Brad Bender – Chairman
I started with control line as soon as I could push a lawnmower and buy my own plane at age 12. My dad wouldn’t let me have any fuel for years – but the imagination went wild for planes! In High School, I built quite a few rubber powered stick and tissue models. I entered the radio control side while on recruiting duty for the Navy in Montana in 1989. That was an experience since there was snow on the ground 7-8 months out of the year! There were no ARFs at the time, so the long building season was welcome. I took a vacation from the hobby between 1993 and 2003 as military assignments and transfers made it difficult to keep fragile items from destruction. In 2003 a pacific beach neighbor asked me to help him cover a small electric (Brushed/ NIMH batteries) plane, and I caught the bug again and joined SEFSD. I started small and have worked my way up to some fairly large models. Since then I have helped many new pilots past some of the initial pitfalls, and have a good time putting in maiden flights for the members who are a bit nervous about putting their untrimmed investment into the air for the first time. I really don’t have a “type” of airplane that I prefer more than others, it is more of a flavor of the month kind of thing.
Quan Nguyen – President
Quan first started modeling in 2001 when he was thirteen. His first airplane was a GWS Lite Stick. After many busy years in grade school and college at UC San Diego as a computer science major, Quan finally found the time to get back into the hobby. He joined SEFSD in 2012, and was elected safety officer in 2014. He frequents the field on weekend mornings and enjoys flying sports aerobatic models, and is always eager to help newcomers into the hobby (Let him know if you want to set up a buddy box with him. He’s always glad to get people flying.). When not flying, Quan spends his time as a software engineer writing code.
Steve Manganelli – Treasurer
I’ve been an Aero Modeler since childhood, now a 59 y/o retired Aerospace Systems Engineer. I’ve been an AMA member since the early 1970s and an AMA contest director for the last 10 or so years. I learned to fly R/C gliders at Torrey pines in the late 1970s/early 1980s and jokingly say I lost a point on my GPA while attending UCSD from that huge distraction. I am currently the Chairman of the US FAI-F5 (Electric Motor-Glider Duration, Motor Glider-Multitask, Pylon Race) Team Selection Committee. My first Electric powered designs go back to the early 1980s using Astro Flight brush motors and Ni-Cad batteries; these flew much better in the lift at Torrey Pines than from flat land! I have been members of several AMA chartered clubs over the years; my first stint at administration was as Vice President of the Torrey Pines Gulls around 1980. In 1991 I was part of the organizing committee that founded SEFSD and proud to become its first President! I served from 1991 to 1993 in that capacity and moved to Editor of Peak Charge for 1994. I know these dates because I have appreciation plaques on my trophy wall with these dates. I believe I was an Officer in the more recent past, but don’t remember the dates.
My focus as your current Vice President will be to work with whomever I can to improve our position with the FAA. I have 38 years of experience working for the Federal Government and hopefully leverage that to sanction a more realistic flight envelope than a simple altitude restriction.
John Casilio – Secretary
I’m John Casilio. I’m new to the club last year, having found myself recently stationed by the Navy in San Diego with my wife Sarah, my daughter Evelyn, and my son Davis. I work at the Old Town campus for an acquisition program office as a project officer supporting ocean engineering efforts for the Navy. I’m a Civil Engineer Corps Officer (think Seabees), a hard hat Navy Diver, and a licensed Professional Engineer. I grew up doing concrete construction with my family on the east coast and went to college for both Aerospace and Ocean engineering.
You’ll find Davis and I at the field as often as we can be trying to get flights in, enjoying the weather and improve our skills. I’ve been interested in aviation, modeling, model rocketry and RC flying as long as I can remember, but this is the most focused I’ve been on RC flight in the last few decades. My grandfather was a WW2 Navy patrol squadron pilot and we’d spend a lot of weekends at a local rural field watching planes fly and occasionally talking or paying our way to a ride in a glider, Stearman or WACO to keep my interest piqued. The flying bug never left me. I’ve got about 250 logged parachute free fall jumps and about 50 hrs in a single engine plane up through day solo endorsements from 20 years ago [thanks Uncle Sam]! I never got the chance to fly for the Navy before they medically DQ’d me and eventually made me a diver/Engineer but I’ll eventually get back in the full-scale cockpit. For now I am getting my fill trying not to crash too many more foamies or 3d printed planes.
When I’m not working or model flying I enjoy sailing, hiking/camping, 3d printing and electronics tinkering, amateur radio, working on my jeep and the occasional mediocre bourbon. Current side project is: working on converting an Aeroscout into a long range/autonomous FPV platform with a radio repeater onboard and hope to range test it out in the desert sometime in the spring.
If you see me at the field feel free to say hi! I’ll certainly endeavor to do the same – though I’ll admit – I’m terrible at remembering names [please don’t take offense]. I’ve appreciated the camaraderie of the group at the field, the vast spectrum of interests and talents of the flyers and the relaxed but focused vibe of the club and the members.
I volunteered for the board member at large slot to pay a little back and forward as I really appreciate the opportunity the club gives me to spend time outside in the beautiful weather with my son (and my wife and daughter on more rare occasions)!
We’re having a blast and look forward to anything I can do to ensure others do as well. See you out there.
Panos Kaperonis – Member at Large
I have lived in San Diego for 12 years now. I have been interested in aviation for as long as I can remember. As a child, I was fascinated by flight—especially the Goodyear Blimp. Before joining SEFSD, my hobbies involved aviation and flight-related activities, including launching model rockets, flying drones, and creating RC related videos. In January 2024, everything changed when I encountered hobbyists flying micro RC airplanes at a local park. Inspired, I contacted Discount Hobby and purchased my first beginner aircraft, the Sport Cub S2, which allowed me to fly in my backyard and learn the fundamentals of RC flight. From there, I progressed to the Apprentice STOL, followed by the UMX Conscendo, and quickly became deeply invested in the hobby. As my collection and experience grew, I began searching for a dedicated flying field and rediscovered SEFSD—a club I had known about but never previously explored. When I joined SEFSD, what impressed me most was how friendly everybody was. I was overwhelmed by the support and mentorship. I have especially enjoyed the chats with members at the field. It’s always nice to see familiar faces every week. Simply put, my motivation to join the board comes from one thing: I love this club and its members. Coming to the flying field is the most exciting feeling in the morning! There is nothing like it…not even close. When I can’t fly my RC airplanes, I surely enjoy working on them! In addition to flying, I enjoy vlogging and video creation. One of my challenges was a 53 week episode series of videos where I made one video per week in 2024 (yes, many were RC airplane reviews!). I look forward to serving on the Board of Directors because SEFSD has become far more than a flying site to me—it is a community that has shaped my growth as a pilot, a modeler, and an individual. I have personally benefited from the willingness of members to share their knowledge, time and encouragement, and I want to give back to the organization that made that possible. As a Member at Large, my goal is to help make SEFSD the best possible experience for every member—new and experienced alike. I want to make sure that everybody enjoys their time at SEFSD just as much as I do. I aim to support the club’s strong culture of mentorship, openness, and knowledge-sharing, ensuring that SEFSD remains a place where people feel welcome, inspired, and excited to learn and fly. I also aim to help preserve the sense of community that makes our time so special—conversation, collaboration and shared-passion. I am truly confident that an exciting and very bright future lies ahead for all SEFSD members.