ORIGINAL: Mode One
I am a new Contest Director who will be helping another fairly new Contest Director, organize and put on our club's 8th or 9th AMA Sanctioned Fun Fly. I have a question:
Are landing fees or some other registration fee, charged for attending a FUN FLY, normal? I have been lead to believe charging a fee for attending a fun fly is not the norm. We have drawings and raffles and other expenses we need to pay for and these "Landing Fees" as we call them, defray these costs. The whole idea behind having a fun fly, which is a bunch of work for many members of the club, is to build up the clubs bank account! Why would we go through this work, to put on an event that then is only hard work, with no monitary gain?
I have attended very few events: Mall Show, Contest, Fun Fly etc. where some type of fee hasn't been charged. Are events without fees more normal then with?
You and your other are the C.D.s. You will set the fee arrangements according to whatever your club wishes, won't you? Generally, a Fun Fly or a Fly-In, whatever you are doing has some "landing fee" or entry fee or whatever you call it. In discussion with your club hierarchy, you figure out what your market will bear. Generally when I do a competitive Fun Fly, there is an entry fee with a free lunch for registered pilots and workers. My club has a night-fly in Nov. each year and they do better with Donations than with a stated fee. The guy that runs it figures his "hard work" is satisfied with the fun everyone has.
I have the club's Annual Anniversary Celebration each year (Mar. 28 this year). It is a Class C Sanctioned Fly-In. Pilots, and Workers eat and fly free. No Fees. There will be a raffle to supplement the expense. It's our good-will offering to celebrate our club-owned field. 13 years on site this April 1st and that ain't no foolin' [sm=thumbs_up.gif]
So, Mode One, IMO, you can't be wrong or off-key however you choose to do it. You are doing all this work to promote the hobby-sport, to display your fine club, and maybe help the club's balance sheet. It's your show to present, so present it however you think will make you a Star, yet being a safe and fun event.
Best of Luck to YOU.