The Futaba Extreme Flight Championships
It is time to talk helicopters again. What a year 2011 has been! Advancements in our equipment are at a feverish pace and showing no signs of slowing down.
Many industry experts' predictions have come true as flybarless (FBL) technology is quickly taking over in the marketplace and at the flying fields. You all may be getting tired of hearing me talk about FBL stuff, but the technology is here to stay.
This month we are going to take a look at the recent Futaba Extreme Flight Championships (XFC). The best helicopter pilots in the world were there and guess what? Every heli in the competition was a FBL machine. Most of the helicopters entered were electric-powered, too. FBL 90-size electric helis are taking center stage as the ultimate competition machines.
The XFC is the most elite contest in the USA for RC helicopters. It combines large-scale airplanes and helis, but we are going to concentrate on the helicopters. The AMA's National Flying Site is the venue for this prestigious happening.
This year the heli pilots took the flying level up another notch once again. Just when you think these guys cannot get any better, they do. It was a nice mix of returning veterans combined with some fresh, new faces.
One trait among the helicopter competitors today is obvious: youth. The average age of the contestants in the XFC keeps going down. In fact, the average age of the seven finalists is only 18!
I spoke with several of these young guns to find out what makes them so good, and why youth helps in this contest. Sixteen-year-old 2010 XFC winner Kyle Dahl said he puts in five flights a day in preparation for the event. That is five flights every day and seven days a week; 35 flights per week equals 140 flights per month. As with most things, the people who practice the most are the best. It also helps to not have too many responsibilities other than school, so that practice time can be a priority.
It has been really refreshing to see the younger pilots getting into the hobby. Today the help and equipment are available, allowing anyone with the time, desire, and funding to be a competitive pilot.
The hobby has changed because a decade ago many of the pilots were middle-aged people who had the resources and determination to be successful pilots. They were mostly weekend fliers who had jobs and were not totally immersed in RC helicopters. The newer profile of a competition pilot is a younger, energetic, determined kid who takes helis seriously 24/7. This year the young pilots were nervous, as usual.
XFC helicopter finishing order
- Jamie Robertson
- Nick Maxwell
- Kyle Dahl
- Bobby Watts
- Kyle Stacy
- Colin Bell
- Ben Storick
- Jesse Kavros
- Andrew Merlino
- Danny Szabo
- James Haley
- Mitch Morozas
- Leon Luke
- Ray Nemovi
The sheer horsepower the latest helis produce translates into wicked aerodynamic performance on display. It is an exciting show to watch.
The skill and maturity of this young group of 2011 XFC pilots is impressive. It takes a lot of discipline and self-control along with a tremendous work ethic to get where these guys are today. The pilots have to prepare months in advance.
It also takes top-level equipment to be competitive in this contest. There were several T-Rex 700s and Mikado 600 electric machines. Both Kyle Dahl and Bobby Watts were flying new prototype helis. Bobby had the Miniature Aircraft Whiplash, which is a completely new design from the ground up. It is made so that it can fly as an electric, gas, or nitro-powered machine. Bobby’s outstanding engineering work is evident in all areas of this new model.
Mikado has a new design that begins a new 800 class of helicopter. This thing is big! The blades are 800 mm and the machine has a much larger profile in the air. Kyle flew it with incredible grace even when the winds were kicking up. Will the 800 size be a trend for the future? I suspect that it will.
There is always some drama to go along with all the great flying that takes place during the XFC. This year, Nick Maxwell claimed second place but was bitten by a couple of technical problems before he pulled himself together and flew great in the finals on Sunday. Even the unflappable Kyle Dahl had some mechanical problems and had to shake off some demons to make it through to the end and place third overall.
Jamie Robertson sailed into first place, winning his second XFC in three years. Jamie was not immune to a little bad luck either; he destroyed one heli by hitting a steel pole that is located on the flying field. Jamie is the quarterback for his high school football team. He says he gets much more nervous at his football games than when flying in front of the XFC crowd.
Mother Nature added a bit of her own drama to the event by blowing in some severe thunderstorms on Saturday evening. Just as the band began to play some relaxing music, the skies opened up and everyone ran for cover. It wouldn't be the XFC without some terrifying weather!
The storms raged on and rain threatened to cancel the night fly. Event organizer Frank Noll never said "never." He stayed on-site until the rain ended. Finally at approximately 11 p.m. the rain slowed to a light drizzle and Frank gave the okay for the night fly contest to begin.
Bobby Watts has become known as the master of the night-fly show. He flew his heli adorned with computer-controlled LED lights to a perfectly choreographed flight routine that included a barrage of pyrotechnics. Giant propane flamethrowers shot towers of flames at least 25 feet high! The whole show reminded me of something a mad scientist might come up with. It was quite a spectacular show.
Bobby ended up co-winning the night fly with Terry Hahn and his amazing airplane night routine. These guys deserve a big thank-you from the fans for the work they put into the show. Hundreds of hours are spent preparing for a demonstration that only lasts a few minutes.
The XFC is the pinnacle of 3-D flying in the US. It is an entertaining show with many fun things to do and see. I highly recommend a trip to the 2012 XFC. It is a must-see if you are involved in RC aviation.
See you all back here next month.
MA
Sources
- Futaba Extreme Flight Championships (XFC): www.futabarc.com/xfc-rc/
- International Radio-Controlled Helicopter Association: www.ircha.org
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
