Southeast Electric Flight Festival-2011/09

September 2011 19
Jay Smith, the author’s father,
survived combat with minor damage
that was easily fixed at the field.
THE FIRST TIME I attended the Southeast Electric Flight Festival
(SEFF) was in 2003. It was the second year of the event and the first
time it was held at Hodges Hobbies in Andersonville, Georgia. I was
eager to attend a big electric event and it turned out to be worth the trip
from Florida to fly at a wonderful field and meet some great people
who enjoyed electric-powered aircraft as much as I did.
The next year I took my father and he, too, became hooked on the
southern hospitality and Mac Hodges’ beautiful grass field, not to
mention his full-service hobby shop on the premises. So it became a
yearly pilgrimage to attend this premier event that continued to grow
year after year.
In that time, I have had the opportunity to meet a lot of nice people,
take a ride in Mac’s Cub, and had the privilege to be one of the 99
pilots to set a Guinness World Record in 2008.
This year I was eager, as always, to attend the event because 2011
marked the 10th anniversary of SEFF and what would be known as
SEFF Week, April 11 to 16. When I arrived on Thursday, things were
already in full swing.
A quick look around showed that the pilots’ pit area was roughly the
length of three football fields, and was two deep with pop-up tents. The
vendor area was full with the latest and greatest electric-powered
aircraft and accessories, and Hodges Hobbies was cool and inviting as
always.
The Limited Motor Run (LMR) Glider Contest, a Thursday SEFF
tradition, was winding down so I wandered over to watch flying
wings being fired upon by paintball guns. This event, called the SEFF
Paintball Shootout, was new this year.
Friday and Saturday are the two biggest days at SEFF and offer the
popular demonstrations by the top pilots
and manufacturers.
Horizon Hobby
puts on an impressive
demonstration. They
manage to fly a ton of aircraft in
a short amount of time. Horizon’s gaggle
of warbirds flying in unison has always been a
highlight.
Both 3D Hobby Shop and Extreme Flight RC
showed off their lines of capable 3-D aircraft. Although
unplanned, the Extreme Flight demonstration also
included a midair collision that was talked about for the
rest of the event.
Jason Cole, of Hobby Lobby, impressed me the
most by flying the SebArt MiG-29. This extremely
capable, thrust-vectoring EDF had no problem
hovering inches off the grass and performing very
tight maneuvers.
Mac Hodges closed the demo
each day flying his 20-footwingspan
B-29. Although his
09sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 7/22/11 9:03 AM Page 19
20 MODEL AVIATION
0054
Hobby Lobby sponsors the candy drop, which is always a hit with the kids. The
pilots also have a prize drop to win cool products.
This colorful Seagull Dewoitine D.520 was one of several warbirds flown by Horizon
Hobby pilots. It should be available by the time you read this.
caption
SEFF
The judges of the 3D
Sma ckdown f r o m
the left w e r e Mac
H o d g es, A n d re w
Jesky, Greg Ledford,
Ji m Gra h a m, a nd
Jason Cole.
Bobby Baker designed this
cool Old-Timer finished in
silk and dope. At a distance,
as long as the motor wasn’t
running, you could mistake
it for a glow model thanks to
the detailed dummy engine.
09sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 7/22/11 9:04 AM Page 20
September 2011 21
0243
Photos by the author
Top left: The participants line up for the start of fullcontact
combat. The pilots did a great job keeping
their aircraft away from the flightline.
Top right: A look at vendor row on Friday. Pilots and vendors
alike appreciate being in the shade.
The new Extreme Flight RC MXS-EXP ARF, flown by team
pilot Daniel Holman, garnered much attention in the air and
on the ground.
09sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 7/22/11 9:07 AM Page 21
22 MODEL AVIATION
SEFF
Several jets, such as this Yellow Aircraft F-16, were on hand and
flew throughout the event.
Left: Horizon Hobby had
technicians on hand to
provide the DSMX add-on
to Spektrum and JR
transmitters. Tony Speich
is working on a Spektrum
DX7.
09sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 7/22/11 9:08 AM Page 22
September 2011 23
L e f t : T h e Mi g h t y
SEFFtones made up of
RC enthusiasts and
industry professionals
jammed rock anthems
on Saturday night.
Two beautiful B-17 bombers in loose formation. Trent Wilhelm’s 125-inch-span model is leading Troy Hawthorne’s 120-
inch version.
Left: Joe Smith put in
some impressive flights
at SEFF. He won the
3D Smackdown and the
Low Knife-Edge Contest.
Right: A look down the
f l ightl ine at the 3-D
area. Both 3D Hobby
Shop and Extreme Flight
RC had outstanding
pilots and aircraft in
attendance.
09sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 7/22/11 9:15 AM Page 23
24 MODEL AVIATION
SEFF
Horizon Hobby
brings more
airplanes to SEFF
than anyone and
the staff manages
to fly nearly
every one during
the noon demo.
JS: How did SEFF come about?
JM: I was visiting other electric flight events across the country and
realized we didn’t have a big one in the Southeast. My club had been
doing small electric events and it clicked. We can do this and make a
big deal for modelers who can’t travel halfway across the country to
attend one.
I wanted to make our event unique. One focus was on creating a
great flight experience. We did that by creating different flight zones
and a huge raffle. Hospitality with the big barbecue dinner.
The first event was at our field and we realized it wouldn’t be big
enough. I asked Mac Hodges if we could hold the second one at
Hodges Hobbies, and he has allowed us to come play in his backyard
ever since.
JS: Did you see SEFF being as big as it has become?
JM: No I didn’t. We have nearly 500 pilots and I think it is a
testament to my staff members and their hard work. It has grown
organically through the press.
JS: What are you most proud of regarding SEFF?
JM: It has helped me grow personally and helped me to manage
people and volunteers. I wasn’t good at that early on and I put faith in
capable people who were in the right positions where they could get
the job done. We learned about four years ago we could use SEFF for
a greater good. When the tornado came through here four years ago we
raised $20,000 for the tornado relief fund. We made the largest single
donation for the fund.
We partnered with the Fuller Center for Housing for the last three
years.
JS: Tell me about your new project and why you are stepping down as
SEFF’s event director.
JM: I had it in my head to step down after 10 years. I am stating a new
project called Harvest for Real Life. It is going to be a three-acre-field
fruit orchard that will grow roughly 20,000 pounds of fruit for a food
bank in Fayette County called the Real Life Center. It provides food
for approximately 100 families per week. It’s more of a hand up than a
handout. It’s not just a food bank; it really helps people get back on
their feet.
With this simple fruit orchard, we can provide three to seven
pounds of fruit per family per week. We are going to use the same
model I have used with SEFF of having captains of each team who
will be responsible for managing his or her part of the orchard yearround.
This model came from SEFF.
This summer we will prep the field and this fall we will complete
the installation. The field will start producing in roughly two years.
I have committed 10 years to run this project. I am still coming to
SEFF next year as a pilot.
JS: If our readers want to help with your project, where should they
go?
JM: The Real Life Center’s website is www.reallifecenter.org. You
have to select “harvest” [as a donation designation] to help our
program on the donation page.
JS: Is there anything you would like to say to our readers in closing?
JM: I would like to thank anyone who has ever been to SEFF. We
have always tried our best to make it an event for the average Joe and I
appreciate all the support from the sponsors that we have had
throughout the years. We have had tons of sponsors many of which are
small companies that have gone above and beyond. I would like to
thank the sponsors and pilots that we have had throughout the years. MA
Jeff Meyers reflects on 10 years of SEFF
09sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 7/22/11 9:16 AM Page 24
The film festival included footage taken at
SEFF combined with additional video Higher
Plane Productions has taken at other events.
Fred stays up late each night trying to choose
the best clips and get them ready for Friday
night. His hard work is appreciated.
SEFFtones is a cover band composed of RC
enthusiasts and RC professionals. John Diniz,
Peter Goldsmith, and Jennifer Mazuera are from
Horizon Hobby. Chris Hinson and Blair
Rittenhouse are from Extreme Flight RC, and
Jim Graham is from RCGroups. Tim King even
stepped in to provide some much needed
cowbell!
With little to no practice, they jammed rock
anthems such as “Born to Be Wild,” “Freebird,”
and “Red House.” Coincidentally they looked a
lot like another band that plays at Joe Nall—the
Nallman Brothers—but that is another story.
By the time it was over, I had the chance to
hang out with 433 pilots and enjoy the
hospitality of Mac Hodges and the
Hodgehounds. I would like to thank Jeff
Meyers and the Fayette Flyers for putting on a
world-class event for the past 10 years.
Although Jeff will be stepping down as the
event director to run the Harvest for Real Life
charity, I have no doubt that Matt Klos and the
Fayette Flyers will continue to improve on this
electric flight festival. MA
Sources:
Fayette Flyers
www.fayetteflyers.com
YouTube
www.youtube.com
3D Hobby Shop
www.3dhobbyshop.com
Extreme Flight RC
www.extremeflightrc.com
Hobby Lobby
www.hobby-lobby.com
Horizon Hobby
www.horizonhobby.com
RCGroups
www.rcgroups.com
SebArt
www.sebartrc.com
Harvest for Real Life
www.reallifecenter.org
aircraft certainly has batteries onboard, it is
not electric powered. None of the hundreds
in attendance could complain after seeing its
performance. If you have never seen it, a
quick search on YouTube will provide you
video of several of the bomber’s
performances.
Two new contests were added this year
for 3-D and precision pilots alike. The 3-D
Smackdown was sponsored by 3D Hobby
Shop and Extreme Flight RC. This event
focused on all-out 3-D flying and was judged
by several skilled pilots.
Joe Smith took top honors flying an AJ
Slick from 3D Hobby Shop. Second and third
place required a flyoff and ultimately second
place went to Daniel Holman, flying an
Extreme Flight MXS, and third to Aaron
Bates, with his 3D Hobby Shop Extra
330SC.
The low knife-edge contest was held
during the Saturday demo show and saw
several pilots dragging their wings in the
grass multiple times. It was exciting to watch
the pilots continuously drag a wingtip while
working the sticks of their transmitter with
the precision of a master surgeon to maintain
control of the aircraft while the crowd yelled
“lower, lower!” It adds up to a lot of
excitement!
Again top honors went to the amazing
piloting of Joe Smith flying a 3D Hobby
Shop Edge 540.
If crashing aircraft into one another is
more your speed—either as a pilot or
spectator—than Dan Malone’s Demolition
Derby was for you. It was a thrilling event on
Friday and Saturday immediately following
the demo show. Several foam aircraft were
turned back into kit form, desperately
needing a healthy IV of foam-safe CA.
For anyone looking to experience First
Person View (FPV), which essentially puts
you in the cockpit of an RC aircraft, Kevin
Hines was on hand to provide rides. Using a
buddy box, Kevin flies the aircraft using line
of sight, while the rider gets a view from the
cockpit and can even manipulate the camera
angle.
Kevin shared with me his goal of being
an ambassador of FPV flying. He looks
forward to providing people with an
opportunity to try it in a safe and productive
manner.
Evening entertainment included night
flying and the Higher Plane Film Festival on
Friday and the Mighty SEFFtones on
Saturday.
26 MODEL AVIATION
Horizon Hobby
Thunder Power RC
ElectriFly
Futaba
AllThingsThatFly.com
Castle Creations
Hobby Lobby
RC Accessory
GoBrushless.com
Atlanta Hobby
RC Radio Network
Mercury Adhesives
Millennium R/C
Luke’s RC Planes
3D Hobby Shop
RCNoseArt.com
After Dark LED Products
Higher Plane Productions
SuperFly RC
Phlatboyz
Twisted Hobbys
Venom Group
Extreme Flight
Ready2Hobby
Wowplanes
FlightPower
SEFF Sponsors
09sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 7/22/11 9:16 AM Page 26

September 2011 19
Jay Smith, the author’s father,
survived combat with minor damage
that was easily fixed at the field.
THE FIRST TIME I attended the Southeast Electric Flight Festival
(SEFF) was in 2003. It was the second year of the event and the first
time it was held at Hodges Hobbies in Andersonville, Georgia. I was
eager to attend a big electric event and it turned out to be worth the trip
from Florida to fly at a wonderful field and meet some great people
who enjoyed electric-powered aircraft as much as I did.
The next year I took my father and he, too, became hooked on the
southern hospitality and Mac Hodges’ beautiful grass field, not to
mention his full-service hobby shop on the premises. So it became a
yearly pilgrimage to attend this premier event that continued to grow
year after year.
In that time, I have had the opportunity to meet a lot of nice people,
take a ride in Mac’s Cub, and had the privilege to be one of the 99
pilots to set a Guinness World Record in 2008.
This year I was eager, as always, to attend the event because 2011
marked the 10th anniversary of SEFF and what would be known as
SEFF Week, April 11 to 16. When I arrived on Thursday, things were
already in full swing.
A quick look around showed that the pilots’ pit area was roughly the
length of three football fields, and was two deep with pop-up tents. The
vendor area was full with the latest and greatest electric-powered
aircraft and accessories, and Hodges Hobbies was cool and inviting as
always.
The Limited Motor Run (LMR) Glider Contest, a Thursday SEFF
tradition, was winding down so I wandered over to watch flying
wings being fired upon by paintball guns. This event, called the SEFF
Paintball Shootout, was new this year.
Friday and Saturday are the two biggest days at SEFF and offer the
popular demonstrations by the top pilots
and manufacturers.
Horizon Hobby
puts on an impressive
demonstration. They
manage to fly a ton of aircraft in
a short amount of time. Horizon’s gaggle
of warbirds flying in unison has always been a
highlight.
Both 3D Hobby Shop and Extreme Flight RC
showed off their lines of capable 3-D aircraft. Although
unplanned, the Extreme Flight demonstration also
included a midair collision that was talked about for the
rest of the event.
Jason Cole, of Hobby Lobby, impressed me the
most by flying the SebArt MiG-29. This extremely
capable, thrust-vectoring EDF had no problem
hovering inches off the grass and performing very
tight maneuvers.
Mac Hodges closed the demo
each day flying his 20-footwingspan
B-29. Although his
09sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 7/22/11 9:03 AM Page 19
20 MODEL AVIATION
0054
Hobby Lobby sponsors the candy drop, which is always a hit with the kids. The
pilots also have a prize drop to win cool products.
This colorful Seagull Dewoitine D.520 was one of several warbirds flown by Horizon
Hobby pilots. It should be available by the time you read this.
caption
SEFF
The judges of the 3D
Sma ckdown f r o m
the left w e r e Mac
H o d g es, A n d re w
Jesky, Greg Ledford,
Ji m Gra h a m, a nd
Jason Cole.
Bobby Baker designed this
cool Old-Timer finished in
silk and dope. At a distance,
as long as the motor wasn’t
running, you could mistake
it for a glow model thanks to
the detailed dummy engine.
09sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 7/22/11 9:04 AM Page 20
September 2011 21
0243
Photos by the author
Top left: The participants line up for the start of fullcontact
combat. The pilots did a great job keeping
their aircraft away from the flightline.
Top right: A look at vendor row on Friday. Pilots and vendors
alike appreciate being in the shade.
The new Extreme Flight RC MXS-EXP ARF, flown by team
pilot Daniel Holman, garnered much attention in the air and
on the ground.
09sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 7/22/11 9:07 AM Page 21
22 MODEL AVIATION
SEFF
Several jets, such as this Yellow Aircraft F-16, were on hand and
flew throughout the event.
Left: Horizon Hobby had
technicians on hand to
provide the DSMX add-on
to Spektrum and JR
transmitters. Tony Speich
is working on a Spektrum
DX7.
09sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 7/22/11 9:08 AM Page 22
September 2011 23
L e f t : T h e Mi g h t y
SEFFtones made up of
RC enthusiasts and
industry professionals
jammed rock anthems
on Saturday night.
Two beautiful B-17 bombers in loose formation. Trent Wilhelm’s 125-inch-span model is leading Troy Hawthorne’s 120-
inch version.
Left: Joe Smith put in
some impressive flights
at SEFF. He won the
3D Smackdown and the
Low Knife-Edge Contest.
Right: A look down the
f l ightl ine at the 3-D
area. Both 3D Hobby
Shop and Extreme Flight
RC had outstanding
pilots and aircraft in
attendance.
09sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 7/22/11 9:15 AM Page 23
24 MODEL AVIATION
SEFF
Horizon Hobby
brings more
airplanes to SEFF
than anyone and
the staff manages
to fly nearly
every one during
the noon demo.
JS: How did SEFF come about?
JM: I was visiting other electric flight events across the country and
realized we didn’t have a big one in the Southeast. My club had been
doing small electric events and it clicked. We can do this and make a
big deal for modelers who can’t travel halfway across the country to
attend one.
I wanted to make our event unique. One focus was on creating a
great flight experience. We did that by creating different flight zones
and a huge raffle. Hospitality with the big barbecue dinner.
The first event was at our field and we realized it wouldn’t be big
enough. I asked Mac Hodges if we could hold the second one at
Hodges Hobbies, and he has allowed us to come play in his backyard
ever since.
JS: Did you see SEFF being as big as it has become?
JM: No I didn’t. We have nearly 500 pilots and I think it is a
testament to my staff members and their hard work. It has grown
organically through the press.
JS: What are you most proud of regarding SEFF?
JM: It has helped me grow personally and helped me to manage
people and volunteers. I wasn’t good at that early on and I put faith in
capable people who were in the right positions where they could get
the job done. We learned about four years ago we could use SEFF for
a greater good. When the tornado came through here four years ago we
raised $20,000 for the tornado relief fund. We made the largest single
donation for the fund.
We partnered with the Fuller Center for Housing for the last three
years.
JS: Tell me about your new project and why you are stepping down as
SEFF’s event director.
JM: I had it in my head to step down after 10 years. I am stating a new
project called Harvest for Real Life. It is going to be a three-acre-field
fruit orchard that will grow roughly 20,000 pounds of fruit for a food
bank in Fayette County called the Real Life Center. It provides food
for approximately 100 families per week. It’s more of a hand up than a
handout. It’s not just a food bank; it really helps people get back on
their feet.
With this simple fruit orchard, we can provide three to seven
pounds of fruit per family per week. We are going to use the same
model I have used with SEFF of having captains of each team who
will be responsible for managing his or her part of the orchard yearround.
This model came from SEFF.
This summer we will prep the field and this fall we will complete
the installation. The field will start producing in roughly two years.
I have committed 10 years to run this project. I am still coming to
SEFF next year as a pilot.
JS: If our readers want to help with your project, where should they
go?
JM: The Real Life Center’s website is www.reallifecenter.org. You
have to select “harvest” [as a donation designation] to help our
program on the donation page.
JS: Is there anything you would like to say to our readers in closing?
JM: I would like to thank anyone who has ever been to SEFF. We
have always tried our best to make it an event for the average Joe and I
appreciate all the support from the sponsors that we have had
throughout the years. We have had tons of sponsors many of which are
small companies that have gone above and beyond. I would like to
thank the sponsors and pilots that we have had throughout the years. MA
Jeff Meyers reflects on 10 years of SEFF
09sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 7/22/11 9:16 AM Page 24
The film festival included footage taken at
SEFF combined with additional video Higher
Plane Productions has taken at other events.
Fred stays up late each night trying to choose
the best clips and get them ready for Friday
night. His hard work is appreciated.
SEFFtones is a cover band composed of RC
enthusiasts and RC professionals. John Diniz,
Peter Goldsmith, and Jennifer Mazuera are from
Horizon Hobby. Chris Hinson and Blair
Rittenhouse are from Extreme Flight RC, and
Jim Graham is from RCGroups. Tim King even
stepped in to provide some much needed
cowbell!
With little to no practice, they jammed rock
anthems such as “Born to Be Wild,” “Freebird,”
and “Red House.” Coincidentally they looked a
lot like another band that plays at Joe Nall—the
Nallman Brothers—but that is another story.
By the time it was over, I had the chance to
hang out with 433 pilots and enjoy the
hospitality of Mac Hodges and the
Hodgehounds. I would like to thank Jeff
Meyers and the Fayette Flyers for putting on a
world-class event for the past 10 years.
Although Jeff will be stepping down as the
event director to run the Harvest for Real Life
charity, I have no doubt that Matt Klos and the
Fayette Flyers will continue to improve on this
electric flight festival. MA
Sources:
Fayette Flyers
www.fayetteflyers.com
YouTube
www.youtube.com
3D Hobby Shop
www.3dhobbyshop.com
Extreme Flight RC
www.extremeflightrc.com
Hobby Lobby
www.hobby-lobby.com
Horizon Hobby
www.horizonhobby.com
RCGroups
www.rcgroups.com
SebArt
www.sebartrc.com
Harvest for Real Life
www.reallifecenter.org
aircraft certainly has batteries onboard, it is
not electric powered. None of the hundreds
in attendance could complain after seeing its
performance. If you have never seen it, a
quick search on YouTube will provide you
video of several of the bomber’s
performances.
Two new contests were added this year
for 3-D and precision pilots alike. The 3-D
Smackdown was sponsored by 3D Hobby
Shop and Extreme Flight RC. This event
focused on all-out 3-D flying and was judged
by several skilled pilots.
Joe Smith took top honors flying an AJ
Slick from 3D Hobby Shop. Second and third
place required a flyoff and ultimately second
place went to Daniel Holman, flying an
Extreme Flight MXS, and third to Aaron
Bates, with his 3D Hobby Shop Extra
330SC.
The low knife-edge contest was held
during the Saturday demo show and saw
several pilots dragging their wings in the
grass multiple times. It was exciting to watch
the pilots continuously drag a wingtip while
working the sticks of their transmitter with
the precision of a master surgeon to maintain
control of the aircraft while the crowd yelled
“lower, lower!” It adds up to a lot of
excitement!
Again top honors went to the amazing
piloting of Joe Smith flying a 3D Hobby
Shop Edge 540.
If crashing aircraft into one another is
more your speed—either as a pilot or
spectator—than Dan Malone’s Demolition
Derby was for you. It was a thrilling event on
Friday and Saturday immediately following
the demo show. Several foam aircraft were
turned back into kit form, desperately
needing a healthy IV of foam-safe CA.
For anyone looking to experience First
Person View (FPV), which essentially puts
you in the cockpit of an RC aircraft, Kevin
Hines was on hand to provide rides. Using a
buddy box, Kevin flies the aircraft using line
of sight, while the rider gets a view from the
cockpit and can even manipulate the camera
angle.
Kevin shared with me his goal of being
an ambassador of FPV flying. He looks
forward to providing people with an
opportunity to try it in a safe and productive
manner.
Evening entertainment included night
flying and the Higher Plane Film Festival on
Friday and the Mighty SEFFtones on
Saturday.
26 MODEL AVIATION
Horizon Hobby
Thunder Power RC
ElectriFly
Futaba
AllThingsThatFly.com
Castle Creations
Hobby Lobby
RC Accessory
GoBrushless.com
Atlanta Hobby
RC Radio Network
Mercury Adhesives
Millennium R/C
Luke’s RC Planes
3D Hobby Shop
RCNoseArt.com
After Dark LED Products
Higher Plane Productions
SuperFly RC
Phlatboyz
Twisted Hobbys
Venom Group
Extreme Flight
Ready2Hobby
Wowplanes
FlightPower
SEFF Sponsors
09sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 7/22/11 9:16 AM Page 26

September 2011 19
Jay Smith, the author’s father,
survived combat with minor damage
that was easily fixed at the field.
THE FIRST TIME I attended the Southeast Electric Flight Festival
(SEFF) was in 2003. It was the second year of the event and the first
time it was held at Hodges Hobbies in Andersonville, Georgia. I was
eager to attend a big electric event and it turned out to be worth the trip
from Florida to fly at a wonderful field and meet some great people
who enjoyed electric-powered aircraft as much as I did.
The next year I took my father and he, too, became hooked on the
southern hospitality and Mac Hodges’ beautiful grass field, not to
mention his full-service hobby shop on the premises. So it became a
yearly pilgrimage to attend this premier event that continued to grow
year after year.
In that time, I have had the opportunity to meet a lot of nice people,
take a ride in Mac’s Cub, and had the privilege to be one of the 99
pilots to set a Guinness World Record in 2008.
This year I was eager, as always, to attend the event because 2011
marked the 10th anniversary of SEFF and what would be known as
SEFF Week, April 11 to 16. When I arrived on Thursday, things were
already in full swing.
A quick look around showed that the pilots’ pit area was roughly the
length of three football fields, and was two deep with pop-up tents. The
vendor area was full with the latest and greatest electric-powered
aircraft and accessories, and Hodges Hobbies was cool and inviting as
always.
The Limited Motor Run (LMR) Glider Contest, a Thursday SEFF
tradition, was winding down so I wandered over to watch flying
wings being fired upon by paintball guns. This event, called the SEFF
Paintball Shootout, was new this year.
Friday and Saturday are the two biggest days at SEFF and offer the
popular demonstrations by the top pilots
and manufacturers.
Horizon Hobby
puts on an impressive
demonstration. They
manage to fly a ton of aircraft in
a short amount of time. Horizon’s gaggle
of warbirds flying in unison has always been a
highlight.
Both 3D Hobby Shop and Extreme Flight RC
showed off their lines of capable 3-D aircraft. Although
unplanned, the Extreme Flight demonstration also
included a midair collision that was talked about for the
rest of the event.
Jason Cole, of Hobby Lobby, impressed me the
most by flying the SebArt MiG-29. This extremely
capable, thrust-vectoring EDF had no problem
hovering inches off the grass and performing very
tight maneuvers.
Mac Hodges closed the demo
each day flying his 20-footwingspan
B-29. Although his
09sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 7/22/11 9:03 AM Page 19
20 MODEL AVIATION
0054
Hobby Lobby sponsors the candy drop, which is always a hit with the kids. The
pilots also have a prize drop to win cool products.
This colorful Seagull Dewoitine D.520 was one of several warbirds flown by Horizon
Hobby pilots. It should be available by the time you read this.
caption
SEFF
The judges of the 3D
Sma ckdown f r o m
the left w e r e Mac
H o d g es, A n d re w
Jesky, Greg Ledford,
Ji m Gra h a m, a nd
Jason Cole.
Bobby Baker designed this
cool Old-Timer finished in
silk and dope. At a distance,
as long as the motor wasn’t
running, you could mistake
it for a glow model thanks to
the detailed dummy engine.
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September 2011 21
0243
Photos by the author
Top left: The participants line up for the start of fullcontact
combat. The pilots did a great job keeping
their aircraft away from the flightline.
Top right: A look at vendor row on Friday. Pilots and vendors
alike appreciate being in the shade.
The new Extreme Flight RC MXS-EXP ARF, flown by team
pilot Daniel Holman, garnered much attention in the air and
on the ground.
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22 MODEL AVIATION
SEFF
Several jets, such as this Yellow Aircraft F-16, were on hand and
flew throughout the event.
Left: Horizon Hobby had
technicians on hand to
provide the DSMX add-on
to Spektrum and JR
transmitters. Tony Speich
is working on a Spektrum
DX7.
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September 2011 23
L e f t : T h e Mi g h t y
SEFFtones made up of
RC enthusiasts and
industry professionals
jammed rock anthems
on Saturday night.
Two beautiful B-17 bombers in loose formation. Trent Wilhelm’s 125-inch-span model is leading Troy Hawthorne’s 120-
inch version.
Left: Joe Smith put in
some impressive flights
at SEFF. He won the
3D Smackdown and the
Low Knife-Edge Contest.
Right: A look down the
f l ightl ine at the 3-D
area. Both 3D Hobby
Shop and Extreme Flight
RC had outstanding
pilots and aircraft in
attendance.
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24 MODEL AVIATION
SEFF
Horizon Hobby
brings more
airplanes to SEFF
than anyone and
the staff manages
to fly nearly
every one during
the noon demo.
JS: How did SEFF come about?
JM: I was visiting other electric flight events across the country and
realized we didn’t have a big one in the Southeast. My club had been
doing small electric events and it clicked. We can do this and make a
big deal for modelers who can’t travel halfway across the country to
attend one.
I wanted to make our event unique. One focus was on creating a
great flight experience. We did that by creating different flight zones
and a huge raffle. Hospitality with the big barbecue dinner.
The first event was at our field and we realized it wouldn’t be big
enough. I asked Mac Hodges if we could hold the second one at
Hodges Hobbies, and he has allowed us to come play in his backyard
ever since.
JS: Did you see SEFF being as big as it has become?
JM: No I didn’t. We have nearly 500 pilots and I think it is a
testament to my staff members and their hard work. It has grown
organically through the press.
JS: What are you most proud of regarding SEFF?
JM: It has helped me grow personally and helped me to manage
people and volunteers. I wasn’t good at that early on and I put faith in
capable people who were in the right positions where they could get
the job done. We learned about four years ago we could use SEFF for
a greater good. When the tornado came through here four years ago we
raised $20,000 for the tornado relief fund. We made the largest single
donation for the fund.
We partnered with the Fuller Center for Housing for the last three
years.
JS: Tell me about your new project and why you are stepping down as
SEFF’s event director.
JM: I had it in my head to step down after 10 years. I am stating a new
project called Harvest for Real Life. It is going to be a three-acre-field
fruit orchard that will grow roughly 20,000 pounds of fruit for a food
bank in Fayette County called the Real Life Center. It provides food
for approximately 100 families per week. It’s more of a hand up than a
handout. It’s not just a food bank; it really helps people get back on
their feet.
With this simple fruit orchard, we can provide three to seven
pounds of fruit per family per week. We are going to use the same
model I have used with SEFF of having captains of each team who
will be responsible for managing his or her part of the orchard yearround.
This model came from SEFF.
This summer we will prep the field and this fall we will complete
the installation. The field will start producing in roughly two years.
I have committed 10 years to run this project. I am still coming to
SEFF next year as a pilot.
JS: If our readers want to help with your project, where should they
go?
JM: The Real Life Center’s website is www.reallifecenter.org. You
have to select “harvest” [as a donation designation] to help our
program on the donation page.
JS: Is there anything you would like to say to our readers in closing?
JM: I would like to thank anyone who has ever been to SEFF. We
have always tried our best to make it an event for the average Joe and I
appreciate all the support from the sponsors that we have had
throughout the years. We have had tons of sponsors many of which are
small companies that have gone above and beyond. I would like to
thank the sponsors and pilots that we have had throughout the years. MA
Jeff Meyers reflects on 10 years of SEFF
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The film festival included footage taken at
SEFF combined with additional video Higher
Plane Productions has taken at other events.
Fred stays up late each night trying to choose
the best clips and get them ready for Friday
night. His hard work is appreciated.
SEFFtones is a cover band composed of RC
enthusiasts and RC professionals. John Diniz,
Peter Goldsmith, and Jennifer Mazuera are from
Horizon Hobby. Chris Hinson and Blair
Rittenhouse are from Extreme Flight RC, and
Jim Graham is from RCGroups. Tim King even
stepped in to provide some much needed
cowbell!
With little to no practice, they jammed rock
anthems such as “Born to Be Wild,” “Freebird,”
and “Red House.” Coincidentally they looked a
lot like another band that plays at Joe Nall—the
Nallman Brothers—but that is another story.
By the time it was over, I had the chance to
hang out with 433 pilots and enjoy the
hospitality of Mac Hodges and the
Hodgehounds. I would like to thank Jeff
Meyers and the Fayette Flyers for putting on a
world-class event for the past 10 years.
Although Jeff will be stepping down as the
event director to run the Harvest for Real Life
charity, I have no doubt that Matt Klos and the
Fayette Flyers will continue to improve on this
electric flight festival. MA
Sources:
Fayette Flyers
www.fayetteflyers.com
YouTube
www.youtube.com
3D Hobby Shop
www.3dhobbyshop.com
Extreme Flight RC
www.extremeflightrc.com
Hobby Lobby
www.hobby-lobby.com
Horizon Hobby
www.horizonhobby.com
RCGroups
www.rcgroups.com
SebArt
www.sebartrc.com
Harvest for Real Life
www.reallifecenter.org
aircraft certainly has batteries onboard, it is
not electric powered. None of the hundreds
in attendance could complain after seeing its
performance. If you have never seen it, a
quick search on YouTube will provide you
video of several of the bomber’s
performances.
Two new contests were added this year
for 3-D and precision pilots alike. The 3-D
Smackdown was sponsored by 3D Hobby
Shop and Extreme Flight RC. This event
focused on all-out 3-D flying and was judged
by several skilled pilots.
Joe Smith took top honors flying an AJ
Slick from 3D Hobby Shop. Second and third
place required a flyoff and ultimately second
place went to Daniel Holman, flying an
Extreme Flight MXS, and third to Aaron
Bates, with his 3D Hobby Shop Extra
330SC.
The low knife-edge contest was held
during the Saturday demo show and saw
several pilots dragging their wings in the
grass multiple times. It was exciting to watch
the pilots continuously drag a wingtip while
working the sticks of their transmitter with
the precision of a master surgeon to maintain
control of the aircraft while the crowd yelled
“lower, lower!” It adds up to a lot of
excitement!
Again top honors went to the amazing
piloting of Joe Smith flying a 3D Hobby
Shop Edge 540.
If crashing aircraft into one another is
more your speed—either as a pilot or
spectator—than Dan Malone’s Demolition
Derby was for you. It was a thrilling event on
Friday and Saturday immediately following
the demo show. Several foam aircraft were
turned back into kit form, desperately
needing a healthy IV of foam-safe CA.
For anyone looking to experience First
Person View (FPV), which essentially puts
you in the cockpit of an RC aircraft, Kevin
Hines was on hand to provide rides. Using a
buddy box, Kevin flies the aircraft using line
of sight, while the rider gets a view from the
cockpit and can even manipulate the camera
angle.
Kevin shared with me his goal of being
an ambassador of FPV flying. He looks
forward to providing people with an
opportunity to try it in a safe and productive
manner.
Evening entertainment included night
flying and the Higher Plane Film Festival on
Friday and the Mighty SEFFtones on
Saturday.
26 MODEL AVIATION
Horizon Hobby
Thunder Power RC
ElectriFly
Futaba
AllThingsThatFly.com
Castle Creations
Hobby Lobby
RC Accessory
GoBrushless.com
Atlanta Hobby
RC Radio Network
Mercury Adhesives
Millennium R/C
Luke’s RC Planes
3D Hobby Shop
RCNoseArt.com
After Dark LED Products
Higher Plane Productions
SuperFly RC
Phlatboyz
Twisted Hobbys
Venom Group
Extreme Flight
Ready2Hobby
Wowplanes
FlightPower
SEFF Sponsors
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