Community Service

Youth Services:

San Jose Wavemasters RC Club has supported Bay Area students who are engaged in understanding aeronautics, plus designing, building and flying RC aircraft.

Youth Memberships:

Please see our Membership Page for Youth Membership opportunities.

Youth Equipment Donations and Youth Flight Instruction:

Due to privacy and youth protection considerations, please contact our club officers regarding youth flight training or equipment donations designated for youth.

Volunteerism:

We have members who regularly volunteer at the Wings of History Air Museum in San Martin, California, providing drone flights and acting as docents for members of the public as they tour the museum hangars, which contain historic images and an array of actual historic aircraft.

Members have individually donated simple wooden gliders to youth and educators during Wings of History Kids’ Day events in San Martin, California, to explore the basic concepts of flight. A drone video by Andreas Olbring, one of our volunteer members, captured Kids’ Day in 2025: https://www.wingsofhistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/kids_dayv2.mp4

Test Flight Pilot Services for Startups and Engineering Students:

Poseidon Aerospace

In late 2024 SJWM President Rick Maida was asked to pilot an RC test flight for the Seagull, an uncrewed seal glider, developed by Poseidon Aerospace, a startup formed by a group of Cal Poly students . The Seagull is based on the Soviet Caspian Sea Monster, which flies at low altitude to reduce drag. Poseidon Aerospace plans to test the Seagull with the United States Navy and Coastguard, in the summer of 2025.

The test flights piloted by Rick Maida were successful and may be viewed online, on the Poseidon Aerospace Web site: https://www.poseidonaero.com/ and on our San Jose Wavemasters RC Club YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5QsscsLOD8

U.C. Berkeley SAE AERO Club

On March 11, 2025, SJWM flight crews hosted the U.C. Berkeley SAE AERO Club for their first student-built RC craft test flight. SJWM President Rick Maida performed the test flight at the SCCMAS Tomcats field in Morgan Hill, California. We are happy to report that the first test flight and landing, were successful.

Two weeks later, the students entered their craft in the 2025 SAE AERO West competition, held in Van Nuys, California. (They honored San Jose Wavemasters RC Club by placing our logo on the fuselage of their craft.) We are happy to report that the UCB SAE AERO Club placed 3rd in the nation at that competition. Congratulations to their 12-member team for a job well done.

Please enjoy these videos and images of the U.C.B. SAE AERO Club’s SJWM-sponsored test flight, March 11, 2025.

March 11, 2025 SJWM-hosted test flight of U.C. Berkeley Engineering students’ SAE AERO Club-designed and built RC plane, performed by SJWM test pilot, Rick Maida.

U.C. Berkeley SAE AERO CLUB Engineering students with Rick Maida, SJWM test pilot.

The twelve-member, U.C. Berkeley SAE AERO CLUB Engineering students with Rick Maida, SJWM volunteer test pilot, after two successful test flights, hosted by the members of San Jose Wavemasters RC Club, on March 11, 2025.

UCB SAE AERO Club students assembling the 15-foot RC craft just before the SJWM-hosted test flight on March 11, 2025.

To view their April 2025 SAE AERO West competition videos (taken two weeks later in Van Nuys) please visit:

https://www.youtube.com/live/CHGds1OjbYE?si=ECVDcg3iVaJTFcQY&t=6123

https://www.youtube.com/live/CHGds1OjbYE?si=RFD7zOs15PMbHysZ&t=16200