swap meet,
and a raffle, if you will have those things, and
emphasize “Public Welcome.” If other
activities are planned, such as buddy-box
flying or a Delta Dart building seminar,
publicize those as well. Include the contact
information and a map on the back of the
flyer. And don’t forget the date!
I post flyers for the public on supermarket
information boards, for great free advertising.
Raffle Talk: You don’t have to host a raffle,
but you will want to if your goal is to make
money. Start buying items to give away
during the Christmas shopping season; it’s the
best time for super sales, and not just on
hobby items.
Aeromodeling supplies can be difficult to
give as prizes. If you raffle off a 12-ounce fuel
tank, the winner might fly with electric power.
I concentrate on items that most attendees
would probably like, such as tools, folding
chairs, coolers, picture frames, etc. If it isn’t
on sale or on closeout, I’m not interested.
The public will probably buy lots of raffle
tickets if you offer everyday items. The most
important thing to give away is a trainer
model.
Your local hobby shop can be a great
source for raffle items, but don’t expect it to
fill a truck. Ask for a donation, sure, but also
ask if the store personnel will talk with their
suppliers. If this is the only event your local
hobby shop supports and it actively asks
several suppliers, you are most likely in for a
treat.
At least three months before the event, sit
down with a few newer hobby magazines.
(This is a time when you will be glad for all
those ads.) Start a spreadsheet to keep track of
all of the hobby suppliers’ postal-mail
addresses, e-mail addresses, telephone
numbers, and Web sites. Make a list that you
can easily print. (Saving this and all other lists
helps greatly with future events.)
When you have your register of
companies, craft a donation-request letter.
Make it look as professional as possible, and
request their product brochures to hand out
with any contributions they make. Send
requests to 50 companies (12-15 weeks early).
Include your letter, a copy of your sanction,
and an event flyer.
To save a buck, put the sanction and flyer
on one piece of paper. Print the request on one
side of another sheet, and add the sponsor’s
address and your return address on the other
side. Fold it twice and stamp it, and no
envelope is necessary. Don’t forget to include
local businesses in your mailing.
The last and most important thing for my
raffle is the raffle wheel. We sell tickets for $1
each, and $5 buys six tickets and a chance to
spin the wheel. It has 16 spaces numbered
from 6 to 20. The purchaser gets the six
tickets plus the number of tickets on which the
wheel lands.
You can probably afford to hold a raffle, at
less than $10 for 2,000 tickets. And many
people love to spin the wheel; it entices them
to spend at least $5. We sold 31/2 rolls of
tickets at one event; that’s 7,000!
The raffle area is a great place to pass on
old magazines; set up a small table on which
to put them. The public generally loves free
publications, and this might help get them into
the hobby.
I have nicknamed raffles “event killers.” If
you are holding a big drawing and people are
waiting for it to happen, they will leave as
soon as it’s finished, as sure as if it started
pouring down rain.
Reward your sponsors. Print their names
on nice colored-paper stock and post in a few
spots at the event. When the fly-in is finished,
send those companies thank-you letters and
maybe a picture or two. They deserve it.
Contact Your Talent: If you don’t know
many out-of-town pilots, think of clubs as
resources. The AMA Web site’s club locator
or event directory will help.
If you can, attend a few events and ask the
CDs for copies of the sign-up sheets. As long
as there are no conflicts, he or she should
consent. But don’t go to a jet event looking
for fun-fly pilots.
Get e-mail addresses of potential attendees
if you can, and ask them to pass the flyer on to
all their flying friends in their address books.
Do this at least two months early; a few
months gives people time to really plan for the
fly-in.
Publicize Your Event: At this point, make a
press release about your fun-fly. It costs only
a few stamps and several sheets of paper to
get tons of free advertising.
I send a press release to every television
station, radio station, and newspaper within
150 miles, which works out to 34 companies
for me. Include such true phrasing as “ … a
free air show,” “Aeromodeling is a good
family hobby,” and “ … will help bring the
community together.”
Sure Path to the Heart: If you prepare
concessions for the event instead of having it
catered, make a list of everything you’ll need,
from the food to tape for keeping cloths on
tables. As for everything else you’ll purchase
for the fly-in, shop smart but get quality
products.
Buy decent paper plates and plastic ware.
Nothing’s worse than a plate that won’t hold
the food you serve.
If you can get items on sale or even on
closeout, do it. Having time to find bargains is
one of the benefits of taking your time to put
on an event. I bought 1,000 knives and forks
on sale—not because I needed that many, but
because they were the same price as 250, and
I knew our future events would require free
utensils.
If you want to keep it simple, buy hot dogs
(all-beef—no other meat) and barbecue them;
don’t boil them. People don’t go to a party for
the smell of boiled anything.
Buy brand-name soft drinks; most people
don’t like the cheap store brands. Charge $1
per can and keep it ice-cold.
One annual event I put on features a
banquet dinner, and it works out great but is a
lot of extra work. Ask how many would be
interested in a dinner for the following year. If
many like the idea, host one; if not, don’t.
Either way, limit the amount of dinners and
sell tickets.
Our events’ main food is lunch. A burger,
chips, and a drink doesn’t cost anywhere near
the $5 we charge. You could also serve some
kind of breakfast. A couple pancakes, three
pieces of sausage, and two eggs for $5 sounds
good and is even more profitable.
Food equals money for your club, but you
must have volunteers. They are the key to
everything.
Keep ’Em Busy: This is where some extra
fun can come in, and it will make your
event different than the regular fly-eat-fly
gathering. We noticed that kids would get
bored after awhile and want to leave, but
their parents wanted to stay. At first my
wife and I bought cheap toys for the
children, and occasionally I would give the
kids a pick of a couple things out of a bag.
One year my wife said, “Why don’t we
have some kids’ games, off to the side, and
well away from the flying area?” So we
started doing a few games for the little ones
and it worked well.
I was looking at the AMA store one day
and saw the Delta Dart (a simple rubberband-
powered model for beginners to
construct), and this project became a part of
our event. It’s great!
We have held three of these airplane
builds, and everybody from spectators to
pilots, young and old, take part. It is free to
all, and we have volunteers to help. It takes
just one hour, when done properly, and is
limited to the first 40 participants.
The Delta Dart build concludes with a
mass launch, and the pilot with the longest
flight wins a much larger rubber-powered
kit. It’s a blast, with big smiles and
participants cheering for their friends.
Another fun thing we do is buddy-box
flying with the public. The event attendees
not only enjoy seeing their family members
fly an airplane, but some of the new
students enjoy the experience and end up
being future club members.
We don’t run buddy-box flights all day.
We hold them for two to three hours at one
of our five flying stations; this way, we
don’t bother the other pilots too much.
The Delta Dart build and buddy-box
flying are free. But if you think you don’t
make money doing them, think again.
Parents and children stay to see the next
race, then stay for the Delta Dart building,
and then stay a little longer to see more
airplanes fly. The longer they stick around,
the more excited they get and the more
drinks, food, and raffle tickets they buy.
This year we spent $15 on toys and $55 on
Delta Darts, so we invested $70 to
encourage everyone to stay both of the full
days.
Be Heard: You need a sound system for
your fly-in. You can’t yell at everybody,
and you should be able to communicate to
everyone: public and pilots. You need to
announce your pilots’ meeting, information
about food, who the event sponsors are
(mention them repeatedly throughout the
weekend), safety concerns, etc.
You can borrow a sound system, or
RadioShack sells cheap units with horntype
speakers that will suffice. This is
where your club needs to make more
decisions.
Many groups borrow tables, chairs,
sound systems, shade tents, and other
equipment. There is nothing wrong with
this; a large number of clubs get what they
have from volunteers and donations in the
first place. Churches or maybe the local
Moose or Elks Lodge can be great sources.
However, if you hold fun-flys for a few
years and they make money as they should,
your club can buy things it requires. Mine
owns everything it needs: 20-30 tables, 125
chairs, storage shelves, several huge shade
tents, mowers, a generator, a blower, and
more. Be patient and spend wisely, and
soon your club will be equipped for events.
Remember that you must spend money to
make money—not lots but just enough.
Clubs could end up investing $20 for the
sanction, $100-$150 for paper and stamps,
$70 for entertainment (Delta Darts, kids’
toys), maybe $200-$500 for raffle prizes, $8
for each roll of raffle tickets, etc.
If you’ve never done it, try hosting an
event and start small. If you already hold a
one-day fly-in, try expanding it by adding
days to the schedule.
If I can answer any questions or if you’d
like to see some of my signs, flyers, or
whatever else I have, please feel free to ask.
I’d love to help—but that’s just the CD in
me. MA
Michael Brown
[email protected]
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/04
Page Numbers: 34,35,36,37,38,40,42
MY PURPOSE in writing this is to help
clubs and individuals who have never done so
put on an event that will not only be fun, but
also increase club membership and make
money for flying-field preservation in the
process.
This isn’t about my events; it’s about how
I put them together. I know of several clubs
that have put on fun-flys that lost money
instead of making money, just by how they
did things. The ideas I will present to you
have helped a few of them turn a modest
profit.
In addition, this is just one way of doing
things—not the only way. With your thoughts
and volunteers’ input, I am sure you can make
these ideas suit your area and event.
When I started one of my favorite events, the
Super Fun Fly, it was all about having fun
without concern for
club profit. It still is,
and always will be,
about fun first and
foremost, but now it
makes money for
our club.
Our first event
was nothing fancy,
but it was a huge
success because
April 2009 35
Above: Checks exceeding $2,000 apiece are presented to presidents (L, R) of two local clubs that joined to
put on a successful event. Any club event can make money.
Above left: Building is a fun activity that the young and mature can appreciate. The opportunity attracts a
lot of attention.
Left: Summer activities that include water fun attract not only pilots, but also the families who appreciate
the parklike setting.
everybody had fun. I decided to make the
affair larger in its third year, so I sanctioned it
with the AMA. I also added another day to it,
Sunday, and told pilots they could set up and
fly on Friday.
The club members set things up on
Wednesday, and, since the fly-in is held
during Labor Day weekend, pilots are
welcomed from Wednesday until Monday.
So in a sense, they could be there six days
and stay five nights; that’s more bang for
their buck and it costs the club nothing to
allow them to stay longer.
It’s Easy: Many people think that putting on
an event is too much for them, but I disagree.
It’s easy to organize, and it mostly only takes
bits and pieces of your time. For me, this
translates into six to 12 months of planning.
I start preparing for the two big annual
events I do as soon as the previous years’ are
over; that way, the tasks are spread out over a
longer period of time. Breaking it into pieces
makes it much more manageable.
I’ll take you through the process of how I
create an event and break it down to make it
easier to understand. At times I will refer to
my last event: this year’s Super Fun Fly.
Lay the Groundwork: If neither you nor
your club has put on an event, go to a good
one, watch, and take notes. Don’t try to
remember everything—and leave your
airplanes at home.
One person will need to be “in charge” of
the event; this is the CD. If you want to have
a sanctioned event, you will first need to pass
the AMA CD test.
Once you have attained CD status, pick a
date for your event. Look at event schedules
such as AMA’s “Contest Calendar,” those on
other clubs’ Web sites, etc. I suggest that you
choose a date that is three to four weeks away
from huge events that are within 250 miles of
your area.
Next, look at the likely weather conditions
during the time of year you are considering.
Decide on a tentative date now as your
preferred date of choice. You might also want
to pick an alternate date as you are looking at
the calendars.
Before I decide to put on an event, I do the
wise thing and talk with my wife. She always
ends up running back and forth from town for
everything for my fun-fly, from ice to, well,
who knows what.
Since she and my youngest son help me,
it’s important to hold the event at times that
work for them. It would be unfair to just
expect them to be a part of it, and our families
share in everything we do in some way.
Present the event idea and date(s) at a club
meeting, roughly eight to 12 months in
advance. For my last event, I told everybody
that I wanted to gear it toward the public first,
pilots second, and moneymaking third,
because I wanted to strengthen our ties with
the community. Doing this is not only good
for the hobby, but it also attracts members,
which is something all clubs need.
The only comment was that some
members wanted to make sure we would
04sig2.QXD 2/24/09 9:40 AM Page 35
36 MODEL AVIATION
Photos by the author
The optimal layout for a fly-in includes good
parking and shaded areas so that spectators,
workers, and pilots can find comfort.
Volunteers make the event. Place the right
people in the right places, and things will go
smoothly. Reward them as often as possible.
A middle school cheerleader group was welcomed as a vendor at the
Super Fun Fly. Consider the public-relations opportunities of having
an event in your community.
Any event can benefit from raffles. Display the prizes and sponsors
prominently, and save the drawing for last.
Activities that include young people are appreciated by the
parents as well. The news media typically love these stories.
Provisions for camping extends the life of the fun-fly beyond official hours. The
community that builds encourages return visits.
Parents can relax at
an event when their
children feel like
participants. Have
things for the kids to
do, and the parents
will attend.
04sig2.QXD 2/24/09 9:25 AM Page 36
April 2009 37
Sanctions and Safety
Safety should be top priority—especially at events, since
some of the pilots might not be used to flying together.
Following are the basics.
Communication at the flightline is key. Using spotters and
talking to each other will go a long way. I believe in
employing a transmitter impound for other than 2.4 GHz
systems and a maximum of five models in the air at one time
(depending on site conditions).
Airplane inspections are not done at all events. It is a
choice, but it is for the benefit of all pilots and spectators.
When I conduct safety inspections, I make sure that things
are tight, such as the engine or motor, propeller/spinner,
landing gear, and all flying surfaces. I also check to ensure
that some kind of keeper is on all clevises and that superior
linkages such as ball joints or Z-bends are used.
We all sign the AMA forms stating that our airplanes
are airworthy when we fly at a sanctioned event, but that
doesn’t mean we always check for worn hinges or a loose
motor or engine. We have saved countless airplanes from
tragedy with
the discovery
of broken
hinges alone.
Think
safety in every
aspect of your
event—not just
in regards to
the pilots and
airplanes. MA
—Michael
Brown
Make spectators part of the show. Interactive activities
such as this Delta Dart launch promote the hobby/sport
and makes the public feel appreciated.
Your club can award the pilots with simple and low-cost yet
effective trophies. This can help boost the talent attendance.
The sunset is a good part of the day and the perfect end to the
event. Be sure to thank everyone who is there as often as you can.
How did you feel when
you built your first
model? You probably
wanted to fly it then
and now!
04sig2.QXD 2/24/09 9:46 AM Page 37
profit if we were going to have to work four
or five days. I assured all present that there
would be registration fees and a raffle booth,
both of which make money.
After your club has approved the event,
start talking with potential volunteers. Look
at members you respect or who already help
the club in other ways. Even consider what
they do or have done for a living. If you
have a great chef in your club, why ask a
bartender to cook your banquet dinner?
It helps if you can have regular event
meetings with all volunteers and, for
goodness sakes, listen to them! If they work
a department, they will probably have a good
understanding of what it needs. As long as
safety isn’t adversely affected, go for it.
I believe in lists for everything. You
don’t forget much if you can check off each
item as it’s received and then again when it’s
loaded and taken to the field. Make one
checklist for each department (registration,
impound, food, raffle, volunteers, etc.).
I don’t care if you have the most
beautiful event site in the world; it’s going to
be a mess if you are unprepared and
unorganized.
I send off the AMA sanction papers at
least six months early, to make sure I get the
three free months of magazine advertising. If
your club doesn’t own the event property,
you will need AMA’s site insurance; it’s
affordable and protects the property owners.
Spread the News: I make three flyers: one
to send to out-of-town pilots, one for the
newsletter, and one for the public. Each is
unique, since I am targeting different types
of people.
Out-of-town pilots want event
information, maps, motel phone numbers,
the number of days they can stay, whether or
not they can arrive early, and more. I say
they can come at least a day early, to give
them a day to relax and put their airplanes
together. They can also fly if they want.
The second flyer, for the club newsletter,
announces the event and prepares members
for the “Can you volunteer?” questions to
come. It also goes to many other clubs’
newsletter editors.
You need to think about the flyer for the
public. You are targeting people who don’t
fly models, so you need to help them
understand what you are offering and make
them want to attend the event. Don’t call it a
“fun-fly”; they will have no idea what that is.
Use headlines such as “Free Air Show.”
Schedule a couple of pilots to fly a Combat
round or mock Pylon race each day, and put
that on the handout. Call it an “Air Race” and
write “Airplane Combat.”
Advertise food, drinks, a free swap meet,
and a raffle, if you will have those things, and
emphasize “Public Welcome.” If other
activities are planned, such as buddy-box
flying or a Delta Dart building seminar,
publicize those as well. Include the contact
information and a map on the back of the
flyer. And don’t forget the date!
I post flyers for the public on supermarket
information boards, for great free advertising.
Raffle Talk: You don’t have to host a raffle,
but you will want to if your goal is to make
money. Start buying items to give away
during the Christmas shopping season; it’s the
best time for super sales, and not just on
hobby items.
Aeromodeling supplies can be difficult to
give as prizes. If you raffle off a 12-ounce fuel
tank, the winner might fly with electric power.
I concentrate on items that most attendees
would probably like, such as tools, folding
chairs, coolers, picture frames, etc. If it isn’t
on sale or on closeout, I’m not interested.
The public will probably buy lots of raffle
tickets if you offer everyday items. The most
important thing to give away is a trainer
model.
Your local hobby shop can be a great
source for raffle items, but don’t expect it to
fill a truck. Ask for a donation, sure, but also
ask if the store personnel will talk with their
suppliers. If this is the only event your local
hobby shop supports and it actively asks
several suppliers, you are most likely in for a
treat.
At least three months before the event, sit
down with a few newer hobby magazines.
(This is a time when you will be glad for all
those ads.) Start a spreadsheet to keep track of
all of the hobby suppliers’ postal-mail
addresses, e-mail addresses, telephone
numbers, and Web sites. Make a list that you
can easily print. (Saving this and all other lists
helps greatly with future events.)
When you have your register of
companies, craft a donation-request letter.
Make it look as professional as possible, and
request their product brochures to hand out
with any contributions they make. Send
requests to 50 companies (12-15 weeks early).
Include your letter, a copy of your sanction,
and an event flyer.
To save a buck, put the sanction and flyer
on one piece of paper. Print the request on one
side of another sheet, and add the sponsor’s
address and your return address on the other
side. Fold it twice and stamp it, and no
envelope is necessary. Don’t forget to include
local businesses in your mailing.
The last and most important thing for my
raffle is the raffle wheel. We sell tickets for $1
each, and $5 buys six tickets and a chance to
spin the wheel. It has 16 spaces numbered
from 6 to 20. The purchaser gets the six
tickets plus the number of tickets on which the
wheel lands.
You can probably afford to hold a raffle, at
less than $10 for 2,000 tickets. And many
people love to spin the wheel; it entices them
to spend at least $5. We sold 31/2 rolls of
tickets at one event; that’s 7,000!
The raffle area is a great place to pass on
old magazines; set up a small table on which
to put them. The public generally loves free
publications, and this might help get them into
the hobby.
I have nicknamed raffles “event killers.” If
you are holding a big drawing and people are
waiting for it to happen, they will leave as
soon as it’s finished, as sure as if it started
pouring down rain.
Reward your sponsors. Print their names
on nice colored-paper stock and post in a few
spots at the event. When the fly-in is finished,
send those companies thank-you letters and
maybe a picture or two. They deserve it.
Contact Your Talent: If you don’t know
many out-of-town pilots, think of clubs as
resources. The AMA Web site’s club locator
or event directory will help.
If you can, attend a few events and ask the
CDs for copies of the sign-up sheets. As long
as there are no conflicts, he or she should
consent. But don’t go to a jet event looking
for fun-fly pilots.
Get e-mail addresses of potential attendees
if you can, and ask them to pass the flyer on to
all their flying friends in their address books.
Do this at least two months early; a few
months gives people time to really plan for the
fly-in.
Publicize Your Event: At this point, make a
press release about your fun-fly. It costs only
a few stamps and several sheets of paper to
get tons of free advertising.
I send a press release to every television
station, radio station, and newspaper within
150 miles, which works out to 34 companies
for me. Include such true phrasing as “ … a
free air show,” “Aeromodeling is a good
family hobby,” and “ … will help bring the
community together.”
Sure Path to the Heart: If you prepare
concessions for the event instead of having it
catered, make a list of everything you’ll need,
from the food to tape for keeping cloths on
tables. As for everything else you’ll purchase
for the fly-in, shop smart but get quality
products.
Buy decent paper plates and plastic ware.
Nothing’s worse than a plate that won’t hold
the food you serve.
If you can get items on sale or even on
closeout, do it. Having time to find bargains is
one of the benefits of taking your time to put
on an event. I bought 1,000 knives and forks
on sale—not because I needed that many, but
because they were the same price as 250, and
I knew our future events would require free
utensils.
If you want to keep it simple, buy hot dogs
(all-beef—no other meat) and barbecue them;
don’t boil them. People don’t go to a party for
the smell of boiled anything.
Buy brand-name soft drinks; most people
don’t like the cheap store brands. Charge $1
per can and keep it ice-cold.
One annual event I put on features a
banquet dinner, and it works out great but is a
lot of extra work. Ask how many would be
interested in a dinner for the following year. If
many like the idea, host one; if not, don’t.
Either way, limit the amount of dinners and
sell tickets.
Our events’ main food is lunch. A burger,
chips, and a drink doesn’t cost anywhere near
the $5 we charge. You could also serve some
kind of breakfast. A couple pancakes, three
pieces of sausage, and two eggs for $5 sounds
good and is even more profitable.
Food equals money for your club, but you
must have volunteers. They are the key to
everything.
Keep ’Em Busy: This is where some extra
fun can come in, and it will make your
event different than the regular fly-eat-fly
gathering. We noticed that kids would get
bored after awhile and want to leave, but
their parents wanted to stay. At first my
wife and I bought cheap toys for the
children, and occasionally I would give the
kids a pick of a couple things out of a bag.
One year my wife said, “Why don’t we
have some kids’ games, off to the side, and
well away from the flying area?” So we
started doing a few games for the little ones
and it worked well.
I was looking at the AMA store one day
and saw the Delta Dart (a simple rubberband-
powered model for beginners to
construct), and this project became a part of
our event. It’s great!
We have held three of these airplane
builds, and everybody from spectators to
pilots, young and old, take part. It is free to
all, and we have volunteers to help. It takes
just one hour, when done properly, and is
limited to the first 40 participants.
The Delta Dart build concludes with a
mass launch, and the pilot with the longest
flight wins a much larger rubber-powered
kit. It’s a blast, with big smiles and
participants cheering for their friends.
Another fun thing we do is buddy-box
flying with the public. The event attendees
not only enjoy seeing their family members
fly an airplane, but some of the new
students enjoy the experience and end up
being future club members.
We don’t run buddy-box flights all day.
We hold them for two to three hours at one
of our five flying stations; this way, we
don’t bother the other pilots too much.
The Delta Dart build and buddy-box
flying are free. But if you think you don’t
make money doing them, think again.
Parents and children stay to see the next
race, then stay for the Delta Dart building,
and then stay a little longer to see more
airplanes fly. The longer they stick around,
the more excited they get and the more
drinks, food, and raffle tickets they buy.
This year we spent $15 on toys and $55 on
Delta Darts, so we invested $70 to
encourage everyone to stay both of the full
days.
Be Heard: You need a sound system for
your fly-in. You can’t yell at everybody,
and you should be able to communicate to
everyone: public and pilots. You need to
announce your pilots’ meeting, information
about food, who the event sponsors are
(mention them repeatedly throughout the
weekend), safety concerns, etc.
You can borrow a sound system, or
RadioShack sells cheap units with horntype
speakers that will suffice. This is
where your club needs to make more
decisions.
Many groups borrow tables, chairs,
sound systems, shade tents, and other
equipment. There is nothing wrong with
this; a large number of clubs get what they
have from volunteers and donations in the
first place. Churches or maybe the local
Moose or Elks Lodge can be great sources.
However, if you hold fun-flys for a few
years and they make money as they should,
your club can buy things it requires. Mine
owns everything it needs: 20-30 tables, 125
chairs, storage shelves, several huge shade
tents, mowers, a generator, a blower, and
more. Be patient and spend wisely, and
soon your club will be equipped for events.
Remember that you must spend money to
make money—not lots but just enough.
Clubs could end up investing $20 for the
sanction, $100-$150 for paper and stamps,
$70 for entertainment (Delta Darts, kids’
toys), maybe $200-$500 for raffle prizes, $8
for each roll of raffle tickets, etc.
If you’ve never done it, try hosting an
event and start small. If you already hold a
one-day fly-in, try expanding it by adding
days to the schedule.
If I can answer any questions or if you’d
like to see some of my signs, flyers, or
whatever else I have, please feel free to ask.
I’d love to help—but that’s just the CD in
me. MA
Michael Brown
[email protected]