Edition: Model Aviation - 2023/05
Page Numbers: 105
Portrait of Brandon Koch wearing an AMA cap

District IX

Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming

Portrait of Brandon Koch wearing an AMA cap

Okay, let’s say that there is an event center in your town large enough to host an indoor rodeo. How could your club get access to that kind of space? The cost to book such a venue for a single day must be outrageous, let alone several times over the course of the winter months, but the Red River RC Flyers, in Grand Forks, North Dakota, did just that.

To answer the obvious question, it was a combination of a little serendipity and a conscious effort by the club to promote itself in the local community.

One of the members of the Red River Flyers had a chance meeting with an executive from the Alerus Event Center in Grand Forks. In this conversation, the club member mentioned that the members had previously flown at some of the University of North Dakota (UND) facilities and casually asked if they could fly at Alerus, which, although owned by the city, is where UND plays its home games.

It turned out that Alerus was having trouble finding help with parking at its bigger events. The club soon presented itself to the Alerus group as ready to park cars in exchange for use of the space

Indoor event center prepared for model aircraft flying
Photo by Brian Dorff.
when it was not booked for other events. Because the club was already active in city activities and had a track record with UND, a deal was struck. This past winter, the Red River Flyers have made good use of that space—to the tune of 12 times. Its 90-foot ceiling makes for easy indoor aircraft flying of all kinds. In addition to open flying, the club has organized indoor racing, Combat events, drone racing, and other casual competitions.

I’ve heard clubs say their only goal is to have a place to fly. That’s a really low bar. The Red River Flyers is a great example of an investment in the community paying big dividends. Your efforts pay rewards.

Here’s an idea from Joe Pirrozoli of the Arvada Associated Modelers in Denver. At the club’s Frozen Finger Fun Fly, they came up with this neat event that Joe calls the Ski Jump.

Model airplane approaching a small ramp on a snowy runway

“You get 30 feet to get up a head of steam before hitting the ramp then cut the motor and glide as far as possible. Now that all sounds easy ... except the darn ramp is only about 3 feet wide. Results ranged from just a couple of yards to the winner, Brian Gates, at 31 feet, using one our club’s AeroScouts.”

Model aircraft pilot holding an airplane in stadium seats
Kasey Johnson gets ready for some Combat at the Alerus Center. Photo by Jim Scherer.

Kasey Johnson gets ready for some Combat at the Alerus Center.

Brandon Koch

Vice President
kochbrandon471@gmail.com
Mandan ND
(701) 471-9575

ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENTS

EVENT SANCTION COORDINATOR

Troy Hamm, Gardner KS; (913) 744-5745; funflyr@juno.com