Hundreds of AMA clubs celebrated National Model Aviation Day (NMAD) on August 16, filling the skies with model aircraft and introducing the enjoyment of the hobby and sport across communities in the US. Here are a few of their stories and photos.
Iowa City Aerohawks
The Iowa City Aerohawks, charter club #824, held an Open House in recognition of National Model Aviation Day on Sunday August 17. We chose the 16th due to our field being located next to an operating landfill. Having the event on Sunday the 17th eliminated the extra traffic associated with daily landfill operations. The day was extremely hot, with a heat index of 105 degrees and a bit of a gusting wind but we were very satisfied with the number of guests in attendance. We anticipate the addition of 3 to 4 new members to our club, so we deemed the event a real success. Club Member Ken Morse took the lead role in organizing the event, he coined “Beyond the Bleachers” and did an outstanding job. Ken put together several static displays that dealt with the very basics of what is involved in putting an RC aircraft together, how things work as a system, and what it costs to get started, complete with an Open House discount at our favorite hobby store. Ken also put together a flyer featuring the annual events our club hosts and the amenities our club has to offer. In addition to the static displays, we had two Real Flight, flight simulators and two Aero Scout trainers on buddy boxes available so our guests could get some hands-on experience. All flight stations stayed busy the entire afternoon. In summary, while we are pretty sure the extremely hot weather curtailed some attendance, we were very happy with the outcome and look forward to doing it again next year. It’s a very rewarding experience to witness the enthusiasm young people bring to the hobby and the smiles on their faces as they have an opportunity to touch the sticks of a transmitter for the very first time.
Regards, Rich VeDepo,
Iowa City Aerohawks
KC/RC NMAD Celebration
We had more than 200 spectators who enjoyed an airshow, four flight simulators in an air-conditioned trailer, with three trainer airplanes (built by the Young Eagles program) equipped with wireless buddy boxes available to anyone to try model aviation. There was a continuous line of kids, and adults, wanting to try their hand at flying. Modeling manufacturers, distributors, and local hobby shops were very generous with prize donations which were enjoyed by all participants and raffle winners. To feed the masses, local Boy Scout troop (1306) provided breakfast and lunch to everyone, and KC/RC topped the day off with a potluck barbecue dinner to all NMAD registered participants and their families.
KC/RC also enjoyed local media attention. Below, is a link to our local ABC affiliate news channel coverage of the event, featuring yours truly (orange shirt).
https://www.kmbc.com/article/national-model-aviation-day-lees-summit-rc-planes/65798396
Overall, KC/RC’s 2025 NMAD celebration was a very successful event, also celebrating the club’s 71st anniversary.
All proceeds from entry fees and raffle ticket sales were contributed to Angel Flight Central.
Jon Britt, Contest Director
AMA 1040
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