Expo '97
Liz Helms
Background
Nearly two years ago, AMA District X Vice President Rich Hanson had an idea. "Since it looks as though the Nats (National Aeromodeling Championships) will stay in Muncie, we wanted something that would bring District X area modelers together, something with appeal to all modelers, something with youth appeal, something open for participation by modelers regardless of their skill level, and something with public allure as well."
That "something" turned out to be Expo '97—a huge challenge, but the District X modelers and clubs were up to it. The San Jose, California, area was chosen as the venue because of the many strong, dedicated clubs in the area. The planning produced a nine-day event, August 30 through September 7, culminating in a giant aeromodeling expo and vendor show at Moffett Federal Airfield.
Organizing clubs
Seven San Francisco Bay Area clubs were involved in the planning and organization of Expo '97:
- Santa Clara County Model Aircraft Skypark (SCCMAS)
- Tomcats (Morgan Hill)
- South Bay Soaring Society (Morgan Hill)
- South Alameda County R/C (Newark)
- Woodland/Davis Aeromodelers
- Bayside R/C Club (Fremont)
- Pioneer R/C Club (Santa Clara)
- Peninsula Aeromodelers (Half Moon Bay)
The clubs volunteered their fields, time, and members. A planning committee coordinated Expo '97.
Alameda Naval Air Station events
The old Alameda Naval Air Station site hosted numerous events including scale and pylon racing on its 7,500-foot runway. Labor Day drew approximately 1,000 spectators, according to Gratz Powers, a member of the planning committee. A highlight of the Alameda schedule was Bill Osborne's Youth Control-Line Clinic—numerous young people got a chance to fly control-line aircraft and many stood in line for more than one trip around the circle.
Although nothing has been finalized, the Alameda facility could become a permanent flying site able to accommodate RC, control line, seaplanes, model boats, model cars, and helicopters.
Helicopter fly-in (Bayside R/C Field)
The helicopter fly-in at Bayside R/C Field in Fremont was well attended, boasting about 50 participants and roughly 200 spectators. There were seven events with novice, intermediate, and advanced categories. A popular attraction was helicopter drag racing. Airtronics provided a helicopter and a buddy box so spectators could try flying.
Bayside R/C Club president Dale Barnett said the club began mailing information to interested parties in January. The Expo helicopter fly-in borrowed planning cues and a mailing list from a defunct Bakersfield helicopter event. "We kept planning low-key—didn't overengineer—just mailed information, maps, and hotel sites early," Barnett said.
SCCMAS events and activities
Brian Nelson, SCCMAS member and event organizer, volunteered the club's field for:
- IMAC National Aerobatics Contest
- Pattern Aerobatics Contest
- Society of Antique Modelers events
- Ducted fan and turbine jet rally
SCCMAS also hosted an Expo '97 BBQ that replaced a canceled banquet. Bob Wilcox of Golden West Models attended the jet rally, and Chris Huhn flew a Bob Violett Models jet to the crowd's enjoyment. Wilcox entertained crowds with stories about special effects from the latest James Bond movie and the number of models built and intentionally crashed during filming.
The well-maintained SCCMAS field is next to the Santa Clara County bike path, which drew many drop-in spectators. A snack bar run by club members and spouses, including Nelson's wife Mary Jo, did brisk business on weekends offering sandwiches, snacks, and soft drinks; it was a major source of revenue for the 400-member club.
AMA annual membership meeting (at SCCMAS)
SCCMAS was also the site of AMA's annual membership meeting, chaired by AMA Executive Vice President Doug Holland. Holland was joined by AMA Executive Director Joyce Hager, District X Vice President Rich Hanson, and District II Vice President Wes De Cou.
Holland opened the meeting by mentioning the International Aeromodeling Center and the National Model Aviation Museum and recent facility improvements. He discussed the museum donation policy and the enhanced Leader Member program—AMA initiatives designed to promote model aviation. Other topics included scheduling AMA events, conflicting model boating events, the decline in membership, and the need for better marketing of the hobby to youth.
Issues discussed and decisions
- Model aircraft racing (especially Giant Scale) and insurance coverage for such events was discussed at length.
- Alternative insurance solutions, including individualized insurance costs, were suggested. Doug Holland agreed to add the topic to the agenda of the October 1997 AMA Executive Council meeting.
- Praise was given to Rich Hanson and the Expo organizers. Wes De Cou suggested Expo '97 could serve as a model for an East Coast event; Hanson suggested it could guide similar events in each AMA district.
- Joyce Hager urged members to proactively offer suggestions to improve AMA services: "You need to look at what you offer your members. It may not be what they want."
- Wes De Cou added, "We need ideas, and the EC can’t do it all."
Outcomes and future plans
Expo '97 was deemed a success overall despite setbacks beyond the organizers' control—most notably a UPS strike that caused cancellation of the vendor portion of the event at Moffett Field. Organizers hope the huge blimp hangar and attendant facilities can be used in future expos.
Doug Holland praised the effort: "You have to have a first one in order to improve, but this is the best-coordinated effort by a bunch of clubs I have ever seen." A cost-sharing agreement enabled participating clubs to realize a small profit.
Participants and organizers commented:
- "It gave us a chance to clean up our site, paint a little bit, and put on our best face for visitors," said Brian Nelson.
- "We'll do it again in a heartbeat!" said Dale Barnett.
- "It was very much worthwhile...for me, for the clubs, for the hobby. It's only going to get better. Rich, Don, and Brian really put themselves out for the benefit of the hobby," said Jim Reinholz, a planning committee member.
Planning for next year's event has already begun. Organizers will address event timing and earlier, better publicity—SCCMAS CD Chris Frouch noted that with school starting the day after Labor Day, attendance dropped off considerably after the first weekend.
On behalf of AMA, Rich Hanson expressed his appreciation to all the hard workers who contributed to the event's success and added, "...see you next year!"
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to Expo '97 coordinator Don Goeschl and local coordinator Brian Nelson.
More photos from Expo '97 can be seen on the District X web page: http://www.ama-10.com/ama/expo1.htm
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
