The two Casper, Wyoming AMA sanctioned clubs, the Casper Airmodelers and the Privateers, joined forces to hold an AMA sanctioned event called, “Come Fly with US, Community Day”. The event was focused on exposing as many people as possible from our community to our beloved hobby and the AMA. Pilots from the clubs readied their trainer planes and buddy boxes to spend a day getting people into the air.
The AMA graciously granted a $450 Take off and Grow grant. The grant could be used for whatever the club needed to hold the event. It was decided the funds would best be used for the following. $250 towards an Eflite Apprentice RTF. The clubs held a free raffle for anybody that signed up take their first stab at RC flight. $100 went towards Facebook advertising. The event was listed at www.facebook.com/casperairmodelers. The Facebook advertising exposed our event to 4,892 people. Of those we received 117 event responses. That is 8 x more than any of our other events have received. The last $100 was spent on a free for everybody that attended bar-b-que lunch.
The event went better than expected. We estimate 100 + spectators showed up throughout the day. 19 people signed up to fly for the first time ever. Out of a town of 40,000 people and competing with multiple other events around Casper that is not a bad turnout.
In the end the youth are the ones that shined at the event. The winner of the Apprentice, Zayne Gomez (age12), spent almost the entire day at the field. Between practicing on the simulators we had set up and his trainer box flights he was almost ready to solo by the end of the day. You would have thought he had been doing it for years.
12 of the 19 pilots were under 17 and all showed a true interest in the hobby. The club is going to do all we can to keep that interest alive and keep them coming to the field.
This event was held at the Casper Airmodelers Field AMA#0672 – Casper, Wyoming-June 10th 2017