The South Shore RC Club (SSRCC; ssrcc.org) in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, held its annual Scale Fly-In on August 29, 2026. Although I thoroughly enjoyed attending, AMA Contest Director (CD) Monique Coté graciously offered to write about her first experience sanctioning and directing an event to encourage others who might consider becoming a CD:
The SSRCC Scale Fly-In was my first event, having been handed the reins by CD veterans Ray Schmidt and Bob Mandeville, who made the job look easy for years! For any aspiring CD, solid mentoring makes the transition seamless. Once you express interest on the AMA website, download the CD/event manager manuals, take the online test, and earn your certification. Check the AMA sanction calendar for conflicting events, pick a date, and submit your sanction through the AMA portal (modelaircraft.org/events/sanctions).
Once it’s approved, promote your event through flyers, the district website, and the district Facebook group. Talk it up at club meetings; members will gladly pitch in if you simply ask.
Advanced prep ensures that everything will run well. Set up a registration table to verify current AMA memberships, display the AMA Safety Code, hold a pilots’ briefing before flying begins, take photos, and provide food and plenty of water. Set aside time for judging, tabulating scores, and presenting awards, and then clean up. Most of all, enjoy the camaraderie and the spectacular Scale flying!
Thank you, Monique, for the outstanding running of your first event as an AMA CD and for contributing to this District I report!
