Over the years, Los Alamitos has played host to a numb er of national gatherings of model airplane fans. The naval air base was a natural host for such events, which often was arranged to also have demonstrations by such precision flying groups as the Blue Angels. 
The annual national meet was first held in Los Alamitos in 1952, and was again held there in 1955, 1959, 1963 and finally in 1967. The 1955 meet was expected to attract about 1500 people. (see clipping to right). The 1959 meet was showcased in the January 1960 issue of Boys Life.
The ’59 AMA Nationals were billed as the first truly “national” meet because there was at least one contestant from each of the states. (See the photo below) The event, which took place July 27th through August 2nd, was duly chronicled in the November 1959 issue of the American Modeler magazine.
Fifty young men, all under twenty-one years of age and each representing a State in the Union, including Hawaii and Alaska, competed in the 1959 National Model Airplane Championships at the Naval Air Station, Los Alamitos, California, July 27th through August 2nd, along with hundreds of other entrants. It was the first time in the 28-year history of the “NATS” that an official representative from each State was in attendance.
The Champions’ all-expenses paid trips to and from California came as a result of a program activated in March ’59 by the Model Aeronautics Division of the Hobby Industry Association of America.
The 1959 Championships was a huge success. From the first hand launched glider flight indoors to the last dethermalized outdoor flight, the last transmitter turned off, the last lines to be rolled up – this was a contest long to be remembered.
The complete article can be seen here.
An interesting trivia about the 1959 show was that actress Jill St. John, then a young starlet, was the event’s “Miss Model Aviation”. [ref] http://www.glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com/show/515/Jill+St.+John/index.html [/ref]. Another source announcing the event, noted that:
Male contestants will be provided housing and meals aboard the air station at very nominal rates, although they must provide their own sheets and blankets. Only modelers that register in advance will be allowed to compete in the nationals. Postmark deadline for entries is July 6th. [ref]http://soaringweb.org/Soaring_Index/1959/PDF/1959_Mar-Apr_13.pdf[/ref]
Later weekly gatherings of local model airplane afficonados used to take place at the southeast corner of the Los Alamitos Race Course parking lot. Comedian Steve Martin, who grew up in Garden Grove, mentions such gatherings in his autobiography.
Sources: Los Alamitos-Cypress Enterprise. August 1955
Boys Life, jan. 1960
american Modeler; op. cit. www.airplanesandrockets.com/magazines/toc/nov-1959-am-toc.htm