Hi robert.

Most sanctioned combat contests charge $20 entry fee. This usually includes free lunch to the pilots, which can be anything from pepperonni pizza to hamburgers, etc.

Also the contest provides the streamers. The first year we held our contest in jackson we made streamers with crepe paper bought from Hobby Lobby. Now we buy them pre-made from Mike Fredericks, as most CD's do: http://www.hattrickrc.com/streamer.html

Also there are generally trophies, plaques, or certificates for the top finishers. Last year at Jackson we put a new twist on it by also awarding additional certificates to "Rookies", pilots with fewer than 3 prior contests. ("Rookies" were also eligible for all the other plaques and prizes too.)

If your contests are santioned, you'll have to provide the streamers, and the food is pretty commonplace. I will suggest that you try to watch the trophy and other expenses. The $20/pilot goes really fast by the time you buy the sanction, food, streamers, clipboards, and anything else you might need.

If you're not sanctioning the contests, you don't really have to provide much of anything, but then I wouldn't charge $20 if I wasn't giving the pilots stuff in return.