District X
Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah
Greg Stone
Vice President
amadistrictx@modelaircraft.org
5345 Paseo Caliente
Yorba Linda CA 92887
(949) 413-0920
ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENTS
Forrest Barton, Woodland CA; (530) 383-9019; cbarton328@aol.com
Stella Bennett, San Pedro CA; (310) 357-4570; bennettblueeagles72@gmail.com
Jim Bonnardel, San Diego CA; (858) 292-5518; nitroblast@hotmail.com
Alan Friedman, Eloy AZ; (520) 876-0232; pooralan@aol.com
Bob Hunter, San Tan Valley AZ; (714) 273-1419; bobh@huntershome.com
Tim Johnson, Mission Viejo CA; (949) 444-7520; timothy@johnson.us.com
Mike Lee, Redlands CA; (909) 792-8424; mlee8249@msn.com
Barry Mattison, Las Vegas NV; (702) 218-3827; bm.brabbit@aol.com
Jim Mohan, Phoenix AZ; (623) 434-1351; jmohan351@cox.net
JR Schiager, Folsom CA; (916) 705-7778; jrstuff88@gmail.com
Gil Terzo, Las Vegas NV; (702) 523-9897; gterzo@aol.com
Peter Vogel, Santa Clara CA; (408) 569-7067; vogel.peter@gmail.com
Roger Willis, Murrieta CA; (951) 249-9688; willisassoc@aol.com
EVENT SANCTION COORDINATORS
Forrest Barton (CA north of Bakersfield), Woodland CA; (530) 383-9019; cbarton328@aol.com
Southern California and Arizona, Greg Stone, (949) 413-0920; gstone4@outlook.com
Free Flight: AMA Headquarters, Competition Department, (765) 287-1256, ext. 252; competition@modelaircraft.org
I had a great time with the Valley RC Flyers and the club’s enormous team of volunteers who supported the 2025 SAE Aero Design West competition that took place at the Apollo XI RC Field in Van Nuys, California. I have supported this event for many years, and this year, I helped again with the technical inspections that every aircraft must undergo to confirm build specifications, safety, and flight readiness.
Hosted by SAE International, this event challenged university teams to design, build, and fly RC aircraft capable of lifting substantial payloads while adhering to strict engineering constraints. This year, we had 68 teams and roughly 800 students from around the world.
Teams competed in three unique classes: Regular, Advanced, and Micro. The Regular class
focused on fundamental design principles, requiring teams to construct aircraft that could carry the maximum possible weight within a 55-pound limit. The Advanced class introduced more complex requirements, including autonomous flight capabilities, while the Micro class emphasized achieving the highest payload fraction with the lowest empty weight.
The flight segment of the competition was three days, with Friday being registration, technical inspections, safety briefings, and a few practice flights. Saturday began the formal flying attempts and ongoing technical inspections. Sunday concluded with final flight attempts and the awards ceremony, where teams were recognized for their performance and innovation.
This event not only tested students’ technical skills but also their ability to collaborate, communicate, and solve complex engineering problems. The SAE Aero Design West competition continues to serve as a premier platform for aspiring aerospace engineers to showcase their talents and gain real-world experience in aircraft design and testing.
Thanks to the many clubs across the country that helped teams by offering their flying sites for practice and, in some cases, club pilots to help fly their aircraft and provide guidance to teams.
