THE MONTH of August will be big for RC
helicopter activity. The 2009 Helicopter
World Championships is going to be held at
the International Aeromodeling Center in
Muncie, Indiana.
The “mother of all RC events” will
immediately follow the World Championships;
it is the IRCHA (International Radio Controlled
Helicopter Association) Jamboree. Boasting
more than 700 pilots in 2008, the IRCHA
gathering is one of the biggest RC events in
the world.
The World Championships will be held
August 2-11, and the Jamboree is August
12-16. You will be rewarded if you visit
Muncie for either or both of these events.
The Jamboree is a once-a-year gettogether
strictly for helicopter enthusiasts of
all skill levels and interests. Last year, Scale
and vintage helicopters were well
represented among the many entries.
You do not have to be a 3-D pilot to
have a blast at this event. As a group, we
owe much to the organizers and volunteers
who run these gatherings. Dave Milner is
the president of IRCHA, and he and the
other organization leaders have been
instrumental in expanding the Jamboree.
Local helicopter fun-flys are the foundation
of our hobby. Pilots meet with one another
at these events and establish friendships that
can last many years.
The amount of knowledge and flying
progress you can gain by attending only one
fun-fly is incredible. Person-to-person
interaction is the best way to exchange
information.
Organizing a fun-fly is not an easy task,
but it’s not an insurmountable obstacle. You
could help your club and the helicopter
hobby by hosting a local helicopter fun-fly.
I know a man who would like to share
some valuable information about how to get
a helicopter fun-fly off the ground (so to
speak). My friend, Jake Kirsch, has helped
his New York club build its helicopter funfly
into a nationally recognized event.
Following is what Jake has to share about
getting your local helicopter event started.
“On the weekend of August 28-30, 2009
(Friday through Sunday), the Rochester
Aero Modeling Society (aka RAMS) will
host the 7th Annual Northeast Model
Helicopter Jamboree at its Macedon NY
field.
“Our event has drawn an average of 75
116 MODEL
pilots from all over the Northeast US and Canada. Several of those
pilots have come every year, which has contributed to making it a
nice, comfortable gathering to mark the end of summer flying. To
my knowledge, this event is the longest running fun fly dedicated to
helicopters in the Northeast US.
“One word comes to mind that I think is the reason for our
success: consistency. One consistent theme since the first Northeast
Model Helicopter Jamboree is to feature a ‘named’ pilot. I
remember reading an e-mail from Ray Stacy stating that Curtis
Youngblood was going to attend. I thought it had to be a mistake.
The Curtis Youngblood?
“This person whom I had read about and whose videos I couldn’t
download enough of was going to be flying in my area? Not only
did this happen once, but it happened three times, each with buddybox
flight schools.
“To this day, my investment in one of those training sessions to
learn auto-rotations has turned would-be crashes into safe landings.
And I learned it from Curtis!
“So, how do you get a named pilot? It’s simpler than you would
think—just ask! There is a reason these guys have been chosen to
represent the hobby. Everyone I have met is a down-to-earth person
and is easy to talk to.
“Travel expenses, room and board are a small price to pay to get
a named pilot and all of their experience. We are fortunate to have
such great representatives for our hobby who are willing to donate
their time to help make it grow.
“Another consistency is our field. As is true for many things,
location helps. Being located just east of Rochester in Upstate NY
makes it convenient for many pilots. Off the top of my head, pilots
come from across New York, Vermont, New Hampshire,
Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio,
Michigan, and Ontario, Canada.
“Our field can be divided into three flight boxes about 300-feet
wide, which is plenty for 3-D flying, especially when working with
a spotter. We also use our U-control/hover area for training guests
for a small donation. More flying space would be nice, but we aren’t
looking at being ‘IRCHA-size’ where golf carts are needed to get to
a flight station in a timely manner. Fact is, pilots rarely wait for a
station to fly at our event.
“We are also fortunate to have a core group of pilots who have
attended year after year. Not only is this consistency, but it’s also
dedication. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank those guys who
continue to come and support this event. It’s nice to get together and
catch up with these guys and learn what they’ve been working on.
“We have representation from many aspects of the hobby
including prize-winning scale modelers, top-notch 3-D pilots,
turbine pilots, sport pilots, and beginners. Everyone is willing to
spend time to answer questions, give advice, or even pitch in
wrenching on a machine after a crash.
“Traditions are an inadvertent result of our consistency. One
tradition is the Saturday dinner followed by night flying. Most
people have arrived on Saturday and spend the night, so this dinner
is a great opportunity to kick back and catch up with friends. The
night flying has continued to grow each year, and I’m beginning to
think we have an underground following.
“We also started creating souvenir T-shirts to give to the pilots
upon registration. We’ve received tremendous feedback about that
benefit, and I’m happy to say that we are well underway with this
year’s edition.
“A final aspect of consistency deals with the public. Our hobby
will only continue to survive by bringing in new blood, and an event
like this is one way to accomplish that. It starts with advertising
such as hanging posters on community bulletin boards and
distributing flyers at local RC events.
“Most newspapers and penny-savers will list events for free in a
‘community calendar.’ We have also been able to attract the
attention of local TV stations on several occasions at the beginning
of the weekend. The general public has no concept of what RC
helicopters can do, and having video coverage will certainly draw
attention. The local newspapers have often published special
features after our events which help to advertise the hobby and our
club.
“The Northeast Model Helicopter Jamboree has always been the
last weekend of August, so the public knows when to expect it. It’s
two weeks after IRCHA [Jamboree], which gives attendees of both
events some downtime. A wide variety of prizes attract the public
thanks to the very generous sponsors in the RC industry.
“We leverage an amazing public address system to provide
background music courtesy of an iPod and a CD player, to inform
the public about the hobby, describe what’s currently happening,
and advertise for our sponsors. The PA system gets put to the test
during noon demos where interested pilots can show off their stuff
with their flight music cranked. There isn’t an open space along
our safety fence during demos.
“Afterward, the public will often stay to enjoy a lunch of
hamburgers and hot dogs, or cool off with ice
cream from our concession stand.
“I hope that other clubs can use some of
these ideas to start their own model
helicopter jamboree. It is a lot of work, but
the benefits are very rewarding and help
promote our hobby.
“I hope to see you at our event; please
visit our Web site and RunRyder for more
info.”
Thanks for all the great ideas, Jake.
Local fun-flys are the lifeblood of the
hobby. Pilots getting together, sharing ideas
and information, and helping newer people is
what it is all about. Ask any pilot who has
been flying for a while, and he or she will
probably tell you that many people helped
along the way.
Thank you for checking in this month.
Please e-mail me with any ideas, material, or
suggestions for this column. Be back with
you next month. MA
Sources:
IRCHA
www.ircha.org
Rochester Aero Modeling Society
www.ramsrc.org
RunRyder helicopter forum
www.runryder.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/08
Page Numbers: 116,117,118
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/08
Page Numbers: 116,117,118
THE MONTH of August will be big for RC
helicopter activity. The 2009 Helicopter
World Championships is going to be held at
the International Aeromodeling Center in
Muncie, Indiana.
The “mother of all RC events” will
immediately follow the World Championships;
it is the IRCHA (International Radio Controlled
Helicopter Association) Jamboree. Boasting
more than 700 pilots in 2008, the IRCHA
gathering is one of the biggest RC events in
the world.
The World Championships will be held
August 2-11, and the Jamboree is August
12-16. You will be rewarded if you visit
Muncie for either or both of these events.
The Jamboree is a once-a-year gettogether
strictly for helicopter enthusiasts of
all skill levels and interests. Last year, Scale
and vintage helicopters were well
represented among the many entries.
You do not have to be a 3-D pilot to
have a blast at this event. As a group, we
owe much to the organizers and volunteers
who run these gatherings. Dave Milner is
the president of IRCHA, and he and the
other organization leaders have been
instrumental in expanding the Jamboree.
Local helicopter fun-flys are the foundation
of our hobby. Pilots meet with one another
at these events and establish friendships that
can last many years.
The amount of knowledge and flying
progress you can gain by attending only one
fun-fly is incredible. Person-to-person
interaction is the best way to exchange
information.
Organizing a fun-fly is not an easy task,
but it’s not an insurmountable obstacle. You
could help your club and the helicopter
hobby by hosting a local helicopter fun-fly.
I know a man who would like to share
some valuable information about how to get
a helicopter fun-fly off the ground (so to
speak). My friend, Jake Kirsch, has helped
his New York club build its helicopter funfly
into a nationally recognized event.
Following is what Jake has to share about
getting your local helicopter event started.
“On the weekend of August 28-30, 2009
(Friday through Sunday), the Rochester
Aero Modeling Society (aka RAMS) will
host the 7th Annual Northeast Model
Helicopter Jamboree at its Macedon NY
field.
“Our event has drawn an average of 75
116 MODEL
pilots from all over the Northeast US and Canada. Several of those
pilots have come every year, which has contributed to making it a
nice, comfortable gathering to mark the end of summer flying. To
my knowledge, this event is the longest running fun fly dedicated to
helicopters in the Northeast US.
“One word comes to mind that I think is the reason for our
success: consistency. One consistent theme since the first Northeast
Model Helicopter Jamboree is to feature a ‘named’ pilot. I
remember reading an e-mail from Ray Stacy stating that Curtis
Youngblood was going to attend. I thought it had to be a mistake.
The Curtis Youngblood?
“This person whom I had read about and whose videos I couldn’t
download enough of was going to be flying in my area? Not only
did this happen once, but it happened three times, each with buddybox
flight schools.
“To this day, my investment in one of those training sessions to
learn auto-rotations has turned would-be crashes into safe landings.
And I learned it from Curtis!
“So, how do you get a named pilot? It’s simpler than you would
think—just ask! There is a reason these guys have been chosen to
represent the hobby. Everyone I have met is a down-to-earth person
and is easy to talk to.
“Travel expenses, room and board are a small price to pay to get
a named pilot and all of their experience. We are fortunate to have
such great representatives for our hobby who are willing to donate
their time to help make it grow.
“Another consistency is our field. As is true for many things,
location helps. Being located just east of Rochester in Upstate NY
makes it convenient for many pilots. Off the top of my head, pilots
come from across New York, Vermont, New Hampshire,
Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio,
Michigan, and Ontario, Canada.
“Our field can be divided into three flight boxes about 300-feet
wide, which is plenty for 3-D flying, especially when working with
a spotter. We also use our U-control/hover area for training guests
for a small donation. More flying space would be nice, but we aren’t
looking at being ‘IRCHA-size’ where golf carts are needed to get to
a flight station in a timely manner. Fact is, pilots rarely wait for a
station to fly at our event.
“We are also fortunate to have a core group of pilots who have
attended year after year. Not only is this consistency, but it’s also
dedication. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank those guys who
continue to come and support this event. It’s nice to get together and
catch up with these guys and learn what they’ve been working on.
“We have representation from many aspects of the hobby
including prize-winning scale modelers, top-notch 3-D pilots,
turbine pilots, sport pilots, and beginners. Everyone is willing to
spend time to answer questions, give advice, or even pitch in
wrenching on a machine after a crash.
“Traditions are an inadvertent result of our consistency. One
tradition is the Saturday dinner followed by night flying. Most
people have arrived on Saturday and spend the night, so this dinner
is a great opportunity to kick back and catch up with friends. The
night flying has continued to grow each year, and I’m beginning to
think we have an underground following.
“We also started creating souvenir T-shirts to give to the pilots
upon registration. We’ve received tremendous feedback about that
benefit, and I’m happy to say that we are well underway with this
year’s edition.
“A final aspect of consistency deals with the public. Our hobby
will only continue to survive by bringing in new blood, and an event
like this is one way to accomplish that. It starts with advertising
such as hanging posters on community bulletin boards and
distributing flyers at local RC events.
“Most newspapers and penny-savers will list events for free in a
‘community calendar.’ We have also been able to attract the
attention of local TV stations on several occasions at the beginning
of the weekend. The general public has no concept of what RC
helicopters can do, and having video coverage will certainly draw
attention. The local newspapers have often published special
features after our events which help to advertise the hobby and our
club.
“The Northeast Model Helicopter Jamboree has always been the
last weekend of August, so the public knows when to expect it. It’s
two weeks after IRCHA [Jamboree], which gives attendees of both
events some downtime. A wide variety of prizes attract the public
thanks to the very generous sponsors in the RC industry.
“We leverage an amazing public address system to provide
background music courtesy of an iPod and a CD player, to inform
the public about the hobby, describe what’s currently happening,
and advertise for our sponsors. The PA system gets put to the test
during noon demos where interested pilots can show off their stuff
with their flight music cranked. There isn’t an open space along
our safety fence during demos.
“Afterward, the public will often stay to enjoy a lunch of
hamburgers and hot dogs, or cool off with ice
cream from our concession stand.
“I hope that other clubs can use some of
these ideas to start their own model
helicopter jamboree. It is a lot of work, but
the benefits are very rewarding and help
promote our hobby.
“I hope to see you at our event; please
visit our Web site and RunRyder for more
info.”
Thanks for all the great ideas, Jake.
Local fun-flys are the lifeblood of the
hobby. Pilots getting together, sharing ideas
and information, and helping newer people is
what it is all about. Ask any pilot who has
been flying for a while, and he or she will
probably tell you that many people helped
along the way.
Thank you for checking in this month.
Please e-mail me with any ideas, material, or
suggestions for this column. Be back with
you next month. MA
Sources:
IRCHA
www.ircha.org
Rochester Aero Modeling Society
www.ramsrc.org
RunRyder helicopter forum
www.runryder.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/08
Page Numbers: 116,117,118
THE MONTH of August will be big for RC
helicopter activity. The 2009 Helicopter
World Championships is going to be held at
the International Aeromodeling Center in
Muncie, Indiana.
The “mother of all RC events” will
immediately follow the World Championships;
it is the IRCHA (International Radio Controlled
Helicopter Association) Jamboree. Boasting
more than 700 pilots in 2008, the IRCHA
gathering is one of the biggest RC events in
the world.
The World Championships will be held
August 2-11, and the Jamboree is August
12-16. You will be rewarded if you visit
Muncie for either or both of these events.
The Jamboree is a once-a-year gettogether
strictly for helicopter enthusiasts of
all skill levels and interests. Last year, Scale
and vintage helicopters were well
represented among the many entries.
You do not have to be a 3-D pilot to
have a blast at this event. As a group, we
owe much to the organizers and volunteers
who run these gatherings. Dave Milner is
the president of IRCHA, and he and the
other organization leaders have been
instrumental in expanding the Jamboree.
Local helicopter fun-flys are the foundation
of our hobby. Pilots meet with one another
at these events and establish friendships that
can last many years.
The amount of knowledge and flying
progress you can gain by attending only one
fun-fly is incredible. Person-to-person
interaction is the best way to exchange
information.
Organizing a fun-fly is not an easy task,
but it’s not an insurmountable obstacle. You
could help your club and the helicopter
hobby by hosting a local helicopter fun-fly.
I know a man who would like to share
some valuable information about how to get
a helicopter fun-fly off the ground (so to
speak). My friend, Jake Kirsch, has helped
his New York club build its helicopter funfly
into a nationally recognized event.
Following is what Jake has to share about
getting your local helicopter event started.
“On the weekend of August 28-30, 2009
(Friday through Sunday), the Rochester
Aero Modeling Society (aka RAMS) will
host the 7th Annual Northeast Model
Helicopter Jamboree at its Macedon NY
field.
“Our event has drawn an average of 75
116 MODEL
pilots from all over the Northeast US and Canada. Several of those
pilots have come every year, which has contributed to making it a
nice, comfortable gathering to mark the end of summer flying. To
my knowledge, this event is the longest running fun fly dedicated to
helicopters in the Northeast US.
“One word comes to mind that I think is the reason for our
success: consistency. One consistent theme since the first Northeast
Model Helicopter Jamboree is to feature a ‘named’ pilot. I
remember reading an e-mail from Ray Stacy stating that Curtis
Youngblood was going to attend. I thought it had to be a mistake.
The Curtis Youngblood?
“This person whom I had read about and whose videos I couldn’t
download enough of was going to be flying in my area? Not only
did this happen once, but it happened three times, each with buddybox
flight schools.
“To this day, my investment in one of those training sessions to
learn auto-rotations has turned would-be crashes into safe landings.
And I learned it from Curtis!
“So, how do you get a named pilot? It’s simpler than you would
think—just ask! There is a reason these guys have been chosen to
represent the hobby. Everyone I have met is a down-to-earth person
and is easy to talk to.
“Travel expenses, room and board are a small price to pay to get
a named pilot and all of their experience. We are fortunate to have
such great representatives for our hobby who are willing to donate
their time to help make it grow.
“Another consistency is our field. As is true for many things,
location helps. Being located just east of Rochester in Upstate NY
makes it convenient for many pilots. Off the top of my head, pilots
come from across New York, Vermont, New Hampshire,
Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio,
Michigan, and Ontario, Canada.
“Our field can be divided into three flight boxes about 300-feet
wide, which is plenty for 3-D flying, especially when working with
a spotter. We also use our U-control/hover area for training guests
for a small donation. More flying space would be nice, but we aren’t
looking at being ‘IRCHA-size’ where golf carts are needed to get to
a flight station in a timely manner. Fact is, pilots rarely wait for a
station to fly at our event.
“We are also fortunate to have a core group of pilots who have
attended year after year. Not only is this consistency, but it’s also
dedication. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank those guys who
continue to come and support this event. It’s nice to get together and
catch up with these guys and learn what they’ve been working on.
“We have representation from many aspects of the hobby
including prize-winning scale modelers, top-notch 3-D pilots,
turbine pilots, sport pilots, and beginners. Everyone is willing to
spend time to answer questions, give advice, or even pitch in
wrenching on a machine after a crash.
“Traditions are an inadvertent result of our consistency. One
tradition is the Saturday dinner followed by night flying. Most
people have arrived on Saturday and spend the night, so this dinner
is a great opportunity to kick back and catch up with friends. The
night flying has continued to grow each year, and I’m beginning to
think we have an underground following.
“We also started creating souvenir T-shirts to give to the pilots
upon registration. We’ve received tremendous feedback about that
benefit, and I’m happy to say that we are well underway with this
year’s edition.
“A final aspect of consistency deals with the public. Our hobby
will only continue to survive by bringing in new blood, and an event
like this is one way to accomplish that. It starts with advertising
such as hanging posters on community bulletin boards and
distributing flyers at local RC events.
“Most newspapers and penny-savers will list events for free in a
‘community calendar.’ We have also been able to attract the
attention of local TV stations on several occasions at the beginning
of the weekend. The general public has no concept of what RC
helicopters can do, and having video coverage will certainly draw
attention. The local newspapers have often published special
features after our events which help to advertise the hobby and our
club.
“The Northeast Model Helicopter Jamboree has always been the
last weekend of August, so the public knows when to expect it. It’s
two weeks after IRCHA [Jamboree], which gives attendees of both
events some downtime. A wide variety of prizes attract the public
thanks to the very generous sponsors in the RC industry.
“We leverage an amazing public address system to provide
background music courtesy of an iPod and a CD player, to inform
the public about the hobby, describe what’s currently happening,
and advertise for our sponsors. The PA system gets put to the test
during noon demos where interested pilots can show off their stuff
with their flight music cranked. There isn’t an open space along
our safety fence during demos.
“Afterward, the public will often stay to enjoy a lunch of
hamburgers and hot dogs, or cool off with ice
cream from our concession stand.
“I hope that other clubs can use some of
these ideas to start their own model
helicopter jamboree. It is a lot of work, but
the benefits are very rewarding and help
promote our hobby.
“I hope to see you at our event; please
visit our Web site and RunRyder for more
info.”
Thanks for all the great ideas, Jake.
Local fun-flys are the lifeblood of the
hobby. Pilots getting together, sharing ideas
and information, and helping newer people is
what it is all about. Ask any pilot who has
been flying for a while, and he or she will
probably tell you that many people helped
along the way.
Thank you for checking in this month.
Please e-mail me with any ideas, material, or
suggestions for this column. Be back with
you next month. MA
Sources:
IRCHA
www.ircha.org
Rochester Aero Modeling Society
www.ramsrc.org
RunRyder helicopter forum
www.runryder.com
