Cancelled - Flying Indoors at United Sports Training Center

[bryadelm]

Update Wednesday, Feb. 20th - I have cancelled the Indoor Open Fly Dates at United Sports Training Center, Downingtown, PA due to receiving only four checks in the mail when 20 were needed.

No plans have been announced for the Special Event on March 22, which will be separately determined whether to proceed further there, given poor response to Open Fly sessions.

Thank you for your interest here.

Bryan

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Indoor Flying Opportunity - Revised Dates

We need your help to quickly identify AMA members interested in flying R/C models indoors at United Sports Training Center, Downingtown, PA (USTC) this Winter and beyond in 2008.

Bryan Del Monte, along with Joe Paterson at Sky Blue Hobbies and Bill Short (VFSS club member), recently toured the USTC facility and demonstrated flying an electric helicopter and electric profile plane in the Field house. We found the USTC field to have great potential for flying radio control models indoors. The weight limitation is expected to be 32 ounce maximum for electric helicopters and electric planes. This site works best for mini-helicopters to 450 size (like Align T-Rex 450) and foamy/balsa profile planes to 480 motor size, such as 3D park flyers, scale park flyers or other models requiring up to 250 W power.

Select dates when USTC is available in next two months follow:
Free Fly Promotion – Saturday Feb. 23rd 12 noon – 4 pm
Open Fly - Friday's in March 7, 14, 21, 28- 12 noon – 4 pm
Special Event - Saturday, March 22 8 am-4 pm and 7 pm to closing

Yes, there is no cost for promotion on Feb. 23rd! We still need a commitment from at least 20 AMA members to attend at least 5 Open Fly dates. This will ensure that costs are approximately $10 per person for each event. Joe Paterson will communicate this information to other local clubs chartered under the Academy of Model Aeronautics to solicit interest. Joe is also pursuing a Special Event that may include sponsorship of radio control retailers, distributors and manufacturers.

If you are interested, please identify dates that you will commit by Email to Bryan at indoorfly@VFSS.org.
Web site for USTC with directions - http://www.go2ustc.com/.

[bryadelm]

I have sent out this e-mail requesting $50 for those who replied as interested in the Open Fly (Not Special Event) dates at the field house in United Sports Training Center, Downingtown, PA. There will be no refunds of $50 checks if you cannot attend an Open Fly date(s). This means that if you sign up for Open Fly’s and then you have a major plane crash in the first session or bust up your helicopter; you will not be able to drop out because you have nothing else to fly. Please mail your check for $50 made out to United Sports Training Center after contacting Bryan Del Monte at e-mail of indoorfly@VFSS.org to obtain mailing address.

We need to receive 20 payments of $50 early next week (target February 18th) for attending the 5 Open Fly dates to make this happen at USTC. You will need to pay for everything in advance to guarantee keeping these 5 Open Fly dates at a very low package price from USTC. The Special Event earlier on March 22nd will have a separate cost from the Open Fly to be determined by Joe Paterson. Feb. 16 is no longer available at USTC and other earlier dates did not work out for event planners here.

Listed below are five selected dates underlined for Open Flying when USTC is available in next two months (see recent revisions sent to AMA clubs and posted at R/C web forums (RCU, etc.)).
• Free Fly Promotion! – 12 noon – 4 pm on Saturday Feb. 23
• Open Fly - 12 noon – 4 pm on Friday's on March 7, 14, 21, 28
• Special Event - 8 am - 4 pm on Saturday, March 22 – pending confirmation
• Open Fly 7 pm to 11 pm on Saturday, March 22

I expect that you can empathize with this plan on collecting $50 with no refunds to avoid anxiety for all involved here, in particular Joe and me. Given that I spend $50 to fill up the gas tank of my small SUV, I do not expect problems getting the money up front. Another comparison is $40 plus shipping that I just paid for two micro servos.

I am confident that all will agree that $50 for Open Fly sessions of 20 hours of indoor flying, plus Free Fly (4 hours more) is a great deal!

Bryan Del Monte
AMA 843830

P.S. Attendees must be an AMA member (regular or Park Flyer) to provide liability insurance coverage. Thus, you must bring a 2008 AMA card with you to fly. The weight limitation is approximately 32 ounce maximum for electric helicopters and electric planes. This site works best for mini-helicopters to 450 size (like Align T-Rex 450) and foamy/balsa profile planes to 480 motor size, such as 3D park flyers, scale park flyers or other models requiring up to 250 W power. We will follow the AMA guidelines for Indoor Flying (flight area, flight line, frequency control, etc.) in file attachment.

Web site with directions to USTC is http://www.go2ustc.com/.

[bryadelm]

First two checks arrived today, only 17 more to go - please contact me at indoorfly@VFSS.org to obtain mailing address.

The cost proposed for the evening indoor flying event at Toledo Show is $10 for 3 hours in much smaller space than USTC fieldhouse (see pic).

Yes, this is an outstanding offer - let's see some checks sent by the approximately 41 hits received here.

Bryan

[Yellowspider]

Nice and I am only an hour away. 1/2 tank of fuel round trip and a toll of 2 bucks or so. Ten bucks per event is a great price. But what if I do not want or cannot make all the events. I loose money.
I think other might feel the same too. I am not saying 50 bucks is a lot but, How much is the rent on this place? It must be really high cause 20 guys would be 1000.00 bucks. If it were 30 for three events of my chioce I may have decided to come. Its not apples to apples when you talk about fuel and servos. If we spend 50 to fill our tank and dont go out for the few days we still have the fuel. Or 40 for servos. Still have them weather we fly today or next month. I understand USTC probally wants the money up front. It would be nice to just pay the 10 bucks at the door or even 15 at the door per event. I would think you might get a few more guys this way. Just my 2 cents. How about spectators. 5 bucks each at the door seems fair to me. And maybe if they dont already have it, the good old healthy hotdogs, burgers and soda. Just to build revenue for deposit and future use of the sports center. I will be going to WRAM next weekend but would or maybe come to watch on another date.
Good luck, I really hope you get 50 or 60 guys.
Yellowspider

[bryadelm]

Yes, you correctly guessed that the fieldhouse rental cost of $1000 is based on package of 5 Open Fly dates, when USTC is currently available. Thus, no refunds as rental contract is $1000 up front, pluse Free Fly promotion. The list price is $350 per hour or the fieldhouse, so this rental is already greatly discounted to help get us started here.

If greater than 20 pre-pay, we will work out whether to use addition funds for more Open Fly dates, or rebate it back among paying flyers.

This is my first time running indoor flying sessions. I am open to suggestions on how best to address walk-ins that arrive at Open Flys.

Bryan

[bryadelm]

I forgot about Monday being a holiday, so Tuesday is the cut-off day. We need 14 checks more to be received then or else...

Thinking positively!

[bryadelm]

Update Wednesday, Feb. 20th - I have cancelled the Indoor Open Fly Dates at United Sports Training Center, Downingtown, PA due to receiving only four checks in the mail when 20 were needed.

No plans have been announced for the Special Event on March 22, which will be separately determined whether to proceed further there, given poor response to Open Fly sessions.

Thank you for your interest here.

Bryan

[Yellowspider]

Bryan,
Sorry to here that. I kinda saw it coming though. I am currently working on getting our local indoor playing fields to set someting up. It real big and a square building about 60 feet or better high it is used for soccer and baseball. I think what I will do is have an open indoor funfly with a flea matket too. 15.00 bucks gets you in to fly sell or both. I have an appt to talk to the owner next week. Again sorry it did not work out for you.
Yellowspider

[bryadelm]

Bryan,
Sorry to here that. I kinda saw it coming though. I am currently working on getting our local indoor playing fields to set somet(h)ing up. ... I have an appt to talk to the owner next week. Again sorry it did not work out for you.
Yellowspider

Yellowspider, sounds like a good idea to try a flea market, although Lebanon and Hamburg RC events near me in March would make this difficult. My thoughts here is that a better approach is to start with a full 12 hour day Special Event by getting 5 local AMA clubs to each pay approximatley $200 each for their members to fly. Another option is get 4 LHS to each pay approximatley $250 each for marketing their name and selling limited goods (foamies, LiPo's, etc.) at a Special Event.

During this Special Event, one should be to get 20 AMA members to make the payment of $50 up front for 5 dates flying indoors.

Bryan