CHARTER

The Johnson Space Center Radio Controlled Club (JSCRCC) is chartered by the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA charter club # 617).  All Club members must be AMA members.  The club is open to the general public, not just Johnson Space Center contractors and employees. The objectives of the JSCRCC are to promote the building and flying of Radio Controlled (RC) model aircraft in a safe and friendly environment. Ground and flight training are provided to maximize enjoyment and to insure new flyers can operate their models with minimum risk to their equipment, facilities, fellow club members and guests.

MEETINGS

Club meetings are held at the Clear Lake Park building off of NASA Rd 1. The Clear Lake Park building is located east of Space Center Blvd., across from Landolt Pavilion, at the intersection of NASA Rd 1 and Clear Lake Park Rd. Club meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month.  The meetings start at 7:00 PM and are generally over by 9:00 PM.  One special event is held in lieu of the regular monthly meeting on the second Thursday in December (Christmas Party).  All interested parties are welcome to come to the meetings. A monthly newsletter is issued to each member providing news, information on upcoming events, and meeting minutes including Model of the Month award.

FLYING SITE

One of the best features of this club is the large tract of land available for our use. We are located on approximately 300-500 acres of open land inside NASA.  The field is large enough to have more than one active flight line – allowing fixed wing aircraft, helicopters and gliders to have their own airspace in designated areas.  The Johnson Space Center and the JSC RCC entered into a Space Act Agreement that defines the responsibilities of each party.  This agreement can be found on the JSCRCC webpage (www.jscrcc.com) and requires that each member has a signed participation agreement on file.

To get to the site from Hwy. I-45 southbound take NASA Rd 1 East.  Take a left at Saturn Drive and then a right onto the main gate into NASA, 2nd Street. Stop at the guard house showing your club field pass and a picture ID.  When cleared for entrance drive straight and turn left immediately after passing building 14 (first building you come to on the left).  This is the first street you come to that goes along the side of building 14.  Behind Building 14 you will see a two lane concrete road that goes to the flying field.  Stop at the stop sign and wait to be waived in by a member (if present). Do not drive in unless waived in when planes are flying. 

Due to security restrictions at the Johnson Space Center, access to the site requires current government issued photo identification card (driver’s license, school picture I.D. etc.) and placed on the security list  to use the flying field. Also, member’s names must be submitted to and cleared by NASA security, a duty performed by the Membership Chairman which usually takes two weeks to accomplish. Access to the NASA will be denied if members (or guests) names are not on the security list.  A friend or visitors of members can be placed on the JSC RCC security list.  Please allow two weeks advance notice to process guest passes through NASA security.

JSCRCC  offers three classes of members.  They are Student, Pilot, and Instructor. Qualifications of each are discussed later in the handbook.

DUES

The schedule of annual club dues is outlined in detail in the club’s by-laws.  New member dues are $55.00/year and renewal is $35.00/year.  Dues for renewal are payable to the Membership Chairman by the 31st of January or when specified by the membership application/renewal form.  See the membership application form (Appendix A) or contact the Membership Chairman for details.

CLUB WEB SITE

The JSCRCC maintains a website for the benefit of its club members and is the official record of the club. General club information, news, pictures of members and their aircraft, and copies of past newsletters with official minutes can be found. Also available are an RC forum and current weather conditions . Subscribing to the emailed monthly newsletter is accomplished through the web site, http://www.jscrcc.com

JSCRCC HISTORY

The JSCRCC club was formed in 1964.  The initial members were mostly engineers involved with the Mercury/Apollo/Gemini programs. This fledging group was able to secure shared use of the antenna test range where we have remained to this day.  Some of the early newsletters are on ditto sheets typed on a manual typewriter dating back to the late 1960s. The club started with around 20 members and grew to 160 in 1990.  JSCRCC currently has an average membership of 100 members.

It is fortunate that our club through the years has retained documentation on some of the outstanding accomplishments of members who interfaced with NASA programs such as high lift over drag flying bodies, and various acrobatic designs.  It was one of the original club members who built the first conceptual R/C model of the Shuttle Orbiter747 to demonstrate the possibility of returning the Orbiter from California to Florida by using a Boeing 747 to piggyback the Orbiter.  NASA liked the idea and the rest is history.

Some of the early model of the month submissions were the Southern R/C Atlas, RCM Trainer, Honker Bipe, and VECO Cherokee Babe. The field started out having both free flight and RC aircraft.   It was also very helpful in those early days to be knowledgeable about radios—as most control equipment was largely homemade in the early 1960’s.

Contact Info:

President, Mike Laible
michael.r.laible@boeing.com