This NASA committee was assigned the task of identifying sustainable locations in AMA District 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 in which to initiate an R/C Scale Contest expansion program. My focus is based on population of competitive scale modelers in an existing larger population of R/C pilots flying all types of scale aircraft.
Map blue pins below represent current NASA membership and virtual locations of existing AA AMA R/C Scale Contests in regions identfied by the first letter in its common name E, C, W, split north and south.
A successful expansion program must be built upon an existing participant base. In NASA's case the participant base is AMA R/C pilots flying modeler-built or a factory-built RC scale airplane.
Factory built R/C to include: Scale foamie, ARF, upgraded~re-finished ARF, scale models bought built by a manufacturer, or a hobby shop hanger, built/assembled by someone else.
Using AMA's club finder as launch point of my research I found the majority of R/C pilots flying scale and scale like models live in AMA District 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 are in Southern Washington State and Southern California with Sacramento the midway point between.
The AMA's club finder contains links to each club's website where club officer email, size of membership, telephone numbers, listings of events, flying field specs, and in many, a link to aged local weather reporting. I then began calling prospective hosts of a NASA AA Scale Contest.
Immediately it became obvious Covid-19 and urban sprawl have taken a huge bite out of R/C everywhere. Many clubs in the San Francisco Bay Area closed because of or have been shut down by encroachment.
Hill AFB (Salt Lake City) has a huge STEM program, 70 plus aircraft museum, and welcome "public" attitude. Initially what was attractive as an auxillary field location turned negative when discussion led to Homeland Security for any reason simply interrupting plans.
This brought me back to the 260 member Sacramento club...AMOS, half way, 11 hours from Seattle, or 6 hours from L.A.
I asked if AMOS wanted to host a three day contest. The immedidate answer was yes.
...........................................The kitchen is now this "walled in" gazebo.
