President’s Corner for Aug – Sep 2026

We are in need of volunteers to help with the field maintenance, currently scheduled for Sept 3rd and 4th. In the past (and currently), this task was/is spearheaded by John Casilio and a small team he recruited among SEFSD members. However, John has already moved his family out of state, and soon, he will be moving as well. We all like to fly on a smooth runway, but that doesn’t happen by itself. John will be sending out a separate email blast asking for volunteers again. Thank you to all of those who turned out to help last time, and we look forward to a similar response. Going forward, we’ll be looking for someone who can fill John’s shoes, and coordinate and execute field maintenance.

More broadly, SEFSD is looking for volunteers to serve on the board next year. Don’t hesitate to step up! Anyone can do it, and extensive experience is not a prerequisite. I served as safety officer only one year after joining SEFSD 13+ years ago, and have been on the board ever since. Most companies and nonprofits don’t like to keep board members that long! New blood promotes new ideas, and I feel that it’s time for a new generation of leaders.
With just 3 months left, I’m already a lame duck president, and I’m just focused on closing out by implementing safety changes from the propeller incident from three years ago. The incoming president will start from a clean slate, with many opportunities to shape the next 2 years of SEFSD.
Quan Nguyen
SEFSD President

Panos’ Corner for Aug – Sep 2026

Hello SEFSD,

It has been yet another great month at the field! Don’t Spill the Beans was a blast. It was a very interesting challenge, and getting to use the concepts of physics while attempting not to spill your beans made for a difficult—yet very fun—event. I personally recovered 19 out of 20 beans. To all of you who got 20, great job! It was tough. These types of events seem to bring the community together in a great way!

The T-28 racing was also a lot of fun. We had a pretty rough midair between two T-28s, which left John to finish the race by himself. That’s the first time I’ve seen that happen! Additionally, the Electroglide was great as usual. It’s nice to have some consistency in our events each month, and I know all of our members really appreciate what the club does to provide everyone with a great time at the field.

As we gear up for racing next year, I am excited to see the new planes coming into the racing lineup. I’ve already recommended the A-1 Skyraider 800mm to a few people, and I am really enjoying flying mine. If you don’t have one, you should definitely look into getting one. It’s a lot of fun to fly around, especially for those of us who love scale aircraft!

I also want to take a moment to thank Frank Sutton. The photos he takes are just amazing and give our members a chance to look back on all the great times we’ve had at the field. Frank takes some of the best RC airplane photos I’ve ever seen, and it’s especially nice that he goes the extra step to put together the memories video at the end of the year. Thanks, Frank!

This coming weekend, we have the Talent Show. This is always a fun one. The idea is that you get to demonstrate your piloting skills in front of everyone at the club. Love your scale warbird? Show us your scale flight. Have a showstopping 3D performance in mind? Go for it! The sky is the limit. I’ve attended the Talent Show before, and it’s right up there with Propchella in terms of how much fun it is.

Overall, this month has been great, and I am really looking forward to September. I’ll see you all this weekend!

Panos

Talent Show

The Monthly Event is

Talent Show

Aug 22, 10AM

Dear SEFSD Pilots,

I hope this message finds you in great spirits! I am excited to announce that this month’s event will be a spectacular “Talent Show”. The stage is truly YOURS this time! We invite all of you to come down, own the runway, and show off your incredible skills, unique style, aircraft prowess, or any other R/C talent you may possess.

This is a wonderful opportunity to shine and showcase your talents in front of fellow enthusiasts. Whether you have a hidden skill, a flair for performance, or simply want to flaunt your favorite aircraft, we encourage you to participate and make this event memorable. Let’s celebrate the creativity and passion of our community together!

Looking forward to seeing all of you there and witnessing the amazing talent in our midst!

Jovi

Visit Report by JR Schiager, AMA District X Vice President

 

Frank Sutton w/ AMA District X Vice President JR Schiager

 

SILENT ELECTRIC FLYERS OF SAN DIEGO

Another Great District X Fly Field Visit – Silent Electric Flyers of San Diego!

While spending the weekend in the San Diego area, my first stop was the Silent Electric Flyers of San Diego (SEFSD) at their Mission Bay Model Aircraft Park near SeaWorld. Club Secretary John Casilio took the time to show me around the field and share some of the history of the club and flying site.  I also learned about Steve Manganelli, who helped found the club around 1995. Today, the club has approximately 300 members, a 500-foot runway, and operates with a 200-foot flying ceiling. One of the first things that stood out to me was just how active this flying field was.  The Pilot benches and pit area were nearly full, with members preparing airplanes, flying, and simply enjoying time together at the field. There was also a tremendous variety of electric aircraft.  Walking through the pits, I saw everything from smaller sport and aerobatic airplanes to warbirds, twins, scale aircraft, and some very impressive electric jets.

The pictures really tell the story.  There were airplanes everywhere! The location itself also makes this a pretty unique flying field.  You’re flying in the Mission Bay area surrounded by palm trees and beautiful San Diego scenery, with SeaWorld visible nearby.   I also learned something interesting about the history of the property.  From approximately 1952 to 1959, the site was used as a Class I landfill before eventually being covered and, years later, becoming the model aircraft flying site members enjoy today.

More than anything, I enjoyed walking around, meeting members, talking airplanes, and seeing another healthy and active model aviation community. That’s one of my favorite parts about traveling throughout District X.  Every flying field is different, and you really don’t understand what makes a club special until you get out there and spend some time with people who call it home.

A huge thank-you to Jon Casilio and everyone at the Silent Electric Flyers of San Diego for welcoming me and allowing me to spend some time at your field. It was a great first stop during an incredible San Diego weekend!

Safe Flying and Safe Landings!

JR Schiager

AMA District X Vice President

Ladies and Gentlemen, Start Your Motors!

By Steve Manganelli

The outcome of the conclusion of our “Legal Situation” suggests the need to emphasize the hazards associated with unintended motor starts both on and off the flying field. Okay, if I intend to run the motor someplace other than on the runway, I know to restrain the plane, right? Not only that, but stay behind the prop arc and ensure no others are in the prop arc prior to doing so, right again? So how do we prevent something that we don’t intend to happen in the first place? By controlling the adverse consequences of the occurrence with some general precautions. 

First a little historical perspective, before Electric Propulsion became prevalent over Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) and microprocessors went into everything, all connected servos moved to the position commanded by the transmitter stick position as soon as the receiver and transmitter were turned on (assuming they were on the same frequency and brand). There was no linking or binding back then. If you turned the Rx on first, the servos would jitter randomly or just move about 10 degrees and then stop. In the ICE days (Ice Age?) one of the servos would be connected to the carburetor butterfly valve and its position did not instantaneously command the engine running/prop turning. If you wanted the engine to run, you had to put in fuel, attach a glow plug battery and either flip the prop by hand or force an electric starter motor into it; in other words have strong and deliberate intent to run the engine and restrain the model one way or the other. You generally move the throttle stick to idle position before doing this. There was virtually no way to have an unintended start of an ICE.

As we evolved to E-power things changed. Our early “ESC”s were just relays connected to servo amplifiers. The motor would start (full throttle) when the pulse threshold was reached and the relay closed. We tended to use an “arming plug” in series with the motor circuit as a safety measure. There was no BEC back then, the separate Rx battery would energize all the aircraft functions (servos) and you could listen for the relay clicking to know when the motor would turn on. When satisfied, install the arming plug (if applicable) and/or the motor battery and you’re ready to fly.  However, even if there was no arming plug, we considered this configuration “armed” as in an armed bomb! You made the final connection behind the prop and you made sure spectators were clear of the prop arc when you carried your model to the runway. Our first brush commutation variable speed ESCs would still start on command and we respected these even more as there was an audible signal  as a prelude to operation.

Jump to the present : we have microprocessor controlled ESCs that are designed not to arm unless a low throttle pulse is detected.  Our receivers are designed to either do nothing or a specific (programmable) thing if there is no signal from its bound Transmitter. It’s very easy to consider your power system completely benign until you want it to operate. I often find myself with elbows spread trying to un-mate XT-60 connectors with one forearm inevitably in the prop arc…Here are my personal recommendations for control of unintended motor starts:

  • Heed the directions that come with your model regarding throttle/ESC adjustments and set it up with the prop removed from the aircraft. Why? Because there is a good chance the motor will be running on your home workbench while you make adjustments to ESC and radio settings. Bring it to the field configured and ready to fly.
  • The field work benches are for aircraft final assembly and battery installation. Install battery from behind the prop and stay behind it as you carry it to the runway. Avoid placing others in line with the prop arc as well.
  • Control the Transmitter as the model is carried to the runway. Knocking over the transmitter with the model and possibly advancing the throttle is a hazard to be avoided. As long as we are holding on tight to the airplane, no accident, right?
  • Regarding retrieving your small model after landing or placing it on the runway : Carry the transmitter in your left hand with your left thumb pinching the throttle stick to low. As long as I have this feeling, I know I’m not brushing the TX against my belt or other articles of clothing and unintentionally starting the motor. I’ve been doing this for years and it has become a habit. If your thumb is anywhere else but pinching the left stick down, it will feel “wrong”.

So there you have it: my recommendations to control unintended motor starts. This kind of safety precaution doesn’t lend itself to sound bit admonitions; it’s more of a cultural thing evolved from respect for hazard and potential consequences.

Torry Pines Gulls Newsletters

Recently someone sent me link to the June 2026 Issue of the TPG Newsletter.  Of particular interest was the article on the history and anniversary of the TPG Gliderport, page 19.  Click the cover page of the June N/L issue below to find all the outstanding TPG back issues.  

 

Dwight is Asking for a Little Help

Test Pilot needed

My name is Dwight Filley and I have several modified kit aircraft that I would like to test, but I can’t because my vision is too poor.

I would like to offer an hourly payment to one of the pilots who is qualified to fly the V 1200.

If you’d like to give it a try, please contact me:
Filleydwight@gmail.com

I will prepare the aircraft and preflight it. The flights are about 2 1/2 minutes long and there are about three or four flights per session.

Please contact me at Filleydwight@gmail.com.

Thank you, Dwight.

T28 Race Results for Aug 2026

We had a good turnout for the August edition of long running T28 racing series with 10 planes and pilots entering—sadly not all would exit alive. The was a epic midair in the silver  race group with Cory and Jeff being involved in a mid air collision that resulted in Cory’s T28 being reduced to a cloud of scrap foam bits floating down on to the runway and Jeff’s plane making a controlled landing on the runway with little damage other than a broken prop and cracked cowl. John had to fly the rest of the race solo to claim first in the silver class. The Gold class winner started out with a SteveM crossing the finish line first only to be knocked out by  ”excessive cuts”  giving the win to Otto.

On the availability question for the T28s I got  e-mail notice  from FMS on Monday the 17th that they were back in stock with “limited availability” —unfortunately two days later they were again sold out with no indication if more would be available in the future. It looks as if we will soon be seeing the 800mm A1D Skyraider and Tempest in the racing line up! You can get a look at them on the Motion RC web site: 

A1D Skyraider: https://motionrc.com/products/skynetic-a1-skyraider-800mm-31-5-wingspan-pnp-sky1064-001

Tempest: https://motionrc.com/products/skynetic-tempest-800mm-31-4-wingspan-pnp-sky1065-001 

Now to the results:

Bronze class:

1) George
2) Paul

Silver class:

1) John
2) Jeff (midair)
3) Cory (midair)

Gold Class:

1) Otto
2) Max
3) SteveN
4) SteveM

Next race is scheduled for Sept 12th @ 10am

New Pics for August 2026

The credit for all these great pics below goes to Frank Sutton.

 

T28 Racing

 

ELectroglide

 

Bomb Drop

You Are Invited to Indoor Flying

Please come join us for an evening of Indoor Flying at Alliant University Gymnasium, Friday, September 25th (August date was cancelled & September’s date is postponed), 7:30-9:30pm, 2026.  See the website here.  No charge to come and put in a couple flights.  You may enjoy it.  Bring your little electric stuff like one of the UMX type planes or helis.  The gym is quite spacious so there is plenty of space for several aircraft flying at once.