Lessons learned from a club that participated in the event
By Steve Shipley | [email protected] and Tom Jacoby | [email protected]
Photos by Steve Shipley
As seen in the September 2023 issue of Model Aviation.
The Legacy of Liberty Air Show was held on May 6-7, 2022, at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico. For those of you who might not be aware, Holloman was home to some of the most profound research and development undertakings of the U.S. Army Air Corps and later, the U.S. Air Force.
It’s the site of the track where Col. John Stapp tested the effects of high-speed acceleration and deceleration. It’s also home to the absolute world land speed record. Just a few miles to the west is White Sands Missile Range, where German V2 rockets were brought after the end of World War II. Engineers and scientists from all around the world came here to collaborate on the development of missile and rocket technology.
The USAF Thunderbirds! This was the view from the hangar.
Only a few miles north of Holloman is the Trinity Site. We all know that the nuclear age was ushered in by the first detonation of an atomic bomb. Suffice it to say, Holloman is located in the center of aviation and military history. I suppose you could say that "legacy" is truly a word that defines Holloman.
In the beginning, when we were first invited to participate in the air show, there was a full range of emotions. Many of the members thought that the invitation was too good to be true. COVID was still an issue, security is always an issue at an active military base, and invitations can always be withdrawn, but the overriding sentiment was, "We can do this."
Our first meeting with base personnel was at our January club meeting. The deputy director of the event attended and introduced himself to the members. We were impressed with his friendliness and enthusiasm, as well as his interest in what we do as model aviation enthusiasts.
In subsequent meetings, he was invited to buddy-box with one of our instructors. He discovered that being a fighter pilot doesn’t necessarily mean you can fly RC! Living this close to the base, we obviously have members who are associated with the military, whether they are veterans, retired, or on active duty, so he felt at home among our members.
In our first meeting, he explained much about what was expected of us, and before the meeting was over, we had already delegated certain responsibilities to volunteers. It’s uncommon for organizations to have as many volunteers as members, but in this case, everyone wanted to play a role.
Throughout the weeks and months following our invitation, we were busy with preparations. There were security passes to be applied for, selection of our flying demonstration team, procurement of tables and chairs for the static display, selection of models to be included in the static display, organizational details of how to transport models to and from the base, and the list went on.
David Beach and Bill English staffed the tables for the People’s Choice Award and the raffle for the E-flite Apprentice.
Sure, some of it was hard work, but with all of the members pitching in, it was more of a camaraderie-building effort than anything else. Our club grew closer as members shouldered responsibilities and shared workloads, with no one caring about credit or who did what. Everyone did what they could.
When the event finally came around, we were pleasantly surprised with the hospitality extended to us by the base personnel. We were given lanyards with participant credentials and vouchers for the food court for not only club members but also for our families who came to help. Yes, we had our act together.
Security passes had been garnered before setup day. We were organized with contingency plans, sufficiently practiced so that everyone would know what to do, and most of all, we were flexible. As we rolled through the main gate, we were escorted to what we expected to be a small corner of one the big hangars.
Much to our surprise, they had relocated all of the aircraft out of one of the main hangars on the flightline, and we were given the whole thing! Not only did we have an expansive area for our static display, but there was also parking inside for everyone, including those of us who pulled trailers.
That might not sound like a big deal, but summertime in the desert is brutal. One of the few requirements they put on us actually turned out to be—at least for me—the most memorable activity. The demonstration team and everyone working out past the flightline had to attend the daily flight briefing. Sitting in a room with the air boss, base commander, pilots of various demonstration teams, and members of the Thunderbirds, was an experience I’ll never forget.
There’s a reason we fly model airplanes. As for me, I didn’t have the "right stuff" to fly with my childhood heroes, such as John Glenn or Chuck Yeager, so model aviation fills what would have been a void in my life.
I wasn’t by any means the only one with memorable, fulfilling experiences. In fact, there’s not enough room in this article to even outline all of the individual feelings of accomplishment.
One of our members was detailed to set up and run the flight simulator. He recounts how the kids and adults—pilots and non-pilots—tried their hand at flying RC. Of course, there were degrees of success, but the common thread was that everyone had fun—especially our simulator pilot!
As the event drew to a close, there was still a lot of work to do. Club material had to be returned to the field, and tables and chairs had to be returned to the school that so graciously loaned them to us. Cleanup had to be "military grade," and all of the personal items and airplanes had to be loaded up and taken away, but the memories still remained.
The Friday practice day was phenomenal. The Thunderbirds were flying as though they had been unleashed. The demonstration pilots were flying their routines, and there we were, right at show center, taking it all in—not just as spectators but credential-carrying participants!
Setting up the static display. The hangar was huge and there was plenty of room for airplanes of all sizes. Maurice Morgan’s 1/3-scale Balsa USA Stearman is prominently displayed.
Lessons Learned
1. Engage early! We contacted the USAF air show director in February about participating in the air show that was scheduled for early May. As soon as we learned that we could participate, we invited the USAF air show director to our club meetings. The USAF air show director—a full-scale and drone pilot in his own right—flew one of our member’s RC aircraft. We believe that this personal engagement helped us quickly establish credibility with the USAF director and staff.
2. Organize AMA club staff immediately. Besides the event manager and deputy event manager, our club had an RC air boss, RC safety officer, and a static display manager.
3. Engage with AMA early on! The AMA staff are a key resource for event managers, with extensive knowledge and a demonstrated desire to help! AMA staff members Joyce Hager, Ilona Maine, Lois Mock, and Tony Stillman greatly assisted our club with the air show administrative requirements.
4. Be aware that there are multiple stakeholders in a full-scale air show, especially on a military base. Each stakeholder has their own responsibilities, beginning with safety! (Ours too …) Assume that the stakeholders are unfamiliar with AMA-sanctioned RC model operations and will require information from AMA air show participants. Be prepared to meet with each stakeholder to explain the RC flight demonstration.
USAF event management staff will want to know how to fit the RC demonstration into the overall air show. In our case, we were the lead act each morning before full-scale operations.
The USAF base operations will require proof of insurance, including site owner insurance. We worked with AMA staff to get site owner insurance in place early on.
USAF base security requires participants to pass a basic security check. We had to provide a list of all show participants, including full name, date of birth, and social security number. Any individual with a felony record will probably be denied access.
The USAF air traffic control requires proof that RC operations won’t interfere with full-scale flight operations. We provided a diagram of the deconflicted RC flight box, RC flight schedule, RC flight safety rules, etc.
The flight demonstration team (L- R): Harry Johnson, Tom Jacoby, Justin Alvarez, Roger Bryant, and Maurice Morgan. Notice the terrible runway conditions! The fullscale air boss noticed the conditions, and for the Sunday flights, model pilots were moved to the actual tarmac, very close to the show center.
The USAF radio-frequency spectrum manager required information about RC equipment to be used during the RC flight demonstration to ensure that there was no conflict with USAF operations. We provided a list of RC transmitters to be used, including radio frequency, power, and FCC identification.
The FAA controls the tower during flight operations. We had to fill out a lengthy Unmanned Aircraft Aviation Event Checklist for reference and FAA use only for the FAA inspector.
Civilian air show operators control the sequence of flight operations. They want operations to proceed on a tight schedule.
5. Read and comply with AMA guidelines for air show operation and safety! These include AMA Requirements for the Operation of Remote Control (RC) Aircraft at Full-Scale Airshows; the AMA National Model Aircraft Safety Code; and AMA document 540D "See and Avoid" Guidance.
6. Make sure the demonstration pilots have and carry the required certification, including a valid AMA membership; FAA registration (mark the registration number on the aircraft); and a Recreational UAS Safety Test certificate.
7. Be flexible! The AMA RC flight demonstration is low on the scale of importance to the overall air show. Although we were promised opportunities to practice our flight demonstration, last-minute changes to full-scale activities precluded any on-site rehearsals, and the air show manager changed our RC flight box location for the second day of the air show.
We had to share a full-scale taxiway with a couple of high-performance automobiles that made high speed passes (up to 175 mph) during our flight demonstration. It happens—be ready to deal with it!
8. Make effective use of a static display to introduce air show visitors to model aviation! Our static display highlighted the various types of RC aircraft operated by our club members. We set up a flight simulator that drew plenty of attention from visitors as they tried their hands at flying RC models.
We also had a raffle for a complete RC beginner’s setup with a model aircraft and radio system. We had an AMA representative on hand to provide information about AMA and to hand out simple flying model kits to the kids.
9. Rehearse! Our RC air boss set up a flight schedule with each pilot’s sequence of maneuvers, and they choreographed the demonstration so that there would be no significant time lag between flights.
As each pilot’s flight neared completion, the next pilot started his aircraft’s engine and prepared to taxi out to the airstrip. We rehearsed flight operations at our club field well in advance of the actual air show.
10. Identify and promote the club! Club members wore custom-embroidered shirts with the club logo and member’s name. We displayed a club banner at the entrance to our static display area too.
I hope some of these suggestions will help guide other clubs to participate in such an event. It was a great experience!
Staging for the demonstration flight. Little airplane fans were encouraged to get up close and personal with the airplanes—with parental controls, of course!
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