Vegas Aces

The first Park Pilot Aeromodeling Club

As seen in the Summer 2008 issue of Park Pilot.

Robert O. Gibson Middle School in Las Vegas, Nevada, like most American schools, has classrooms, a gymnasium and a playground, but on Saturday and Sunday mornings, the sky above Gibson comes alive with dozens of park flyer RC airplanes and helicopters.

In January of this year [2008], the Academy of Model Aeronautics announced the all-new Park Pilot Program, created specifically to provide insurance benefits and flying site assistance to the pilots of lightweight, quiet-motive-power aircraft.

Mark Smith, AMA District IX vice president and member of the committee that oversees the new program, further explains, “A primary goal of the new Park Pilot Program is to reach out to people flying electric-powered models in parks and schoolyards, and help them to form new Park Pilot Charter Clubs.”

Smith and the AMA hope that these clubs will establish new flying fields in areas where typical nitro- or gasoline­powered models may not be permitted to operate. He adds that the program has benefits for site owners as well as pilots.

AMA Charter Clubs can arrange for an AMA Certificate of Liability Insurance to be issued for the named flying site owners or property managers. This is $2.5 million in primary coverage.

The Park Pilot Program looked good to the pilots flying at Gibson, but they had been flying there for a long time without any official permission. The models they fly are quiet and do not intrude on the environment, and their reasonable size and light weight pose no danger, but the pilots were concerned that applying for a permit to use the school field might draw too much attention to their activity. They were worried that there might be rules against RC flying. In fact, a visit to the Clark County School District Web site indicated that aircraft were prohibited.

Fortunately, the pilots pursued the matter with a call to Kathy Spriggs, risk control manager for CCSD, who quickly cleared the issue. “Full-size aircraft are not allowed,” she said. “Model aircraft are okay.” Ms. Spriggs welcomed the idea of a club forming to fly small electric airplanes and helicopters at the schoolyard, and the AMA liability protection for the Robert O. Gibson Middle School proved to be an extremely valuable benefit.

The Gibson pilots got together and pitched in to cover the AMA Charter. John Storick collected the bucks, and in so doing, earned the job of club treasurer. Greg Clemensen handled the forms and mailed them to AMA Headquarters, so Greg became secretary. Mark Rose offered to help out when the president isn’t around, so he’s vice president. Ben Storick is the safety officer, and Darrell Stubbs is president of the Vegas Aces, the first Park Pilot Program Charter Club.

(Top right): AMA members for more than 50 years, Vegas Aces members Art Leis and Bob Haight show Dave Mathewson around the newly chartered club’s flying site. (Bottom right): Devin Le Blanc shares a few flightline tips with the AMA president. (Left): Vegas Aces President Darrell Stubbs, AMA President Dave Mathewson, AMA District X Vice President Rich Hanson, and Vegas Aces Secretary and District X Associate Vice President Greg Clemensen in front of Robert O. Gibson Middle School. Vegas Aces is an ideal example for forming a Park Pilot Program Charter Club.

“Forming the club was easy,” says Greg Clemensen. “The difficult part was choosing a name. Most just didn’t sound right, and some were downright funny. Vegas Aces was just perfect.”

Vegas Aces sounded right to its members, and it sounded right to a lot of other Las Vegas area fliers, too. The news spread fast, and club membership practically doubled over the span of a single weekend. As of early May, more than two dozen members grace the Vegas Aces official roster.

“People flying on their own often come and go because they crash, get frustrated, and quit,” says Clemensen. “Vegas Aces is an avenue for newcomers to get the help they need. The Park Pilot Program was critical in starting Vegas Aces,” he continued, “and the program provided the guidelines we needed.”

Hobby People, the giant West Coast U.S. hobby retailer, has arranged for a significant donation of airplanes and equipment to the fledgling club's flight instruction effort with Robert O. Gibson Middle School students.

In support of the new club’s flight instruction efforts with Robert O. Gibson Middle School students, two RTF Multiplex Easy Stars and four Phase 3 Fantoms were presented to the Vegas Aces by Mark Del Medico, senior store manager of Hobby People Las Vegas East.

Rick Pike of Hobby People says, “This is a great and exciting program your club is putting together, and we’re happy to play a supportive role.” The first of these Vegas Aces aeromodeling programs is expected to reach as many as 20 to 30 enthusiastic Gibson students.

Vegas Aces has an exciting future, growing their membership, continuing to involve Gibson Middle School students in aeromodeling, making new friends, and having lots of fun flying RC park models. For now, the group is happy to be a stunning role model for other aspiring AMA Park Pilot Program Charter Clubs.

Congratulations, Vegas Aces!