By AMA Member Cliff Davis
It started with my wife wanting to see the northern lights. We made our plans, packed our bags, and, on January 30, 2026, we caught our seven-hour flight on an Icelandair Boeing 737 MAX from Denver to Keflavik, Iceland.
We visited during winter. The sun rose at around 9:30/10 a.m. and set at around 5 p.m. daily. The temperatures were generally just about freezing during the day, sometimes getting up to as high as 40° with light winds. For folks living in Nebraska, that’s shorts and T-shirt weather!
There was a huge amount to see and do, and we did just about all of it. Northern lights? Check. Waterfalls? Check. Dormant volcanoes? Check. Glaciers? Check. But what we hadn’t done was check out the local hobby scene, which is something that I’ve really taken an interest in these past few years. Whenever we plan a trip, I like to see if there is a local hobby shop and RC club community in the area. Web searches were inconclusive for clubs in Iceland but did turn up a good-looking local hobby shop: Tómstundahúsið/Glaciar Motors.
I spent some time looking around the shop and sending photos back to my RC club friends in Nebraska. I then saw a flyer for a local club. I found the club’s contact information on Facebook and emailed the club contact, who answered within a couple of hours! I explained that I was visiting and have been an avid RC hobbyist for over 30 years now and would love to come out and visit their field to talk RC with them. We talked about a couple of different days and times and finally agreed to meet at 1 p.m., two days later.
Sverrir and Magnus greeted us with smiles and handshakes. They both showed us around their field with pride, explaining that they had about 60 members and had opened up their membership to cars and drones.
We exchanged gifts. I had brought along a hooded sweatshirt from my club, the Lincoln Sky Knights in Lincoln, Nebraska. Sverrir and Magnus presented me with a patch of their club logo and some candies that Sverrir told us he had gotten addicted to during a trip to Denmark.
I asked about the challenges they face, and surprisingly it’s exactly the same set of challenges that we have in the states: trying to get kids involved, expanding the volunteer group beyond the “core” of folks at any club that usually do 90% of the work, and seeing the hobby get a bit more “experienced” (older).
Magnus offered airplane coffee. Who were we to say no? We all climbed into their clubhouse, which is a very well laid-out trailer with wood flooring, a sofa, and a few framed photos of friends. Then the real fun began: Magnus asked if I would like to fly! I just about jumped out of my shoes to say, “Yes!”
Magnus brought out a V1 E-flite Extra 300 and an FMS EDF Yak-130 V2. He put a battery in it then handed me the transmitter with more trust than I would’ve had handing my airplane to a stranger. I’ve been flying for a long time and I’m a pretty good sport pilot, but I’ll be honest—I was nervous about this one. I would’ve hated to come all this way and crash an airplane on a different continent!
Turns out I did well. I flew through about half of a battery and had some great fun with the V1 E-flite Extra 300. Misson accomplished! I had flown in Iceland and not embarrassed myself or my country! We then chatted a bit more and exchanged emails, social media handles, and YouTube channel names—all of the modern-day contact information. I thanked my hosts and we headed out to see more of Iceland before heading home.
I’m including all of Sverrir and Magnus’ social media links below in “Sources.” Please give them a follow on Facebook and YouTube—these guys have a great love of the hobby and are fun to watch.
What did I learn from all of this? That we’re all alike, no matter the country or the language. Those of us that speak “RC” share a common bond. It was great to learn that they worry about the same things in our hobby such as membership, getting young folks involved, and getting more volunteers out to help with club activities. We also talked a lot about the RC media that we follow on YouTube and, wouldn’t you know? Our YouTube feeds look just about the same!
If you’re traveling out of the country, I couldn’t recommend this more. Find a local hobby shop, make contact with the local club, and politely tell them your story and ask if they’d welcome you out to meet them, see their field, and maybe, just maybe, get a chance to fly somewhere wild and new!
SOURCES:
Magnus’ YouTube Channel
Sverrir’s YouTube Channel
Cliff’s YouTube Channel
Sudurnes RC Club (Flugmódelfélag Suðurnesja)
Sudernes RC Club Facebook
facebook.com/FlugmodelfelagSudurnesja
Lincoln Sky Knights