Author: Benny Lanterman
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/06
Page Numbers: 18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
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Great Planes Hosts E-Fest 2007

By Benny Lanterman

Oh, the weather outside was frightful, but inside it was perfect for flying!

E-Fest 2007 was held February 10–11 at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Champaign. On campus the weather was well below freezing and there were piles of snow all around. However, in the Armory, where the event was held, I was warm, comfortable, and surrounded by some of the finest people you can find anywhere. Add to that the excitement of roughly 10 airplanes of all kinds flying at any time, and this becomes one of the RC model-aviation highlights of the year. If you had an airplane and an opportunity and didn't fly at this event, you missed a treat.

See More of E-Fest on the Internet!

-- MA staff

The signs and banners for the various model-industry E-Fest sponsors were mounted on the far wall of the Armory. Those companies and the individual workers are to be commended for the effort it takes to make this event a reality.

I understand that Frank Noll and Amanda Noll are responsible for a great amount of the hard work that went into this E-Fest. Everyone I spoke with deeply appreciated their work.

I thank Carol Pesch for her kindness and for making my lovely wife Bonnie and me feel welcome at the event. I also thank Bonnie for taking care of me all weekend—making sure I ate and that I was presentable for polite society (no small task).

E-Fest was hosted by Great Planes, ElectriFly, Futaba, Heli-Max, and Carl Goldberg Products.

Sponsors

  • Gold sponsors: RCGroups.com, JR, Spektrum, Fly RC, Model Airplane News, Backyard Flyer, AMA, MA
  • Silver sponsors: Hobby Lobby, Castle Creations, Himax
  • Bronze sponsor: ZAP

You are encouraged to remember these companies during your next visit to the hobby shop.

Probably the only thing that was amiss was the frigid weather. Luckily the snowstorm struck the week before and the week after the second weekend in February — perhaps more good planning by the event administrators!

The University of Illinois Armory is a perfect flying site. The long side and the short side provided space for flying and spectators. The pit areas included a space along the wall where manufacturers could set up and show their wares, a pedestrian walkway, and then two rows of tables for modelers and manufacturers.

There was room for everyone, but at times models were squeezed in with the pilots. The long side across from the pit area was the flying area. The short side across from the pit area had spectator stands, which were full Saturday for the various manufacturer demonstrations and for racing, combat, airplane aerobatics, and the Helicopter Smackdown. These activities were enjoyable, and everyone seemed to get into the spirit of the events.

As part of flier preparation on the first day, Frank Noll held a pilots' meeting in which he outlined a few simple rules of flying. Then he let the pilots loose. Announcer Bob Sadler kept things interesting, informative, and entertaining Saturday and Sunday, which is difficult considering that a large part of the crowd was RC pilots.

Day-Glo orange cones marked the pilot stations, and there were buckets filled with sand in case a Li-Poly battery decided to get too hot. I remember seeing only one battery in a bucket during the two days of the event.

Entry to the pilot stations was through one "gate." At times several fliers waited in line to fly, but it seemed to be a fair system to make sure everyone had the opportunity to fly. It stopped some of the more mischievous pilots from sneaking through the tables to get extra flight time.

During the day, selected times and flight areas were set aside for 3-D airplanes, slow/micro fliers, helicopters, jets, and manufacturers' demonstrations. A few types of models, such as the slow/micro flyers, did not have much allotted time, but not too many were present. Some of those flew during the standard indoor times and seemed to enjoy good success.

Yes, there were model collisions; the "Midair Gremlin" attacked all kinds of aircraft, without regard to type or pilot. An accident at the E-Fest is not fatal; with an aptitude for puzzles, pilots were back flying again in an hour or so. Even the total wrecks didn't involve much monetary loss.

I enjoy the manufacturers' demonstrations because they give me a chance to see the latest modeling equipment flown by good pilots. It is entertaining and ends with Bonnie having to go to extreme measures to hide my credit cards.

Sunday the manufacturers gave up their demonstrations to allow the registered pilots to have more flight time. It was a classy thing for them to do.

Several things from this E-Fest linger in my memory:

  • Jason Noll's beautiful demonstration of F3P aerobatic flight with his smooth, slow-flying Vrolet.
  • The swarming Combat entries. (Note to self: bring an EPP-foam airplane with the motor in the center.)
  • Seeing the slowest airplane win a race by being the only one left flying.
  • The friendliness of the people.
  • Seeing rowdy 20-blade CX2 helicopters fly at once (the technology has matured).
  • The in-the-dark Black-Out Nite Fly.

Experiencing the Black-Out Nite Fly was a first for me. The building isn't totally black, but closer to dusk to keep us from tripping over each other. You can see the outlines of the airplanes in flight because they are illuminated by onboard lights. Even a model with just a few lights looks great and can be flown safely.

The "night" air was full of all types of lights; some were solid, some were blinking, and some were strips. The airplanes were beautiful, and there were many more than I had expected.

After spending both days at the event from 8 a.m. to closing, I was still not ready for the E-Fest to be over. It is too much fun to consider going home, but even good things must end.

I took several thousand photos and had to pick just a few to include in this article. Some are of the Armory's interior, some are of interesting people or things, and apparently I have never seen an airplane I didn't like. I look for models that get my attention instantly. The pilot is secondary.

Using that approach normally results in a good mix of airplane types and pilots. When I come home from an event I think about the overall visual impression that has stuck in my memory and try to duplicate that.

If you find yourself in the Midwest next February and are wondering how to get warm, don't think about going to a beach somewhere in the tropics; come to the E-Fest instead! MA

Benny Lanterman [email protected]

Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.