Radio Control Helicopters
Mark Fadely [[email protected]]
Paul Grohman tells MA what it takes to be a hot helicopter competitor
Greetings and thanks for stopping by "Heli Central." This month I am going to chat with another nice young pilot. I am amazed at the number of them that keep popping up everywhere. It is such a great sign for the future of our sport.
These guys are good too! They have mad eye-hand coordination skills. All those hours on video games are paying off with excellent flight skills for RC.
Our subject this time is Paul Grohman. He and his father, Steve, travel across the country hitting fun-flys in many states. So let’s get to it!
MF: Hi, Paul, can you give us a short biography? Where you live, how old, how you got into helicopters, and any other info you think the readers would like to know?
PG: Hi, my name is Paul Grohman. I am 14 years old and I am a field representative for Miniature Aircraft USA. I first started into the hobby when we were over at a friend’s house in Pennsylvania, and he took us to their local club. He let me buddy-box with him on his plane.
Then my dad told me that he used to fly model helicopters back in the mid-’80s. So when we got home, he showed me some pictures of his old helis and some old parts.
So then we went to a local hobby shop in Vermont and then to the flying field in Guildhall, Vermont, near our home in Dalton, New Hampshire. We met the “heli guy” out at that field. We ended up buying his Hirobo Shuttle ZXX that I flew very little. This was in June 2005.
We bought a Hirobo Shuttle Plus, and it was my first trainer. Later on we bought a Gohbee Stinger 50; this was my trainer for 3-D. After Clintstone’s Birthday Bash fun-fly in January of 2007, we finally bought a Miniature Aircraft MXR Razor 600E, and I have been flying them ever since.
MF: There are a lot more teenagers flying helicopters, which is great for the hobby. Why do you think there are so many more young people flying helicopters now as opposed to 10 years ago?
PG: I think more young people are flying helis because the hobby has become very popular among all ages. More young people see other young people fly, so they are inspired to either start or continue on flying and advancing their skills. This is what happened to me.
I saw Zak Johns of Virginia Beach, Virginia, on the 2004 IRCHA Heli Jamboree video. He must have only been around 11 years old at that time. Zak Johns and I met at the 2005 IRCHA and have been friends ever since.
MF: I know you and your dad travel all around the country. Tell me about your relationship with your father and how he has supported you.
PG: Yes, we travel the United States. This lets me go to more events and meet more people from all over. My dad has encouraged me to continue in the hobby, and he helps me with the mechanical and setup areas.
MF: Who is your favorite pilot and why?
PG: Wow, that is a hard one with so many awesome pilots out there today, but I think I would have to say either Bobby "Showtime" Watts or Nick Maxwell. I like their style of flying and their extremely low, in-control, in-your-face, smackdown-type flying. And I hope to one day be as good as them. I also enjoy watching Kyle "Coolhands" Stacy fly.
MF: Explain how you do your training. Do you use a simulator a lot?
PG: Yes, I try to fly on the simulator every day. I also enjoy flying multiplayer with other pilots all over the world.
MF: How often do you fly?
PG: Because we travel full-time and are in a different location every week, we get a chance to go to many flying clubs each year and meet new people all over the country. Some weeks I will get several flights in. And some I don't. When I can't fly I use the simulator.
MF: What are your goals in the hobby?
PG: To advance in the hobby and place at the XFC [Extreme Flight Championships].
MF: Do you like to compete?
PG: I do. It is fun to fly against others, no matter what the competition. My first competition was at IRCHA Southwest in Utah in 2006, where I met another good heli friend named Aeryk Hurley. I also was the first night flier at the IRCHA 2007 Night Fly Competition.
MF: What helicopters have you owned, and why do you fly what you currently use?
PG: My fleet over the years has included the following:
- Hirobo Shuttle ZXX
- Hirobo Shuttle Plus
- E-flite Blade CP and CX
- Align T-Rex 450SE
- Gohbee Stinger 50
- Mikado Logo 10 3D Carbon
- Miniature Aircraft MXR Razor 600E-10S
- Miniature Aircraft MXR Razor 600E-12S
The two Razors are my current helis that I fly. The reason I fly Miniature Aircraft helis is because of the quality of their machines and the reliability to hold up to today's most radical maneuvers.
MF: What keeps you motivated, and how do you deal with the difficulties inherent with helicopters?
PG: As I said above, my dad encourages me to continue to progress and try out new maneuvers and my desire to do well at whatever I do.
MF: Where do you see yourself in five years?
PG: Hopefully standing on top of the "First Place" stand at the XFC!
MF: Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions, Paul. Your generation is the future of our hobby, and I can tell it is in good hands. See you at the flying field!
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
