A Day in the Hangar
Keith Varnau
"Many people, nowadays, worry a lot about the lack of interest in our youth for the model airplane hobby, and you hear a lot about it. I think this experience proves that the interest is there. It just needs the opportunities like 'A Day in the Hangar' to be expressed and pursued." — Contest Director Ed Lamb
Overview
The Boeing Company and the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) combined resources on March 9, 1996, to sponsor A Day in the Hangar. The event may have been the largest indoor model airplane contest in the U.S., with more than 1,300 participants. It was held in Boeing's Everett, Washington 777/747/767 factory—the world's largest building.
Sponsorship and organization
The event was sponsored by the Boeing Employees' Aerodynamic Modeling Society (BEAMS), a Boeing recreation club dedicated to involving youth in aeromodeling. Club members—Boeing employees and retirees—volunteer their time to share building and flying skills with youngsters, cultivating the next generation of modelers.
From its inception, BEAMS has worked with a network of Boeing managers to develop youth interest in aviation. A team effort across the company helped the Day in the Hangar concept share the excitement of aviation.
Registration and kits
Each registered contestant received an AMA Cub prior to the contest. Through the efforts of AMA's Jay Mealy, 1,200 AMA Cub kits were provided to support the program in October 1995. When registration forms began arriving in late February, the club realized more Cubs were needed. AMA's Julie Evans quickly arranged shipment of another 400 kits from AMA Headquarters and an additional 400 kits from Sig Manufacturing. The last orders arrived just in time to be mailed in registration packets. Late registrants received kits at the door.
Facilities
Boeing provided approximately 200 tables and 400 chairs. Many Cubs were constructed on the spot; a repair station supplied glue, rubber, wood, and tissue. To provide ample space within the schedule-driven manufacturing facility, Boeing cleared equipment, fixtures, and airplane parts to create a 500 x 300-foot area with an 80-foot ceiling. Of the 12 million cubic feet available, each participant had 8,863 cubic feet of air space. Boeing staff Don Long, Mike Waltz, and Wayne Routhier were instrumental in making the facility available.
Contest events
Although the primary emphasis was on beginners, the Day was also scheduled as an AMA-sanctioned Category III Indoor contest. Events included:
- Indoor Hand Launched Glider
- Catapult Glider
- Pennyplane
- Profile "No-Cal" Scale
- Peanut Scale
Each event had its own event director. With many participants and volunteers, the event quickly became a family fly-in, with experienced modelers giving practice and demonstration flights throughout the day.
Amenities
One of the event's biggest attractions was the pizza line—admission entitled ticket-holders to two pieces of pizza and a soft drink. A local restaurant supplied the food, and BEAMS members manned the serving lines. Trucks began delivering food at 11:30 a.m. and continued until everyone was fed.
Activities and exhibits
Several educational exhibits and demonstrations were staffed by local modelers and clubs, including:
- The Museum of Flight K-4 Flight Simulator, designed by museum docent and Boeing retiree George Visk. During the day, Director of Youth Services Greg Moyce helped more than 450 youngsters into the hydraulically controlled simulator.
- The Boeing Soaring Club displayed a full-scale sailplane and let participants sit in the cockpit for brief “stick time.”
- Pilots from the Washington Pilots' Association Aviation Academy volunteered as official timers and discussed how model aircraft compare to real aircraft. They assembled a miniature Paine Field (10 inches wide and 50 feet long) with a tower; some Peanut Scale modelers used it for takeoffs and landings.
- The Eagles RC club displayed several models. Boeing employee Jerry Cohen showed his 1/3-scale Stearman biplane.
- Ed McCollough, AMA District XI Vice President, walked around chatting with participants; his low-key presence gave the event visible approval and support.
- The Boeing Weights Department contributed two triple-beam scales and two electronic scales for weighing airplanes and rubber motors.
- Chris Huddleston, an industrial arts teacher from Lynnwood High School, displayed a four-foot wind tunnel for sample testing.
- Northwest modeler Gil Coughlin displayed Pistachio Scale models, a collection of engines, and flying ornithopters.
BEAMS and ongoing programs
While A Day in the Hangar is BEAMS' most visible event, it is only part of the program. BEAMS meets twice a month using Boeing facilities. Company activity centers provide classrooms for meetings and a gymnasium for indoor flying. Workshop-style meetings help modelers prepare models for the Hangar event. The club also held "A Day in the Gym" as a practice session.
The 1996 event was the second time Boeing allowed Northwest modelers to fly indoor models inside the factory; the first was in fall 1994, with about 350 participants. BEAMS members have discussed the possibility of moving to an even larger facility, such as Seattle's Kingdome, which would likely require additional company support. Club members remain enthusiastic and optimistic.
Contact
For more information on BEAMS or A Day in the Hangar, contact Keith Varnau:
7612 140th Place NE Redmond, WA 98052-4124 E-mail: keith.g.varnau@boeing.com
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
