Orlando Helicopter Blowout

You might think that the biggest attraction in Florida
in December would involve a roller coaster or a
beach. Although these are certainly worthwhile
activities, if you’re into RC helicopters, the place to be is
the Orlando Helicopter Blowout!
If your spouse or kids aren’t into helicopters, no problem!
Roller coasters and beaches are only a short drive away, while
you get to enjoy the warm Florida weather surrounded by
world-class pilots and some of the best people the hobby has
to offer.
The 2011 Orlando Helicopter Blowout took place
December 9-11 in Winter Garden, Florida. If you read my
coverage of the 2010 Orlando Helicopter Blowout in Mark
Fadely’s April 2011“RC Helicopters” column, you already
know that the Orlando gathering is becoming one of the
helicopter events to attend. This is not only the premier event
in the Southeast, but one of the best in the entire country—
and I’ve attended many events.
Now in its  fth year, the previous events were hosted and
run by two of the local clubs: The Orlando Radio Control
Helicopter Society (TORCHS) and the Remote Control
Association of Central Florida (RCACF). RCACF had been
hosting the event, which was growing yearly, at its  ying  eld
in Apopka, Florida, near Orlando.
Jeremy Strickland, from
Jacksonville FL, flew his  rstever
demo flight with the
Miniatreated to a fantastic demonstration during the
noon performanc ture Aircra Whiplash.
Despite the best efforts of the host clubs, with the large
number of pilots and campers and the amazing spectator
turnout, the RCACF field felt cramped. In 2011, the
organizers moved the Orlando Helicopter Blowout to a new
venue: the TORCHS’ home field, which is in nearby Winter
Garden, Florida.
To the best of my knowledge, the Orlando Helicopter
Blowout is the second largest, dedicated helicopter fly-in in
the country, second only to the International Radio Controlled
Helicopter Association (IRCHA) Jamboree that hosted more
than 900 pilots last year. The 2011 Orlando event attracted an
astonishing 281 registered pilots, including some of the biggest
names in the hobby.
An event the size of the Orlando Helicopter Blowout is no
small undertaking and requires a serious commitment from
the host club. Volunteers are needed to run the registration
booth, manage parking, make sure vendor areas are ready, and
most importantly, maintain a safe flightline.
TORCHS appeared to have an “all hands on deck” effort
from its members, because everything ran smoothly the entire
time I was there. TORCHS members, including Dave Jeffery,
David Blain, Jeff Jolley, and Mark Watkins, deserve credit for
spending most of their weekend ensuring that everything ran
smoothly.
Spectators love Scale helicopters. Team
Heli Wholesaler’s Jeff Green flew a demo
with this 500-size electric AH-1 TOW Cobra.
Andy Panoncillo
(L) accepts the
Best Crash
award from host
Bert Kammerer.
Right: Team Gaui had a great showing at the Orlando Helicopter Blowout.
From the left: Allan Austria, Nick Marozas, J.C. Zankl, Andy Panoncillo,
Mitch Marozas, and Matt Nasca.
A team is only as good as its
leadership, and the Orlando Helicopter
Blowout is run by three great people.
TORCHS club treasurer, Carey Shurley,
is the CD and does more work before,
during, and after the event than he will
ever be given credit for. Club president,
James Cistola, seemed to be everywhere
I looked all weekend. Probably because
he was always on his Segway, whenever
I walked somewhere, James was already
there!
Bert Kammerer, the pilot coordinator
for the event, is a world-class pilot and
an all-around good guy. With 281 pilots
and a long list of sponsors and vendors,
Bert had his hands full and still managed
to put on several stunning demos with
the new SAB Heli Division Goblin
700. As a fellow CD, I took notes. The
Orlando Helicopter Blowout is a case
study on how to successfully run a large
fly-in.
The noon demos usually steal the
show at a large event, and there certainly
was an impressive list of demo pilots
in Orlando. Aside from Bert, and in
no particular order, Bobby Watts, Nick
Maxwell, Kyle Dahl, Mitch Marozas,
Kyle Stacy, Colin Bell, Allan Austria, Jeff
Green, Tim Jones, Curtis Youngblood
(the original 3-D pilot), and more were
on-site.
The Saturday afternoon demos
attracted a large, enthusiastic crowd.
No official spectator count was taken,
but CD Carey Shurley estimated that
at the height of the event, more than
1,000 people were present.
With Darrell “Big D” Bell doing the
commentary, the demo pilots got fast,
low, and dirty. In a few cases, a couple
of helicopters got really dirty. Many of
the crashes were of the frame-crushing,
main-shaft-bent-in-an-L-shape
variety. Andy Panoncillo took home a
plaque during the drawing and award
presentation for the most spectacular
crash of the weekend.
One quality that separates a good
pilot from a great pilot is when
things go bad in flight. You get the
feeling when watching these guys
that they are never out of control of
their machines. This is especially true
during event demo flights. Demo
pilots generally push the boundaries
and if something goes wrong they will
intentionally dump their machines in
the dirt rather than try to save them
and risk hurting someone.
Great door prizes are another staple
of the Orlando Helicopter Blowout,
and 2011 was no exception. The value
of the prize pool nearly totaled a
whopping $15,000. The grand prize,
from Synergy and Experience RC,
was a Synergy E6 and a Futaba 8FG
radio system, bundled with a Castle
Creations Ice ESC, Rail Blades, and
Thunder Power 65C batteries. The
model was already built, set up, and
ready to fly. It was so ready to fly that,
after Raja Bortcosh won it, Matt Botos
gave it a shakedown flight in front of
Raja and the crowd.
Another major prize was the
AvantGarde E6 kit, which came
complete with a Castle Creations
ESC, Nexus servos, a HeliCommand
HC3-SX, Radix Blades, and a Scorpion
motor.
Several people took home helicopter
kits, and many came away with blades,
shirts, and other neat swag.
Other prizes and winners included:
• Outrage RC Velocity N2 helicopter:
Robert Tate
This hungry-looking
Raptor 50 was flown
by 16-year-old
Michael Clark from
Jacksonville FL.
Inset: Hugo Markes, the Swiss distributer
for Outrage RC, was a good sport after
crashing his helicopter during the noon
demo.
Left: Professional aeromodeling pilot, Nick
Maxwell, returns to the pits with his T-Rex
600N after a noontime demo.
ORLANDO
HELICOPTER BLOWOUT
PREMIUM RETAILER
PREMIUM SPONSORS
SPONSORS
Outrage RC
Miniature Aircraft USA
Experience RC
36 Model Aviation JUNE 2012 www.ModelAviation.com
Align USA
BH Hanson Model
Products
Byron Fuels
Castle Creations
Century Helicopter
Products
Curtis Youngblood
Enterprises
Esprit Model
Great Planes/Futaba
Hatz/Gryphon
HeliDirect
Horizon Hobby/JR
Scorpion Power System
SmackTalk RC
Synergy R/C Helicopters
TRM Power
permit from the  re marshal because of the dry conditions.
The Chimp Systems DALCON synchronized the lighting
system on both helicopters to the soundtrack. Bobby and Bert
synchronized the  ying, and someone else synchronized the
 ame throwers. The spectacle was worthy of a headline act in
Las Vegas.
Great weather (Ray and Kyle Stacy left snow behind), great
 ying, and great people—what more could you ask for? Don’t
miss the 2012 Orlando Helicopter Blowout, scheduled for
December 7-9.
—Andrew Grif th
[email protected]
SOURCES:
TORCHS
www.torchs.org

You might think that the biggest attraction in Florida
in December would involve a roller coaster or a
beach. Although these are certainly worthwhile
activities, if you’re into RC helicopters, the place to be is
the Orlando Helicopter Blowout!
If your spouse or kids aren’t into helicopters, no problem!
Roller coasters and beaches are only a short drive away, while
you get to enjoy the warm Florida weather surrounded by
world-class pilots and some of the best people the hobby has
to offer.
The 2011 Orlando Helicopter Blowout took place
December 9-11 in Winter Garden, Florida. If you read my
coverage of the 2010 Orlando Helicopter Blowout in Mark
Fadely’s April 2011“RC Helicopters” column, you already
know that the Orlando gathering is becoming one of the
helicopter events to attend. This is not only the premier event
in the Southeast, but one of the best in the entire country—
and I’ve attended many events.
Now in its  fth year, the previous events were hosted and
run by two of the local clubs: The Orlando Radio Control
Helicopter Society (TORCHS) and the Remote Control
Association of Central Florida (RCACF). RCACF had been
hosting the event, which was growing yearly, at its  ying  eld
in Apopka, Florida, near Orlando.
Jeremy Strickland, from
Jacksonville FL, flew his  rstever
demo flight with the
Miniatreated to a fantastic demonstration during the
noon performanc ture Aircra Whiplash.
Despite the best efforts of the host clubs, with the large
number of pilots and campers and the amazing spectator
turnout, the RCACF field felt cramped. In 2011, the
organizers moved the Orlando Helicopter Blowout to a new
venue: the TORCHS’ home field, which is in nearby Winter
Garden, Florida.
To the best of my knowledge, the Orlando Helicopter
Blowout is the second largest, dedicated helicopter fly-in in
the country, second only to the International Radio Controlled
Helicopter Association (IRCHA) Jamboree that hosted more
than 900 pilots last year. The 2011 Orlando event attracted an
astonishing 281 registered pilots, including some of the biggest
names in the hobby.
An event the size of the Orlando Helicopter Blowout is no
small undertaking and requires a serious commitment from
the host club. Volunteers are needed to run the registration
booth, manage parking, make sure vendor areas are ready, and
most importantly, maintain a safe flightline.
TORCHS appeared to have an “all hands on deck” effort
from its members, because everything ran smoothly the entire
time I was there. TORCHS members, including Dave Jeffery,
David Blain, Jeff Jolley, and Mark Watkins, deserve credit for
spending most of their weekend ensuring that everything ran
smoothly.
Spectators love Scale helicopters. Team
Heli Wholesaler’s Jeff Green flew a demo
with this 500-size electric AH-1 TOW Cobra.
Andy Panoncillo
(L) accepts the
Best Crash
award from host
Bert Kammerer.
Right: Team Gaui had a great showing at the Orlando Helicopter Blowout.
From the left: Allan Austria, Nick Marozas, J.C. Zankl, Andy Panoncillo,
Mitch Marozas, and Matt Nasca.
A team is only as good as its
leadership, and the Orlando Helicopter
Blowout is run by three great people.
TORCHS club treasurer, Carey Shurley,
is the CD and does more work before,
during, and after the event than he will
ever be given credit for. Club president,
James Cistola, seemed to be everywhere
I looked all weekend. Probably because
he was always on his Segway, whenever
I walked somewhere, James was already
there!
Bert Kammerer, the pilot coordinator
for the event, is a world-class pilot and
an all-around good guy. With 281 pilots
and a long list of sponsors and vendors,
Bert had his hands full and still managed
to put on several stunning demos with
the new SAB Heli Division Goblin
700. As a fellow CD, I took notes. The
Orlando Helicopter Blowout is a case
study on how to successfully run a large
fly-in.
The noon demos usually steal the
show at a large event, and there certainly
was an impressive list of demo pilots
in Orlando. Aside from Bert, and in
no particular order, Bobby Watts, Nick
Maxwell, Kyle Dahl, Mitch Marozas,
Kyle Stacy, Colin Bell, Allan Austria, Jeff
Green, Tim Jones, Curtis Youngblood
(the original 3-D pilot), and more were
on-site.
The Saturday afternoon demos
attracted a large, enthusiastic crowd.
No official spectator count was taken,
but CD Carey Shurley estimated that
at the height of the event, more than
1,000 people were present.
With Darrell “Big D” Bell doing the
commentary, the demo pilots got fast,
low, and dirty. In a few cases, a couple
of helicopters got really dirty. Many of
the crashes were of the frame-crushing,
main-shaft-bent-in-an-L-shape
variety. Andy Panoncillo took home a
plaque during the drawing and award
presentation for the most spectacular
crash of the weekend.
One quality that separates a good
pilot from a great pilot is when
things go bad in flight. You get the
feeling when watching these guys
that they are never out of control of
their machines. This is especially true
during event demo flights. Demo
pilots generally push the boundaries
and if something goes wrong they will
intentionally dump their machines in
the dirt rather than try to save them
and risk hurting someone.
Great door prizes are another staple
of the Orlando Helicopter Blowout,
and 2011 was no exception. The value
of the prize pool nearly totaled a
whopping $15,000. The grand prize,
from Synergy and Experience RC,
was a Synergy E6 and a Futaba 8FG
radio system, bundled with a Castle
Creations Ice ESC, Rail Blades, and
Thunder Power 65C batteries. The
model was already built, set up, and
ready to fly. It was so ready to fly that,
after Raja Bortcosh won it, Matt Botos
gave it a shakedown flight in front of
Raja and the crowd.
Another major prize was the
AvantGarde E6 kit, which came
complete with a Castle Creations
ESC, Nexus servos, a HeliCommand
HC3-SX, Radix Blades, and a Scorpion
motor.
Several people took home helicopter
kits, and many came away with blades,
shirts, and other neat swag.
Other prizes and winners included:
• Outrage RC Velocity N2 helicopter:
Robert Tate
This hungry-looking
Raptor 50 was flown
by 16-year-old
Michael Clark from
Jacksonville FL.
Inset: Hugo Markes, the Swiss distributer
for Outrage RC, was a good sport after
crashing his helicopter during the noon
demo.
Left: Professional aeromodeling pilot, Nick
Maxwell, returns to the pits with his T-Rex
600N after a noontime demo.
ORLANDO
HELICOPTER BLOWOUT
PREMIUM RETAILER
PREMIUM SPONSORS
SPONSORS
Outrage RC
Miniature Aircraft USA
Experience RC
36 Model Aviation JUNE 2012 www.ModelAviation.com
Align USA
BH Hanson Model
Products
Byron Fuels
Castle Creations
Century Helicopter
Products
Curtis Youngblood
Enterprises
Esprit Model
Great Planes/Futaba
Hatz/Gryphon
HeliDirect
Horizon Hobby/JR
Scorpion Power System
SmackTalk RC
Synergy R/C Helicopters
TRM Power
permit from the  re marshal because of the dry conditions.
The Chimp Systems DALCON synchronized the lighting
system on both helicopters to the soundtrack. Bobby and Bert
synchronized the  ying, and someone else synchronized the
 ame throwers. The spectacle was worthy of a headline act in
Las Vegas.
Great weather (Ray and Kyle Stacy left snow behind), great
 ying, and great people—what more could you ask for? Don’t
miss the 2012 Orlando Helicopter Blowout, scheduled for
December 7-9.
—Andrew Grif th
[email protected]
SOURCES:
TORCHS
www.torchs.org