IRCHA Jamboree-2011/12
By Mark Fadely
WELCOME TO this year's coverage of the world's largest RC event. If you have been around RC for a while, you know I am referring to the helicopter event held at the AMA National Flying Site in Muncie, Indiana. This mega-size event is epic with its great history and traditions. It is the International Radio Controlled Helicopter Association (IRCHA) Jamboree. IRCHA is an AMA SIG.
When you are on-site, all you can see are helicopters all day during the five-day gathering. At this event, fixed-wing aircraft are strictly prohibited. That is contrary to what sometimes happens at local flying fields where helicopters are not always so welcome.
In the recent past, RC helis played a quiet, second fiddle to the mainstream fixed-wing aircraft. That all changed when easy-to-fly electric helis invaded the marketplace in the mid-2000s. Small indoor models made their way into the hands of raw beginners and seasoned airplane pilots alike. Suddenly RC helis were a hit with everyone. In what seems like an instant, acceptance and a desire for helicopters has grown to incredible levels.
Why do so many enthusiastic heli pilots travel so far to be present at this annual Woodstock of Helicopters called IRCHA Jamboree? To put it simply, IRCHA is a party. It is a mixer of like-minded RCers who have found their social mecca and nirvana all in one. Once a pilot attends IRCHA, he or she is hooked and will return year after year.
History
The IRCHA organization was founded in 1989 by expert helicopter modeler Don Chapman. A short time later the heli-focused group began inviting pilots to an annual fly-in. The event was dubbed the "Jamboree" and throughout the years, word filtered through the grapevine that this get-together was the place to be.
It has been more than 20 years since the first IRCHA Jamboree. It originated in the eastern United States then moved to Hebron, Ohio, for nearly a decade. This year marked the 10-year anniversary for IRCHA on the AMA property.
Dave Millner is the current IRCHA president. Dave and his staff run a smooth, efficient operation for an event of this size. The vendors commented on how well-organized everything was this year. Many full-service hobby shops were on-site, with much inventory to sell during the five-day event.
Some dedicated pilots have attended nearly every Jamboree. Mike Swift is one such person. He is 57 years old and can still fly 3-D with the best of them. Mike has helicopter flying in his blood, and here is what he has to say about the big event in Muncie:
"Back in 1992 when I first attended the IRCHA Jamboree, it was much less commercial, much like a hometown event with no real advertising like we see today. There were no banners with corporate names everywhere like there are now.
"There also were no electric helis; everything was nitro-powered. I've seen it grow from a couple of hundred pilots, to breaking 500, to now nearing 1,000. I enjoyed the event back then and I also enjoy it today, even though it's totally different. I love to be around the people and I love to fly helis."
Event atmosphere and facilities
The Jamboree is a perfect place to explore whatever heli-related interest you have. The friendly atmosphere invites conversation and social connections. There are so many flight stations along the nearly half-mile flightline that anyone can fly at any time. Being too crowded is never a problem at the massive AMA flying site.
There are many good food vendors offering the greatest snacks, treats, and meals for overworked pilots. Flying and socializing all day brings on an appetite!
The main flightline is at Site 4, which is at the southernmost region of the property. This year several other flying sites were open allowing concurrent operation of the Nats, FAI practice, hovering arenas, and the new Speed Trials Competition.
Longtime helicopter modeler Santiago Panzardi, along with champion heli drag racer Ken Jennings, put on the new speed event which turned out to be a big hit with many pilots. It is a luxury to have room for all of these activities to be held simultaneously. Look for an exclusive write-up on the speed event elsewhere in this publication.
Competitions and highlights
The Scale Helicopter Nationals were again held during the Jamboree on the main site. If you attend IRCHA next year, make sure to stop by the Scale competition to see a number of world-class helicopters that look so good it's hard to believe they're models. Darrell Sprayberry won the 2011 Scale Nats with his Giant Scale Jet Ranger. It is a beautiful machine that Darrell flies expertly.
Ray Stacy organized an autorotation contest. Autorotation is a special flight maneuver that both model and full-scale helicopters are capable of performing. In an autorotation, the main rotor is still turning, but it is not being driven by the engine. The helicopter descends while keeping an autogyrating rotor system. It is similar to the physics of a falling maple leaf.
Because the power is turned off, the pilot only has one shot at landing the machine in the intended area. Some of the expert pilots in the competition are capable of landing with pinpoint accuracy.
Autorotation contest results:
- 1st: Nathan Spencer
- 2nd: Raja Bortcosh
- 3rd: JC Zankl (2010 winner)
In a surprising act of true generosity, Nathan donated his grand prize, a Mikado Logo helicopter, to Raja, and JC gave his prize to a young heli enthusiast in the crowd.
Empire sponsors a combination of unique and fun happenings during IRCHA. On Friday evening, the Empire people give away free beverages in their vendor tent/sports bar located near Center Stage. There are fun games such as Cornhole, where free hobby items are given away to the winners. They also put on a great fireworks show on Saturday night. This year, a little rain canceled the night-fly competition, but the impressive fireworks show went on as scheduled.
Empire also organized the ONE Competition. Seven top 3-D pilots are invited to compete in one flight for $7,000. This year the flight format was changed to include a compulsory maneuver, which the pilots did not know about beforehand. The required maneuver definitely helped the judges identify the better pilots.
Kyle Dahl took first place this year with his super-technical flying and the new 800-size Xxtreme Mikado helicopter. A crowd of 1,000 spectators eagerly watched all seven pilots throw down their best stuff.
Empire Hobbies owner Jack Burnside is sensitive to the wishes of young pilots who want to become sponsored in order to help defray the high costs of being a top pilot. Andy Panoncillo helps out by running a contest called the IRCHA Amateur Nationals. Any non-sponsored pilot can compete for the chance to win a one-year Empire/Gaui sponsorship. It is a fun and exciting event with the winners beaming from ear to ear after each contest.
That smiling face belonged to 11-year-old Jacob Gitin this year. Jacob traveled to IRCHA 2011 from his home in Mountain View, California, with his dad, Mark. Jacob has only been flying for two years!
Closing
There are many influential and special people who help in profound ways to make IRCHA a success, but to list them all would be impossible. This is one event that every helicopter pilot should attend at least once. See you there next August.
Contact
Mark Fadely [email protected]
Sources
International Radio Controlled Helicopter Association www.ircha.org
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
