Keystone Indoor Electric Festival
by Jeff Troy
Introduction
Indoor gatherings for electric-powered airplanes and helicopters have become extremely popular in recent years, and one of the most magnetic of these new events is the Keystone Indoor Electric Fly (KIEF) in Muncy, Pennsylvania. Hosted by the Muncy Indoor Flyers and held in one of the largest air-supported sports domes in the U.S., KIEF is nothing short of outstanding.
Venue
The Generations Sports Complex (GSC) Dome, located just outside Williamsport, Pennsylvania—“Home of the Little League”—is 600 feet wide and 200 feet deep. The dome’s vast width includes dividers on both ends to separate the central “racetrack” section from the aerobatics section on the left and the micro-flying area on the right. A bonus is the dome’s 75-foot unobstructed ceiling, which ensures that every type of aircraft can demonstrate its full potential in a relatively limitless setting.
History and Attendance
KIEF made its successful debut in 2008, followed by a sharp increase in attendance and sponsorship in 2009. The 2010 event ran Friday through Sunday, October 15–17, and drew almost 170 pilots, more than 700 electric-powered models, nearly a dozen vendors, and a collection of entertaining special events to complement the weekend’s flying.
The AMA supported KIEF through Park Pilot and Model Aviation magazines. Attendees included AMA President Dave Mathewson and his wife Ginger; District III Vice President Bob Brown and his wife Joanne; District II Vice President Gary Fitch; and Park Pilot contributing writer Phillip Adams.
I attended as well and logged more carefree flight time in those three days than I had been able to enjoy all summer.
Rules and Classes
Indoor electric models at KIEF vary in size, but the event enforces class limits:
- Airplanes: 16 ounces maximum (with battery). Motor size is limited; the contest director (CD) must approve anything larger than a Speed 300.
- Helicopters: Maximum up to the 450 class.
Notable Aircraft and Pilots
Ken Carchietta of Staten Island, New York, flew a magnificent collection of scale aircraft, most notably a swept-wing Dunne D.VIII. Spanning 48 inches, this unusual scratch-built biplane was covered with lightweight tissue. Ken also flew a remarkably detailed Fokker Eindecker, proving that fine craftsmanship in small electric-powered models is alive and well.
Modelers traveled from across the U.S. and as far away as Europe to take part in the three-day weekend. Brothers Stephen and Peter Sripol and their friend Sam Foskuhl came from Dayton, Ohio. Flying scratch-built cargo airplanes designed by Peter, the group—nicknamed the “Cargo Crew”—performed precision formation demonstrations, parachute drops, and RC-car ground deliveries.
The micro section was lively, and scale modeling was well represented by Martin Newell and his fine collection of scratch-built military aircraft. His North American B-25 Mitchell was a show stealer: although it spanned less than a foot, it flew with ailerons, elevator, twin motors, rudder, flaps, retractable landing gear, navigation lights, and bomb release. The tiny replica had a steerable nose gear and coupled wheel brakes that triggered with full down-elevator command.
Martin's Grumman F-14 Tomcat is another impressive piece of work. Powered by a pusher setup with a brushless outrunner motor, this model features full-house controls and a fully operational, in-flight swing wing.
The KIEF Combat "last man standing" was Stephen Sripol, who won the cash pot. Combat is a highly anticipated event; close to a dozen models were flown in the demolition-derby–style contest.
Racetrack and Demonstrations
The central section of the GSC Dome featured open flying, racetrack style. “Racetrack” indicates that traffic takes off and lands from left to right, and flight is performed within a rectangular box. Limited aerobatics in the central area are allowed, although extended 3-D flying should be done in the dedicated 3-D area to the left of the racetrack.
One awe-inspiring exhibition was by 10-year-old Joseph Szczur, son of noted RC aerobatics pilot Don Szczur. Joseph flew his foam Yak-54 in true E-TOC (Electric Tournament of Champions) style, synchronizing maneuvers to prerecorded music and riveting the crowd.
Organizers and Volunteers
It takes many people to make an event such as KIEF a success. Much of the credit goes to:
- Tony Minnella, President, Muncy Indoor Flyers
- Marsha Minnella
- Ron Angle, Vice President
- Mark Vukmanovich, Contest Director (CD)
- Cindy Malinchak
- Nikki Pedro
- Randy Grieg, GSC Dome Manager
- The many Muncy Indoor Flyers volunteers
These individuals and volunteers worked tirelessly to ensure that every pilot, vendor, and spectator had a fabulous, trouble-free weekend.
Helicopters and Special Events
Helicopters are a big part of KIEF. The 3-D area of the dome was divided between airplanes along the top side of the flightline and helicopters along the bottom.
Nick Maxwell, helicopter expert and full-time staff member at CJ Youngblood Enterprises, performed a number of mind-blowing demonstrations with his Next-D Rave 450 flybarless machine. He even added an impromptu performance with Bob Brown's Heli-Max Novus 125 CP.
Special events included helicopter combat with the new Force RC machines from Horizon Hobby. Sponsored by Horizon and Luke and Sue Simion of Luke's RC Planes, the winner was 10-year-old Michael Martin of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, who shot down every would-be attacker in his sights.
Another riotous event was demolition combat, in which each registered flier put up a $10 bill and the pilot of the last model flying won the pot. Stephen Sripol of the Cargo Crew took the money.
Schedule Highlights
- Saturday afternoon: Concurrent seminars (including one speaker from Norway) presented while open flying continued on the racetrack.
- Saturday evening: Lights-out "night fly" from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
- Saturday: Carrier landing contest on the club's mock aircraft carrier, the USS KIEF, flown exclusively with ParkZone Vapors and Night Vapors. Sponsored by Zeke's Park Scale Models.
- Sunday morning: F3P competition in the micro area from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m.
Conclusion
KIEF is great fun and highly recommended for anyone interested in indoor electric flight. The GSC Dome is an amazing flying site, and the Muncy Indoor Flyers do a great job of keeping attendees entertained—and airborne.
Jeff Troy [email protected]
Sources
- Keystone Indoor Electric Fly: www.pafunfly.com, www.keystoneindoor.com
- Muncy Indoor Flyers: www.muncyindoorflyers.com
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
