Welcome back! I received several notes and comments about my column on welcoming visitors to your club. The general tone of the emails is that most of the clubs in District V are of the friendly variety, which is great to hear, so pat yourselves on the back and keep up the great work!
We have many events in District V—so many that it’s hard to be everywhere at once. I had the great pleasure to attend the Southern Scale Helicopter Challenge (SSHC) in Dalton, Georgia. The SSHC takes place the first weekend following Labor Day each year and features a long list of notable names in the Scale helicopter community
This was the 15th year for the SSHC, which is hosted by the Dalton RC Flyers in Georgia. Darrell Sprayberry, who serves as contest director (CD) for the helicopter competition at Top Gun as well as the AMA Scale Helicopter Nats, is the event coordinator and club president. Darrell is just one of several former national Scale helicopter champions and CDs who attend the event.
The SSHC takes place at the same time each year, so if you ever want to join a group dedicated to helping others find success in this somewhat specialized niche, put a trip to Dalton on your schedule of events. Its relaxed atmosphere, great food, and family feeling make this a must-attend event for me each year.
My first trip to Tennessee as a district vice president was to hang out and fly gliders with the great bunch of people at the Chattanooga RC Club. The club’s Summit Field is an example of cooperation between the club and the city. It sits on a closed landfill, and unlike many clubs that can’t make any changes to city property, the Chattanooga club has a new paved runway and a nice pavilion.
The view from the top of the hill is spectacular and the food was well above average. CD Charles Perry was performing tow duties with a Hangar 9 Valiant and an E-flite Carbon Z Cub. I got a few tows behind the Valiant and they let me do a little towing with a Carbon Z Cub. We sat down and talked about the FAA and AMA, and swapped tall tales about booming thermals and crazy tow pilots over lunch.
Chattanooga is a beautiful city and there’s much to do around town. The Chattanooga club hosts a number of events throughout the year, so if you’re looking to combine an RC trip with some neat sightseeing, put a trip to Tennessee on your to-do list!