18 MODEL AVIATION
Jamboree
by Mark Fadely
Kyle Dahl from
Bakersfield CA,
won the ONE
Competition flying
the new Mikado
800-size Xxtreme
heli. A sheriff’s
deputy is holding
the $7,000 prize
money; event
organizer Andy
Panoncillo is on
the right; Empire
Hobby owner
Jack Burnside is
on the far left.
Alon Barak, 10, from Israel, packs up his gear
with his dad’s help. Alon, a Thunder Tigersponsored
pilot, travels the world demonstrating
the company’s products. He flew the newly
designed 700-size G4 helicopter, which promises
to be a popular choice in the 3-D market.
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.
November 2011 19
This brightly colored Hughes 500E
belongs to Mike Fortune of Horizon
Hobby. He took some old mechanical
parts from a T-Rex 600 and ordered the
prepainted fuselage from Heli-Wholesaler
and Align. The fit was perfect and the
colorful bodies are available for nearly any
size helicopter.
96501
2200 MMOODDEELL AAVVIIAATTIIOONN
Jamboree
JC Zankl couldn’t wait to get his hands on this new Gaui X7, the
company’s first 700-size electric-powered heli. Gaui team boss Jack
Burnside had to remind JC to fly safely because it was one of the only
ones in the US.
Sandy Jaffe continues to fly this beautiful Vario no-tailrotor
(NOTAR) helicopter that was the first one in the
US in 2000. A fan blows air back through the tailboom
into a swiveling exhaust to control yaw. It bears the
colors of the Phoenix Police Department.
DDeecceemmbbeerr 22001111 2211
This V-22 Osprey is the fruit of Thomas Mast’s four-year-long project. An onboard mixing
computer handles the complex algorithms needed to make smooth hover into forward-flight
transitions. Tom sells the Osprey kits at www.rotormast.com.
Dave Millner, IRCHA president, addresses the pilots during the
morning orientation meeting. Dave and his many volunteers work
hard to make sure every pilot has a good experience during the
five-day event.
Jamboree
Team Thunder Tiger brought its revamped lineup of 3-
D helis. This 50-size model, owned and piloted by Jim
Stark, flies as if it were a much larger machine.
IRCHA is well-stocked with helicopter kits and parts. Experience RC loaded up nearly everything
you would see in a hobby shop and brought it by semitrailer from Livonia MI.
Luigi Rungi of Italy delighted the crowd with an exciting 3-D flying display with his TSA
Model Infusion 700, a new design with a high CG for more axial rolls.
Nick Maxwell (L) flies a tandem flight with Lukas Riva (R) following the ONE Competition, an invitational event in which seven
of the world’s top pilots compete for the $7,000 prize. Sponsored by Empire Hobby, a portion of the proceeds goes to the
National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
24 MODEL AVIATION
Santiago Panzardi (background) and Ken Jennings (foreground) organized a
new Speed Trials event. For those who want to know how fast these things
go, the answer is roughly 130 mph! Electronic timers were linked to spotters
at each end of the straight-line course to accurately record the speed.
Jamboree
Wayne Mason navigates the flying field
accessories including missiles, rocket
infrared radar).
December 2011 25
the flying field with his 20-pound Indy Helis AH-64 Apache. It has scale
issiles, rocket launchers, machine guns, and FLIR (forward-looking
Mike Swift has attended all 20 years of the Jamboree. It is
a much larger event than it used to be, but Mike fits right
in and can show the younger modelers a thing or two
about flying 3-D helis.
The Jamboree’s flightline stretched nearly ½ mile with
dozens of flight stations strewn along the way. There
were so many spots to fly that no one had to wait long to
get into the air.
26 MODEL AVIATION
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.
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.”
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 ½-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.
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 are 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 power is turned off, but control is
maintained as long as the helicopter is
descending while keeping air moving through
the rotor system. It is similar to the physics of a
falling maple leaf.
December 2011 27
Diamond
Empire Hobby
Gaui
Plat inum
JR
Spektrum
Scorpion
Mikado
Outrage RC
Avant
Gold
Revco
Synergy Helicopters
Miniature Aircraft
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.
Nathan Spencer is no stranger to
autorotation contests and won the event. He
has won many throughout the past 15 years.
Second place went to Raja Bortcosh, and 2010
winner JC Zankl took third.
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. Wow,
that is really setting a great example.
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!
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. MA
Mark Fadely
[email protected]
Sources:
International Radio Controlled Helicopter
Association
www.ircha.org
Jamboree
Castle Creations
Bergen RC Helicopters
Byrons Fuels
HeliCommand/Captron
Si lver
Advantage Hobbies
KBDD
Experience RC
HeliProz
TSA Models
Thunder Power RC
Helix Hobbies &
Minicopter
Compass Models
Sponsors
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/12
Page Numbers: 18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/12
Page Numbers: 18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27
18 MODEL AVIATION
Jamboree
by Mark Fadely
Kyle Dahl from
Bakersfield CA,
won the ONE
Competition flying
the new Mikado
800-size Xxtreme
heli. A sheriff’s
deputy is holding
the $7,000 prize
money; event
organizer Andy
Panoncillo is on
the right; Empire
Hobby owner
Jack Burnside is
on the far left.
Alon Barak, 10, from Israel, packs up his gear
with his dad’s help. Alon, a Thunder Tigersponsored
pilot, travels the world demonstrating
the company’s products. He flew the newly
designed 700-size G4 helicopter, which promises
to be a popular choice in the 3-D market.
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.
November 2011 19
This brightly colored Hughes 500E
belongs to Mike Fortune of Horizon
Hobby. He took some old mechanical
parts from a T-Rex 600 and ordered the
prepainted fuselage from Heli-Wholesaler
and Align. The fit was perfect and the
colorful bodies are available for nearly any
size helicopter.
96501
2200 MMOODDEELL AAVVIIAATTIIOONN
Jamboree
JC Zankl couldn’t wait to get his hands on this new Gaui X7, the
company’s first 700-size electric-powered heli. Gaui team boss Jack
Burnside had to remind JC to fly safely because it was one of the only
ones in the US.
Sandy Jaffe continues to fly this beautiful Vario no-tailrotor
(NOTAR) helicopter that was the first one in the
US in 2000. A fan blows air back through the tailboom
into a swiveling exhaust to control yaw. It bears the
colors of the Phoenix Police Department.
DDeecceemmbbeerr 22001111 2211
This V-22 Osprey is the fruit of Thomas Mast’s four-year-long project. An onboard mixing
computer handles the complex algorithms needed to make smooth hover into forward-flight
transitions. Tom sells the Osprey kits at www.rotormast.com.
Dave Millner, IRCHA president, addresses the pilots during the
morning orientation meeting. Dave and his many volunteers work
hard to make sure every pilot has a good experience during the
five-day event.
Jamboree
Team Thunder Tiger brought its revamped lineup of 3-
D helis. This 50-size model, owned and piloted by Jim
Stark, flies as if it were a much larger machine.
IRCHA is well-stocked with helicopter kits and parts. Experience RC loaded up nearly everything
you would see in a hobby shop and brought it by semitrailer from Livonia MI.
Luigi Rungi of Italy delighted the crowd with an exciting 3-D flying display with his TSA
Model Infusion 700, a new design with a high CG for more axial rolls.
Nick Maxwell (L) flies a tandem flight with Lukas Riva (R) following the ONE Competition, an invitational event in which seven
of the world’s top pilots compete for the $7,000 prize. Sponsored by Empire Hobby, a portion of the proceeds goes to the
National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
24 MODEL AVIATION
Santiago Panzardi (background) and Ken Jennings (foreground) organized a
new Speed Trials event. For those who want to know how fast these things
go, the answer is roughly 130 mph! Electronic timers were linked to spotters
at each end of the straight-line course to accurately record the speed.
Jamboree
Wayne Mason navigates the flying field
accessories including missiles, rocket
infrared radar).
December 2011 25
the flying field with his 20-pound Indy Helis AH-64 Apache. It has scale
issiles, rocket launchers, machine guns, and FLIR (forward-looking
Mike Swift has attended all 20 years of the Jamboree. It is
a much larger event than it used to be, but Mike fits right
in and can show the younger modelers a thing or two
about flying 3-D helis.
The Jamboree’s flightline stretched nearly ½ mile with
dozens of flight stations strewn along the way. There
were so many spots to fly that no one had to wait long to
get into the air.
26 MODEL AVIATION
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.
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.”
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 ½-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.
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 are 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 power is turned off, but control is
maintained as long as the helicopter is
descending while keeping air moving through
the rotor system. It is similar to the physics of a
falling maple leaf.
December 2011 27
Diamond
Empire Hobby
Gaui
Plat inum
JR
Spektrum
Scorpion
Mikado
Outrage RC
Avant
Gold
Revco
Synergy Helicopters
Miniature Aircraft
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.
Nathan Spencer is no stranger to
autorotation contests and won the event. He
has won many throughout the past 15 years.
Second place went to Raja Bortcosh, and 2010
winner JC Zankl took third.
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. Wow,
that is really setting a great example.
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!
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. MA
Mark Fadely
[email protected]
Sources:
International Radio Controlled Helicopter
Association
www.ircha.org
Jamboree
Castle Creations
Bergen RC Helicopters
Byrons Fuels
HeliCommand/Captron
Si lver
Advantage Hobbies
KBDD
Experience RC
HeliProz
TSA Models
Thunder Power RC
Helix Hobbies &
Minicopter
Compass Models
Sponsors
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/12
Page Numbers: 18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27
18 MODEL AVIATION
Jamboree
by Mark Fadely
Kyle Dahl from
Bakersfield CA,
won the ONE
Competition flying
the new Mikado
800-size Xxtreme
heli. A sheriff’s
deputy is holding
the $7,000 prize
money; event
organizer Andy
Panoncillo is on
the right; Empire
Hobby owner
Jack Burnside is
on the far left.
Alon Barak, 10, from Israel, packs up his gear
with his dad’s help. Alon, a Thunder Tigersponsored
pilot, travels the world demonstrating
the company’s products. He flew the newly
designed 700-size G4 helicopter, which promises
to be a popular choice in the 3-D market.
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.
November 2011 19
This brightly colored Hughes 500E
belongs to Mike Fortune of Horizon
Hobby. He took some old mechanical
parts from a T-Rex 600 and ordered the
prepainted fuselage from Heli-Wholesaler
and Align. The fit was perfect and the
colorful bodies are available for nearly any
size helicopter.
96501
2200 MMOODDEELL AAVVIIAATTIIOONN
Jamboree
JC Zankl couldn’t wait to get his hands on this new Gaui X7, the
company’s first 700-size electric-powered heli. Gaui team boss Jack
Burnside had to remind JC to fly safely because it was one of the only
ones in the US.
Sandy Jaffe continues to fly this beautiful Vario no-tailrotor
(NOTAR) helicopter that was the first one in the
US in 2000. A fan blows air back through the tailboom
into a swiveling exhaust to control yaw. It bears the
colors of the Phoenix Police Department.
DDeecceemmbbeerr 22001111 2211
This V-22 Osprey is the fruit of Thomas Mast’s four-year-long project. An onboard mixing
computer handles the complex algorithms needed to make smooth hover into forward-flight
transitions. Tom sells the Osprey kits at www.rotormast.com.
Dave Millner, IRCHA president, addresses the pilots during the
morning orientation meeting. Dave and his many volunteers work
hard to make sure every pilot has a good experience during the
five-day event.
Jamboree
Team Thunder Tiger brought its revamped lineup of 3-
D helis. This 50-size model, owned and piloted by Jim
Stark, flies as if it were a much larger machine.
IRCHA is well-stocked with helicopter kits and parts. Experience RC loaded up nearly everything
you would see in a hobby shop and brought it by semitrailer from Livonia MI.
Luigi Rungi of Italy delighted the crowd with an exciting 3-D flying display with his TSA
Model Infusion 700, a new design with a high CG for more axial rolls.
Nick Maxwell (L) flies a tandem flight with Lukas Riva (R) following the ONE Competition, an invitational event in which seven
of the world’s top pilots compete for the $7,000 prize. Sponsored by Empire Hobby, a portion of the proceeds goes to the
National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
24 MODEL AVIATION
Santiago Panzardi (background) and Ken Jennings (foreground) organized a
new Speed Trials event. For those who want to know how fast these things
go, the answer is roughly 130 mph! Electronic timers were linked to spotters
at each end of the straight-line course to accurately record the speed.
Jamboree
Wayne Mason navigates the flying field
accessories including missiles, rocket
infrared radar).
December 2011 25
the flying field with his 20-pound Indy Helis AH-64 Apache. It has scale
issiles, rocket launchers, machine guns, and FLIR (forward-looking
Mike Swift has attended all 20 years of the Jamboree. It is
a much larger event than it used to be, but Mike fits right
in and can show the younger modelers a thing or two
about flying 3-D helis.
The Jamboree’s flightline stretched nearly ½ mile with
dozens of flight stations strewn along the way. There
were so many spots to fly that no one had to wait long to
get into the air.
26 MODEL AVIATION
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.
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.”
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 ½-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.
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 are 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 power is turned off, but control is
maintained as long as the helicopter is
descending while keeping air moving through
the rotor system. It is similar to the physics of a
falling maple leaf.
December 2011 27
Diamond
Empire Hobby
Gaui
Plat inum
JR
Spektrum
Scorpion
Mikado
Outrage RC
Avant
Gold
Revco
Synergy Helicopters
Miniature Aircraft
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.
Nathan Spencer is no stranger to
autorotation contests and won the event. He
has won many throughout the past 15 years.
Second place went to Raja Bortcosh, and 2010
winner JC Zankl took third.
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. Wow,
that is really setting a great example.
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!
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. MA
Mark Fadely
[email protected]
Sources:
International Radio Controlled Helicopter
Association
www.ircha.org
Jamboree
Castle Creations
Bergen RC Helicopters
Byrons Fuels
HeliCommand/Captron
Si lver
Advantage Hobbies
KBDD
Experience RC
HeliProz
TSA Models
Thunder Power RC
Helix Hobbies &
Minicopter
Compass Models
Sponsors
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/12
Page Numbers: 18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27
18 MODEL AVIATION
Jamboree
by Mark Fadely
Kyle Dahl from
Bakersfield CA,
won the ONE
Competition flying
the new Mikado
800-size Xxtreme
heli. A sheriff’s
deputy is holding
the $7,000 prize
money; event
organizer Andy
Panoncillo is on
the right; Empire
Hobby owner
Jack Burnside is
on the far left.
Alon Barak, 10, from Israel, packs up his gear
with his dad’s help. Alon, a Thunder Tigersponsored
pilot, travels the world demonstrating
the company’s products. He flew the newly
designed 700-size G4 helicopter, which promises
to be a popular choice in the 3-D market.
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.
November 2011 19
This brightly colored Hughes 500E
belongs to Mike Fortune of Horizon
Hobby. He took some old mechanical
parts from a T-Rex 600 and ordered the
prepainted fuselage from Heli-Wholesaler
and Align. The fit was perfect and the
colorful bodies are available for nearly any
size helicopter.
96501
2200 MMOODDEELL AAVVIIAATTIIOONN
Jamboree
JC Zankl couldn’t wait to get his hands on this new Gaui X7, the
company’s first 700-size electric-powered heli. Gaui team boss Jack
Burnside had to remind JC to fly safely because it was one of the only
ones in the US.
Sandy Jaffe continues to fly this beautiful Vario no-tailrotor
(NOTAR) helicopter that was the first one in the
US in 2000. A fan blows air back through the tailboom
into a swiveling exhaust to control yaw. It bears the
colors of the Phoenix Police Department.
DDeecceemmbbeerr 22001111 2211
This V-22 Osprey is the fruit of Thomas Mast’s four-year-long project. An onboard mixing
computer handles the complex algorithms needed to make smooth hover into forward-flight
transitions. Tom sells the Osprey kits at www.rotormast.com.
Dave Millner, IRCHA president, addresses the pilots during the
morning orientation meeting. Dave and his many volunteers work
hard to make sure every pilot has a good experience during the
five-day event.
Jamboree
Team Thunder Tiger brought its revamped lineup of 3-
D helis. This 50-size model, owned and piloted by Jim
Stark, flies as if it were a much larger machine.
IRCHA is well-stocked with helicopter kits and parts. Experience RC loaded up nearly everything
you would see in a hobby shop and brought it by semitrailer from Livonia MI.
Luigi Rungi of Italy delighted the crowd with an exciting 3-D flying display with his TSA
Model Infusion 700, a new design with a high CG for more axial rolls.
Nick Maxwell (L) flies a tandem flight with Lukas Riva (R) following the ONE Competition, an invitational event in which seven
of the world’s top pilots compete for the $7,000 prize. Sponsored by Empire Hobby, a portion of the proceeds goes to the
National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
24 MODEL AVIATION
Santiago Panzardi (background) and Ken Jennings (foreground) organized a
new Speed Trials event. For those who want to know how fast these things
go, the answer is roughly 130 mph! Electronic timers were linked to spotters
at each end of the straight-line course to accurately record the speed.
Jamboree
Wayne Mason navigates the flying field
accessories including missiles, rocket
infrared radar).
December 2011 25
the flying field with his 20-pound Indy Helis AH-64 Apache. It has scale
issiles, rocket launchers, machine guns, and FLIR (forward-looking
Mike Swift has attended all 20 years of the Jamboree. It is
a much larger event than it used to be, but Mike fits right
in and can show the younger modelers a thing or two
about flying 3-D helis.
The Jamboree’s flightline stretched nearly ½ mile with
dozens of flight stations strewn along the way. There
were so many spots to fly that no one had to wait long to
get into the air.
26 MODEL AVIATION
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.
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.”
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 ½-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.
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 are 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 power is turned off, but control is
maintained as long as the helicopter is
descending while keeping air moving through
the rotor system. It is similar to the physics of a
falling maple leaf.
December 2011 27
Diamond
Empire Hobby
Gaui
Plat inum
JR
Spektrum
Scorpion
Mikado
Outrage RC
Avant
Gold
Revco
Synergy Helicopters
Miniature Aircraft
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.
Nathan Spencer is no stranger to
autorotation contests and won the event. He
has won many throughout the past 15 years.
Second place went to Raja Bortcosh, and 2010
winner JC Zankl took third.
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. Wow,
that is really setting a great example.
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!
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. MA
Mark Fadely
[email protected]
Sources:
International Radio Controlled Helicopter
Association
www.ircha.org
Jamboree
Castle Creations
Bergen RC Helicopters
Byrons Fuels
HeliCommand/Captron
Si lver
Advantage Hobbies
KBDD
Experience RC
HeliProz
TSA Models
Thunder Power RC
Helix Hobbies &
Minicopter
Compass Models
Sponsors
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/12
Page Numbers: 18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27
18 MODEL AVIATION
Jamboree
by Mark Fadely
Kyle Dahl from
Bakersfield CA,
won the ONE
Competition flying
the new Mikado
800-size Xxtreme
heli. A sheriff’s
deputy is holding
the $7,000 prize
money; event
organizer Andy
Panoncillo is on
the right; Empire
Hobby owner
Jack Burnside is
on the far left.
Alon Barak, 10, from Israel, packs up his gear
with his dad’s help. Alon, a Thunder Tigersponsored
pilot, travels the world demonstrating
the company’s products. He flew the newly
designed 700-size G4 helicopter, which promises
to be a popular choice in the 3-D market.
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.
November 2011 19
This brightly colored Hughes 500E
belongs to Mike Fortune of Horizon
Hobby. He took some old mechanical
parts from a T-Rex 600 and ordered the
prepainted fuselage from Heli-Wholesaler
and Align. The fit was perfect and the
colorful bodies are available for nearly any
size helicopter.
96501
2200 MMOODDEELL AAVVIIAATTIIOONN
Jamboree
JC Zankl couldn’t wait to get his hands on this new Gaui X7, the
company’s first 700-size electric-powered heli. Gaui team boss Jack
Burnside had to remind JC to fly safely because it was one of the only
ones in the US.
Sandy Jaffe continues to fly this beautiful Vario no-tailrotor
(NOTAR) helicopter that was the first one in the
US in 2000. A fan blows air back through the tailboom
into a swiveling exhaust to control yaw. It bears the
colors of the Phoenix Police Department.
DDeecceemmbbeerr 22001111 2211
This V-22 Osprey is the fruit of Thomas Mast’s four-year-long project. An onboard mixing
computer handles the complex algorithms needed to make smooth hover into forward-flight
transitions. Tom sells the Osprey kits at www.rotormast.com.
Dave Millner, IRCHA president, addresses the pilots during the
morning orientation meeting. Dave and his many volunteers work
hard to make sure every pilot has a good experience during the
five-day event.
Jamboree
Team Thunder Tiger brought its revamped lineup of 3-
D helis. This 50-size model, owned and piloted by Jim
Stark, flies as if it were a much larger machine.
IRCHA is well-stocked with helicopter kits and parts. Experience RC loaded up nearly everything
you would see in a hobby shop and brought it by semitrailer from Livonia MI.
Luigi Rungi of Italy delighted the crowd with an exciting 3-D flying display with his TSA
Model Infusion 700, a new design with a high CG for more axial rolls.
Nick Maxwell (L) flies a tandem flight with Lukas Riva (R) following the ONE Competition, an invitational event in which seven
of the world’s top pilots compete for the $7,000 prize. Sponsored by Empire Hobby, a portion of the proceeds goes to the
National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
24 MODEL AVIATION
Santiago Panzardi (background) and Ken Jennings (foreground) organized a
new Speed Trials event. For those who want to know how fast these things
go, the answer is roughly 130 mph! Electronic timers were linked to spotters
at each end of the straight-line course to accurately record the speed.
Jamboree
Wayne Mason navigates the flying field
accessories including missiles, rocket
infrared radar).
December 2011 25
the flying field with his 20-pound Indy Helis AH-64 Apache. It has scale
issiles, rocket launchers, machine guns, and FLIR (forward-looking
Mike Swift has attended all 20 years of the Jamboree. It is
a much larger event than it used to be, but Mike fits right
in and can show the younger modelers a thing or two
about flying 3-D helis.
The Jamboree’s flightline stretched nearly ½ mile with
dozens of flight stations strewn along the way. There
were so many spots to fly that no one had to wait long to
get into the air.
26 MODEL AVIATION
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.
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.”
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 ½-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.
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 are 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 power is turned off, but control is
maintained as long as the helicopter is
descending while keeping air moving through
the rotor system. It is similar to the physics of a
falling maple leaf.
December 2011 27
Diamond
Empire Hobby
Gaui
Plat inum
JR
Spektrum
Scorpion
Mikado
Outrage RC
Avant
Gold
Revco
Synergy Helicopters
Miniature Aircraft
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.
Nathan Spencer is no stranger to
autorotation contests and won the event. He
has won many throughout the past 15 years.
Second place went to Raja Bortcosh, and 2010
winner JC Zankl took third.
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. Wow,
that is really setting a great example.
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!
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. MA
Mark Fadely
[email protected]
Sources:
International Radio Controlled Helicopter
Association
www.ircha.org
Jamboree
Castle Creations
Bergen RC Helicopters
Byrons Fuels
HeliCommand/Captron
Si lver
Advantage Hobbies
KBDD
Experience RC
HeliProz
TSA Models
Thunder Power RC
Helix Hobbies &
Minicopter
Compass Models
Sponsors
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/12
Page Numbers: 18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27
18 MODEL AVIATION
Jamboree
by Mark Fadely
Kyle Dahl from
Bakersfield CA,
won the ONE
Competition flying
the new Mikado
800-size Xxtreme
heli. A sheriff’s
deputy is holding
the $7,000 prize
money; event
organizer Andy
Panoncillo is on
the right; Empire
Hobby owner
Jack Burnside is
on the far left.
Alon Barak, 10, from Israel, packs up his gear
with his dad’s help. Alon, a Thunder Tigersponsored
pilot, travels the world demonstrating
the company’s products. He flew the newly
designed 700-size G4 helicopter, which promises
to be a popular choice in the 3-D market.
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.
November 2011 19
This brightly colored Hughes 500E
belongs to Mike Fortune of Horizon
Hobby. He took some old mechanical
parts from a T-Rex 600 and ordered the
prepainted fuselage from Heli-Wholesaler
and Align. The fit was perfect and the
colorful bodies are available for nearly any
size helicopter.
96501
2200 MMOODDEELL AAVVIIAATTIIOONN
Jamboree
JC Zankl couldn’t wait to get his hands on this new Gaui X7, the
company’s first 700-size electric-powered heli. Gaui team boss Jack
Burnside had to remind JC to fly safely because it was one of the only
ones in the US.
Sandy Jaffe continues to fly this beautiful Vario no-tailrotor
(NOTAR) helicopter that was the first one in the
US in 2000. A fan blows air back through the tailboom
into a swiveling exhaust to control yaw. It bears the
colors of the Phoenix Police Department.
DDeecceemmbbeerr 22001111 2211
This V-22 Osprey is the fruit of Thomas Mast’s four-year-long project. An onboard mixing
computer handles the complex algorithms needed to make smooth hover into forward-flight
transitions. Tom sells the Osprey kits at www.rotormast.com.
Dave Millner, IRCHA president, addresses the pilots during the
morning orientation meeting. Dave and his many volunteers work
hard to make sure every pilot has a good experience during the
five-day event.
Jamboree
Team Thunder Tiger brought its revamped lineup of 3-
D helis. This 50-size model, owned and piloted by Jim
Stark, flies as if it were a much larger machine.
IRCHA is well-stocked with helicopter kits and parts. Experience RC loaded up nearly everything
you would see in a hobby shop and brought it by semitrailer from Livonia MI.
Luigi Rungi of Italy delighted the crowd with an exciting 3-D flying display with his TSA
Model Infusion 700, a new design with a high CG for more axial rolls.
Nick Maxwell (L) flies a tandem flight with Lukas Riva (R) following the ONE Competition, an invitational event in which seven
of the world’s top pilots compete for the $7,000 prize. Sponsored by Empire Hobby, a portion of the proceeds goes to the
National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
24 MODEL AVIATION
Santiago Panzardi (background) and Ken Jennings (foreground) organized a
new Speed Trials event. For those who want to know how fast these things
go, the answer is roughly 130 mph! Electronic timers were linked to spotters
at each end of the straight-line course to accurately record the speed.
Jamboree
Wayne Mason navigates the flying field
accessories including missiles, rocket
infrared radar).
December 2011 25
the flying field with his 20-pound Indy Helis AH-64 Apache. It has scale
issiles, rocket launchers, machine guns, and FLIR (forward-looking
Mike Swift has attended all 20 years of the Jamboree. It is
a much larger event than it used to be, but Mike fits right
in and can show the younger modelers a thing or two
about flying 3-D helis.
The Jamboree’s flightline stretched nearly ½ mile with
dozens of flight stations strewn along the way. There
were so many spots to fly that no one had to wait long to
get into the air.
26 MODEL AVIATION
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.
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.”
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 ½-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.
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 are 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 power is turned off, but control is
maintained as long as the helicopter is
descending while keeping air moving through
the rotor system. It is similar to the physics of a
falling maple leaf.
December 2011 27
Diamond
Empire Hobby
Gaui
Plat inum
JR
Spektrum
Scorpion
Mikado
Outrage RC
Avant
Gold
Revco
Synergy Helicopters
Miniature Aircraft
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.
Nathan Spencer is no stranger to
autorotation contests and won the event. He
has won many throughout the past 15 years.
Second place went to Raja Bortcosh, and 2010
winner JC Zankl took third.
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. Wow,
that is really setting a great example.
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!
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. MA
Mark Fadely
[email protected]
Sources:
International Radio Controlled Helicopter
Association
www.ircha.org
Jamboree
Castle Creations
Bergen RC Helicopters
Byrons Fuels
HeliCommand/Captron
Si lver
Advantage Hobbies
KBDD
Experience RC
HeliProz
TSA Models
Thunder Power RC
Helix Hobbies &
Minicopter
Compass Models
Sponsors
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/12
Page Numbers: 18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27
18 MODEL AVIATION
Jamboree
by Mark Fadely
Kyle Dahl from
Bakersfield CA,
won the ONE
Competition flying
the new Mikado
800-size Xxtreme
heli. A sheriff’s
deputy is holding
the $7,000 prize
money; event
organizer Andy
Panoncillo is on
the right; Empire
Hobby owner
Jack Burnside is
on the far left.
Alon Barak, 10, from Israel, packs up his gear
with his dad’s help. Alon, a Thunder Tigersponsored
pilot, travels the world demonstrating
the company’s products. He flew the newly
designed 700-size G4 helicopter, which promises
to be a popular choice in the 3-D market.
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.
November 2011 19
This brightly colored Hughes 500E
belongs to Mike Fortune of Horizon
Hobby. He took some old mechanical
parts from a T-Rex 600 and ordered the
prepainted fuselage from Heli-Wholesaler
and Align. The fit was perfect and the
colorful bodies are available for nearly any
size helicopter.
96501
2200 MMOODDEELL AAVVIIAATTIIOONN
Jamboree
JC Zankl couldn’t wait to get his hands on this new Gaui X7, the
company’s first 700-size electric-powered heli. Gaui team boss Jack
Burnside had to remind JC to fly safely because it was one of the only
ones in the US.
Sandy Jaffe continues to fly this beautiful Vario no-tailrotor
(NOTAR) helicopter that was the first one in the
US in 2000. A fan blows air back through the tailboom
into a swiveling exhaust to control yaw. It bears the
colors of the Phoenix Police Department.
DDeecceemmbbeerr 22001111 2211
This V-22 Osprey is the fruit of Thomas Mast’s four-year-long project. An onboard mixing
computer handles the complex algorithms needed to make smooth hover into forward-flight
transitions. Tom sells the Osprey kits at www.rotormast.com.
Dave Millner, IRCHA president, addresses the pilots during the
morning orientation meeting. Dave and his many volunteers work
hard to make sure every pilot has a good experience during the
five-day event.
Jamboree
Team Thunder Tiger brought its revamped lineup of 3-
D helis. This 50-size model, owned and piloted by Jim
Stark, flies as if it were a much larger machine.
IRCHA is well-stocked with helicopter kits and parts. Experience RC loaded up nearly everything
you would see in a hobby shop and brought it by semitrailer from Livonia MI.
Luigi Rungi of Italy delighted the crowd with an exciting 3-D flying display with his TSA
Model Infusion 700, a new design with a high CG for more axial rolls.
Nick Maxwell (L) flies a tandem flight with Lukas Riva (R) following the ONE Competition, an invitational event in which seven
of the world’s top pilots compete for the $7,000 prize. Sponsored by Empire Hobby, a portion of the proceeds goes to the
National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
24 MODEL AVIATION
Santiago Panzardi (background) and Ken Jennings (foreground) organized a
new Speed Trials event. For those who want to know how fast these things
go, the answer is roughly 130 mph! Electronic timers were linked to spotters
at each end of the straight-line course to accurately record the speed.
Jamboree
Wayne Mason navigates the flying field
accessories including missiles, rocket
infrared radar).
December 2011 25
the flying field with his 20-pound Indy Helis AH-64 Apache. It has scale
issiles, rocket launchers, machine guns, and FLIR (forward-looking
Mike Swift has attended all 20 years of the Jamboree. It is
a much larger event than it used to be, but Mike fits right
in and can show the younger modelers a thing or two
about flying 3-D helis.
The Jamboree’s flightline stretched nearly ½ mile with
dozens of flight stations strewn along the way. There
were so many spots to fly that no one had to wait long to
get into the air.
26 MODEL AVIATION
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.
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.”
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 ½-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.
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 are 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 power is turned off, but control is
maintained as long as the helicopter is
descending while keeping air moving through
the rotor system. It is similar to the physics of a
falling maple leaf.
December 2011 27
Diamond
Empire Hobby
Gaui
Plat inum
JR
Spektrum
Scorpion
Mikado
Outrage RC
Avant
Gold
Revco
Synergy Helicopters
Miniature Aircraft
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.
Nathan Spencer is no stranger to
autorotation contests and won the event. He
has won many throughout the past 15 years.
Second place went to Raja Bortcosh, and 2010
winner JC Zankl took third.
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. Wow,
that is really setting a great example.
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!
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. MA
Mark Fadely
[email protected]
Sources:
International Radio Controlled Helicopter
Association
www.ircha.org
Jamboree
Castle Creations
Bergen RC Helicopters
Byrons Fuels
HeliCommand/Captron
Si lver
Advantage Hobbies
KBDD
Experience RC
HeliProz
TSA Models
Thunder Power RC
Helix Hobbies &
Minicopter
Compass Models
Sponsors
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/12
Page Numbers: 18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27
18 MODEL AVIATION
Jamboree
by Mark Fadely
Kyle Dahl from
Bakersfield CA,
won the ONE
Competition flying
the new Mikado
800-size Xxtreme
heli. A sheriff’s
deputy is holding
the $7,000 prize
money; event
organizer Andy
Panoncillo is on
the right; Empire
Hobby owner
Jack Burnside is
on the far left.
Alon Barak, 10, from Israel, packs up his gear
with his dad’s help. Alon, a Thunder Tigersponsored
pilot, travels the world demonstrating
the company’s products. He flew the newly
designed 700-size G4 helicopter, which promises
to be a popular choice in the 3-D market.
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.
November 2011 19
This brightly colored Hughes 500E
belongs to Mike Fortune of Horizon
Hobby. He took some old mechanical
parts from a T-Rex 600 and ordered the
prepainted fuselage from Heli-Wholesaler
and Align. The fit was perfect and the
colorful bodies are available for nearly any
size helicopter.
96501
2200 MMOODDEELL AAVVIIAATTIIOONN
Jamboree
JC Zankl couldn’t wait to get his hands on this new Gaui X7, the
company’s first 700-size electric-powered heli. Gaui team boss Jack
Burnside had to remind JC to fly safely because it was one of the only
ones in the US.
Sandy Jaffe continues to fly this beautiful Vario no-tailrotor
(NOTAR) helicopter that was the first one in the
US in 2000. A fan blows air back through the tailboom
into a swiveling exhaust to control yaw. It bears the
colors of the Phoenix Police Department.
DDeecceemmbbeerr 22001111 2211
This V-22 Osprey is the fruit of Thomas Mast’s four-year-long project. An onboard mixing
computer handles the complex algorithms needed to make smooth hover into forward-flight
transitions. Tom sells the Osprey kits at www.rotormast.com.
Dave Millner, IRCHA president, addresses the pilots during the
morning orientation meeting. Dave and his many volunteers work
hard to make sure every pilot has a good experience during the
five-day event.
Jamboree
Team Thunder Tiger brought its revamped lineup of 3-
D helis. This 50-size model, owned and piloted by Jim
Stark, flies as if it were a much larger machine.
IRCHA is well-stocked with helicopter kits and parts. Experience RC loaded up nearly everything
you would see in a hobby shop and brought it by semitrailer from Livonia MI.
Luigi Rungi of Italy delighted the crowd with an exciting 3-D flying display with his TSA
Model Infusion 700, a new design with a high CG for more axial rolls.
Nick Maxwell (L) flies a tandem flight with Lukas Riva (R) following the ONE Competition, an invitational event in which seven
of the world’s top pilots compete for the $7,000 prize. Sponsored by Empire Hobby, a portion of the proceeds goes to the
National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
24 MODEL AVIATION
Santiago Panzardi (background) and Ken Jennings (foreground) organized a
new Speed Trials event. For those who want to know how fast these things
go, the answer is roughly 130 mph! Electronic timers were linked to spotters
at each end of the straight-line course to accurately record the speed.
Jamboree
Wayne Mason navigates the flying field
accessories including missiles, rocket
infrared radar).
December 2011 25
the flying field with his 20-pound Indy Helis AH-64 Apache. It has scale
issiles, rocket launchers, machine guns, and FLIR (forward-looking
Mike Swift has attended all 20 years of the Jamboree. It is
a much larger event than it used to be, but Mike fits right
in and can show the younger modelers a thing or two
about flying 3-D helis.
The Jamboree’s flightline stretched nearly ½ mile with
dozens of flight stations strewn along the way. There
were so many spots to fly that no one had to wait long to
get into the air.
26 MODEL AVIATION
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.
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.”
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 ½-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.
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 are 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 power is turned off, but control is
maintained as long as the helicopter is
descending while keeping air moving through
the rotor system. It is similar to the physics of a
falling maple leaf.
December 2011 27
Diamond
Empire Hobby
Gaui
Plat inum
JR
Spektrum
Scorpion
Mikado
Outrage RC
Avant
Gold
Revco
Synergy Helicopters
Miniature Aircraft
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.
Nathan Spencer is no stranger to
autorotation contests and won the event. He
has won many throughout the past 15 years.
Second place went to Raja Bortcosh, and 2010
winner JC Zankl took third.
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. Wow,
that is really setting a great example.
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!
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. MA
Mark Fadely
[email protected]
Sources:
International Radio Controlled Helicopter
Association
www.ircha.org
Jamboree
Castle Creations
Bergen RC Helicopters
Byrons Fuels
HeliCommand/Captron
Si lver
Advantage Hobbies
KBDD
Experience RC
HeliProz
TSA Models
Thunder Power RC
Helix Hobbies &
Minicopter
Compass Models
Sponsors
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/12
Page Numbers: 18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27
18 MODEL AVIATION
Jamboree
by Mark Fadely
Kyle Dahl from
Bakersfield CA,
won the ONE
Competition flying
the new Mikado
800-size Xxtreme
heli. A sheriff’s
deputy is holding
the $7,000 prize
money; event
organizer Andy
Panoncillo is on
the right; Empire
Hobby owner
Jack Burnside is
on the far left.
Alon Barak, 10, from Israel, packs up his gear
with his dad’s help. Alon, a Thunder Tigersponsored
pilot, travels the world demonstrating
the company’s products. He flew the newly
designed 700-size G4 helicopter, which promises
to be a popular choice in the 3-D market.
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.
November 2011 19
This brightly colored Hughes 500E
belongs to Mike Fortune of Horizon
Hobby. He took some old mechanical
parts from a T-Rex 600 and ordered the
prepainted fuselage from Heli-Wholesaler
and Align. The fit was perfect and the
colorful bodies are available for nearly any
size helicopter.
96501
2200 MMOODDEELL AAVVIIAATTIIOONN
Jamboree
JC Zankl couldn’t wait to get his hands on this new Gaui X7, the
company’s first 700-size electric-powered heli. Gaui team boss Jack
Burnside had to remind JC to fly safely because it was one of the only
ones in the US.
Sandy Jaffe continues to fly this beautiful Vario no-tailrotor
(NOTAR) helicopter that was the first one in the
US in 2000. A fan blows air back through the tailboom
into a swiveling exhaust to control yaw. It bears the
colors of the Phoenix Police Department.
DDeecceemmbbeerr 22001111 2211
This V-22 Osprey is the fruit of Thomas Mast’s four-year-long project. An onboard mixing
computer handles the complex algorithms needed to make smooth hover into forward-flight
transitions. Tom sells the Osprey kits at www.rotormast.com.
Dave Millner, IRCHA president, addresses the pilots during the
morning orientation meeting. Dave and his many volunteers work
hard to make sure every pilot has a good experience during the
five-day event.
Jamboree
Team Thunder Tiger brought its revamped lineup of 3-
D helis. This 50-size model, owned and piloted by Jim
Stark, flies as if it were a much larger machine.
IRCHA is well-stocked with helicopter kits and parts. Experience RC loaded up nearly everything
you would see in a hobby shop and brought it by semitrailer from Livonia MI.
Luigi Rungi of Italy delighted the crowd with an exciting 3-D flying display with his TSA
Model Infusion 700, a new design with a high CG for more axial rolls.
Nick Maxwell (L) flies a tandem flight with Lukas Riva (R) following the ONE Competition, an invitational event in which seven
of the world’s top pilots compete for the $7,000 prize. Sponsored by Empire Hobby, a portion of the proceeds goes to the
National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
24 MODEL AVIATION
Santiago Panzardi (background) and Ken Jennings (foreground) organized a
new Speed Trials event. For those who want to know how fast these things
go, the answer is roughly 130 mph! Electronic timers were linked to spotters
at each end of the straight-line course to accurately record the speed.
Jamboree
Wayne Mason navigates the flying field
accessories including missiles, rocket
infrared radar).
December 2011 25
the flying field with his 20-pound Indy Helis AH-64 Apache. It has scale
issiles, rocket launchers, machine guns, and FLIR (forward-looking
Mike Swift has attended all 20 years of the Jamboree. It is
a much larger event than it used to be, but Mike fits right
in and can show the younger modelers a thing or two
about flying 3-D helis.
The Jamboree’s flightline stretched nearly ½ mile with
dozens of flight stations strewn along the way. There
were so many spots to fly that no one had to wait long to
get into the air.
26 MODEL AVIATION
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.
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.”
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 ½-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.
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 are 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 power is turned off, but control is
maintained as long as the helicopter is
descending while keeping air moving through
the rotor system. It is similar to the physics of a
falling maple leaf.
December 2011 27
Diamond
Empire Hobby
Gaui
Plat inum
JR
Spektrum
Scorpion
Mikado
Outrage RC
Avant
Gold
Revco
Synergy Helicopters
Miniature Aircraft
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.
Nathan Spencer is no stranger to
autorotation contests and won the event. He
has won many throughout the past 15 years.
Second place went to Raja Bortcosh, and 2010
winner JC Zankl took third.
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. Wow,
that is really setting a great example.
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!
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. MA
Mark Fadely
[email protected]
Sources:
International Radio Controlled Helicopter
Association
www.ircha.org
Jamboree
Castle Creations
Bergen RC Helicopters
Byrons Fuels
HeliCommand/Captron
Si lver
Advantage Hobbies
KBDD
Experience RC
HeliProz
TSA Models
Thunder Power RC
Helix Hobbies &
Minicopter
Compass Models
Sponsors
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/12
Page Numbers: 18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27
18 MODEL AVIATION
Jamboree
by Mark Fadely
Kyle Dahl from
Bakersfield CA,
won the ONE
Competition flying
the new Mikado
800-size Xxtreme
heli. A sheriff’s
deputy is holding
the $7,000 prize
money; event
organizer Andy
Panoncillo is on
the right; Empire
Hobby owner
Jack Burnside is
on the far left.
Alon Barak, 10, from Israel, packs up his gear
with his dad’s help. Alon, a Thunder Tigersponsored
pilot, travels the world demonstrating
the company’s products. He flew the newly
designed 700-size G4 helicopter, which promises
to be a popular choice in the 3-D market.
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.
November 2011 19
This brightly colored Hughes 500E
belongs to Mike Fortune of Horizon
Hobby. He took some old mechanical
parts from a T-Rex 600 and ordered the
prepainted fuselage from Heli-Wholesaler
and Align. The fit was perfect and the
colorful bodies are available for nearly any
size helicopter.
96501
2200 MMOODDEELL AAVVIIAATTIIOONN
Jamboree
JC Zankl couldn’t wait to get his hands on this new Gaui X7, the
company’s first 700-size electric-powered heli. Gaui team boss Jack
Burnside had to remind JC to fly safely because it was one of the only
ones in the US.
Sandy Jaffe continues to fly this beautiful Vario no-tailrotor
(NOTAR) helicopter that was the first one in the
US in 2000. A fan blows air back through the tailboom
into a swiveling exhaust to control yaw. It bears the
colors of the Phoenix Police Department.
DDeecceemmbbeerr 22001111 2211
This V-22 Osprey is the fruit of Thomas Mast’s four-year-long project. An onboard mixing
computer handles the complex algorithms needed to make smooth hover into forward-flight
transitions. Tom sells the Osprey kits at www.rotormast.com.
Dave Millner, IRCHA president, addresses the pilots during the
morning orientation meeting. Dave and his many volunteers work
hard to make sure every pilot has a good experience during the
five-day event.
Jamboree
Team Thunder Tiger brought its revamped lineup of 3-
D helis. This 50-size model, owned and piloted by Jim
Stark, flies as if it were a much larger machine.
IRCHA is well-stocked with helicopter kits and parts. Experience RC loaded up nearly everything
you would see in a hobby shop and brought it by semitrailer from Livonia MI.
Luigi Rungi of Italy delighted the crowd with an exciting 3-D flying display with his TSA
Model Infusion 700, a new design with a high CG for more axial rolls.
Nick Maxwell (L) flies a tandem flight with Lukas Riva (R) following the ONE Competition, an invitational event in which seven
of the world’s top pilots compete for the $7,000 prize. Sponsored by Empire Hobby, a portion of the proceeds goes to the
National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
24 MODEL AVIATION
Santiago Panzardi (background) and Ken Jennings (foreground) organized a
new Speed Trials event. For those who want to know how fast these things
go, the answer is roughly 130 mph! Electronic timers were linked to spotters
at each end of the straight-line course to accurately record the speed.
Jamboree
Wayne Mason navigates the flying field
accessories including missiles, rocket
infrared radar).
December 2011 25
the flying field with his 20-pound Indy Helis AH-64 Apache. It has scale
issiles, rocket launchers, machine guns, and FLIR (forward-looking
Mike Swift has attended all 20 years of the Jamboree. It is
a much larger event than it used to be, but Mike fits right
in and can show the younger modelers a thing or two
about flying 3-D helis.
The Jamboree’s flightline stretched nearly ½ mile with
dozens of flight stations strewn along the way. There
were so many spots to fly that no one had to wait long to
get into the air.
26 MODEL AVIATION
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.
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.”
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 ½-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.
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 are 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 power is turned off, but control is
maintained as long as the helicopter is
descending while keeping air moving through
the rotor system. It is similar to the physics of a
falling maple leaf.
December 2011 27
Diamond
Empire Hobby
Gaui
Plat inum
JR
Spektrum
Scorpion
Mikado
Outrage RC
Avant
Gold
Revco
Synergy Helicopters
Miniature Aircraft
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.
Nathan Spencer is no stranger to
autorotation contests and won the event. He
has won many throughout the past 15 years.
Second place went to Raja Bortcosh, and 2010
winner JC Zankl took third.
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. Wow,
that is really setting a great example.
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!
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. MA
Mark Fadely
[email protected]
Sources:
International Radio Controlled Helicopter
Association
www.ircha.org
Jamboree
Castle Creations
Bergen RC Helicopters
Byrons Fuels
HeliCommand/Captron
Si lver
Advantage Hobbies
KBDD
Experience RC
HeliProz
TSA Models
Thunder Power RC
Helix Hobbies &
Minicopter
Compass Models
Sponsors