I`m home from Muncie, Indiana and IRCHA 2024 is officially in the books. First off, I would like to say a HUGE thank you to the new IRCHA board, for the hard work and sacrifice they put in to make this year`s IRCHA Jamboree the biggest one since about 2015. They have really gotten things back on track, and I expect that IRCHA 2025 is going to be even better than this year. Keep up the good work guys!!!

Sooooo...... I have been traveling to many events over the past few years with my sister Grace. We love our road trips together, and we loving refer to them as our "heli adventures". We always travel in separate cars, just in case we have car troubles. That has never happened........until last week.

Grace and I were planning to leave my house on Monday August 5, 2024, but hurricane Debbi, was closing in on Florida. So we decided to leave Sunday evening, to stay ahead of it, in hopes to be in Macon Georgia before it made landfall in northern Florida

This is where driving separate cars paid off....BIG TIME!!!  We got to Brooksville, Florida.....roughly two hours from my house, and my car completely died....right in the middle of the road.  Thank God we were close to a gas station, and we were able to use my jump box to start the car and move it to the gas station parking lot.

It turned out that the alternator had went out, and in return, wrecked the car`s battery. With the consent of the station manager, we left my car there and set out to find a new battery and alternator. Being Sunday evening at around 8PM, with a hurricane coming......we were unable to get one that night.

We knew we were stuck for the night, and accepted our fate. So Grace googled nearby hotels, and she found a really nice one about 8 miles away. In the meanwhile, I was attempting some "redneck engineering" to try to get us to the hotel. So that we could deal with my little issue the next morning.

Well.....that didn`t work, and we soon found ourselves on the side of the road, trying to find a tow truck company that would come save us. Grace called at least six companies, who all refused to come out because of a storm that was still more than 150 miles from Florida. Lake County Sheriff`s office even refused to help us......Lake County Sheriff`s office you suck!!!

We eventually called Lake County Towing, and the sent us and angel from God. His name is Israel, and he agreed to come save us....even though he did not have to do. Thank you very much Israel. You were truly a Godsend, and we will never forget you.

In about 40 minutes after calling Lake County Towing, Israel was there to scoop us up and take us to the hotel parking lot. After he dropped my car and drove off, we got our room and went to sleep. We woke up early the next morning and went to the advance auto store which was only a few miles away, and got the parts I needed. The hotel manager was a sweetheart too, and he said it would be ok for me to change the battery and alternator in the parking lot of the hotel.

But wait.....there`s more!! while I was broken down, and chasing down car parts.... Guess who caught up to us? YEP!!!! Good ole hurricane Debbi. when we started working on the car, the sky was clear but overcast. But by the time I got the belt off, and the fist bolt loosened, it started raining....HARD, and the wind picked up to around 30-40 mph. I was already committed to the job, so I kept working. Grace was right there by my side the entire time, holding an umbrella over me to try to keep me dry. She is absolutely the best sister in the world.

While we were waiting for Debbi to get out the way, we walked around the hallways of the hotel to get exercise. Which was a lot of fun. Afterward, we were standing outside our room....watching the rain. We keep our door pulled closed but not completely closed, and apparently the lady in the room next to us did the same thing. Because when Grace said she was going to go watch the news, I turned to follow her into our room....and walked right into the lady`s room next to us. I hit the brakes so hard, that my feet slid about six inches. I was so embarrassed, but she said "it`s ok, no harm done".  Hahahahaha.

Grace said later that it only took me a half hour to fix my car, but it seemed like a year to me...Hahahaha. After this ordeal, we went into our room, and got cleaned up. By this time, Miss Debbi was nearing the northern west coast of Florida. So we decided it would be safer for us to spend one more night in the hotel, rather than to risk be caught on the highway in the middle of a cat 1 hurricane.

On Tuesday, we were back on the road, and we has an amazing trip after that. Even thought we lost a day and a half of travel time, we still made good time, and arrived in Muncie on the first day of IRCHA. So we didn`t miss anything.

Our first non emergency stop was in Kentucky. The hotel itself was really nice. The room was more like an apartment than a hotel room, and we both really liked it. The only thing I didn`t care for was that we had to park around back, where we could not see our cars. So after that, we decided that we would look for hotels that had parking right outside the rooms. Other than that, there were no complaints. 

I always wake up before the chickens, so I got up the next morning and helped myself to a couple of cups of coffee in the breakfast lounge while Grace continued to sleep. She woke up at around 08:00-08:30, and we checked out and got on the road. We stopped at Cracker Barrel for breakfast, and then finished the drive to Muncie.

The drive into Muncie on Indiana 1 was atrocious. That road is long, boring and has way too many 35 mph zones. But it`s still that fasted rout for us.

When we got to IRCHA, we were greeted by all of our wonderful friends, and we immediately started socializing. We walked around for an hour or so, and then we went to set up our campsite. We got that set up, and then went back to socializing and catching up with the folks who we have not seen since last year.

On the first day, it looked like the full swing of Saturday from last year`s IRCHA. The entire flight line was full of tents and booths, and every flight station had someone flying. By the time Saturday rolled around, it was reminding me of the days of 1000+ registered pilots.. IRCHA is coming back, and I`m very happy and grateful for that.

We went to dinner with the HeliDirect team on Wednesday night, which was a super great time. We filled the entire party room at the restaurant. Thank you Sam Le for the amazing dinner party.

Grace and I went our to Texas Longhorn steakhouse with a few friends on Friday too. That steak was sooooooo good.

JC Zankl did the traditional flying of the US Flag, which is one of the best parts of the event for me. Thank you JC, Mr Zankl, and everyone else who comes together to make that happen. I didn`t get any photos or videos of the flying of the flag, because I was standing attention while the National Anthem was being played. But I may set up a camera on a tripod next year. ;)

They had a bottle drop contest, auto rotation contest, and an obstacle course contest for micro size helicopters on the second day, I think. Friday were Noon demos and open flying. Saturday gave us more demos and even more open flying.

Team Miniature Aircraft was also there, representing. Judith and Josef couldn`t make it this year because they were at the European Championships. But we brought it together for them.

Another one of the highlights of IRCHA this year, was being able to meet Tracy Self, from Texas. Tracy, Grace, and myself refer to ourselves as "The Flying Sisters". That was Grace`s idea. She deserves the credit for that . ;) We are all around the same age, we all like the same things, and purple is the favorite colour of all three of us.

Here is Tracy, flying her helicopter while Grace gives her a spot. Tracy is a very good pilot, who has only been flying helicopters for a short time. We`re proud of you, girl. Keep up the good work.

Saturday was a busy day, and there was a lot going on. Noon time demos for the platinum sponsors, the pilot raffles, and dinner. Which was fantastic. Battle of the brands which I did not compete in this year. Plus the king of the midnight sun contest.

After it was all said and done......the icing on the cake was a 10-15 minute fireworks show. Yes......IRCHA is on it`s way back. If you did not attend this year, you need to put it on your calendar for next year. Because I have a feeling that it`s going to be epic!

For those who did attend, it was wonderful seeing you all again, and I hope everyone has a safe and happy trip back home.

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!!!!! :) :) :) :)

I

The Virginia spring fling is officially in the books, and we are home safe and sound. My sister and I departed our homes early on Wednesday May 1to begin our journey to Virginia. Since we live on opposite sides of Florida, we thought it would be best if we met at the welcome center on the Florida/Georgia line.

Once we met up, we had some lunch, stretched our legs for a while and then continued on with our adventure. We drove all day, stopping a couple of times to rest and refuel. By about 8PM, we had made it to North Carolina. We were tired from driving all day, so we decided to get a hotel room for the the night. We got up the next day and had a nice leisurely breakfast at Crack barrel, and then finished the drive into Virginia.

We arrived at the event sometime around noon.....ish, and immediately started socializing with all of our friends, and even made a few new ones as the week progressed.

 Neither of us had ever been to spring fling before, so it was an amazing experience for us. The Fredericksburg area RC club`s field is absolutely beautiful. It has two very large flying areas, air conditioned showers and restrooms, and an air conditioned clubhouse. It is truly one of the nicest flying fields we have ever visited.

We didn`t fly the first day, but we made up for it on Friday. Grace and I must have flown at least 10 times each, and I was having a lot of fun doing autos.

When we were not flying, Judith from Miniature Aircraft was taking photos of the team. so I decided to ham a little for the camera. I`m glad I did, because I love the photo she took of me so much, that I made it my new FaceBook profile image.

Friday night after the flying wound down, we all went to dinner at Poco Loco Mexican restaurant, Which is only 2 minutes away from the field. That place was amazing! The food was really good, and the service was outstanding. After dinner, we went back to the field, and tried to get some sleep. That didn`t happen, because we had our tent set up too close to the night flying area. So we decided that Saturday.... we were going to move to a hotel. We ended up in the same hotel as the team, so we still didn`t get to bed as early as I wanted to...Hahahaha.

Saturday and Sunday were not as nice as far as the weather went. It was cold and misty on both days, but it didn`t stop the party. There was still a lot of flying going on. Mitch and Josef were also testing the new Interceptor 700SN, which should be available very soon.

Miniature Aircraft was one of the major sponsors of the spring fling, and we definitely made a showing. Josef and Judith donated two helicopter kits to be given away in the pilot raffles as well. An Interceptor 600G, and a Fury 57SN.

Also..... We had the pleasure of meeting Simone Zunterer from Germany. She is such a wonder person, and she is a LOT of fun to be around. I hope we get to see her again very soon.

If you have never been to the Virginia spring fling, you should definitely put this event on your calendar. Grace and I had been putting it off for the longest time, because of the long drive. But it was well worth the trip, and it`s now on our list of must go events every year.

I want to give a huge thank you to everyone who works so hard to make this event happen. You guys are awesome, and we all appreciate your hard work and dedication to the hobby.

I would also like to thank Josef and Judith of Miniature Aircraft, for all of the support that they have given to me over that past several years. I love you guys so much, and I will see you at the next event.

On December 8-9-10, 2023, The Orlando Radio Controlled Helicopter Society (TORCHS) held their annual Winter Bash. The Winter Bash is a radio controlled helicopter fun fly that should be on every RC helicopter pilot`s calendar.

It`s a fairly large event, which took the place of an event we called OHB...the Orlando Helicopter Blowout. This year, there were a little over 100 registered pilots, and at least that many spectators.

One thing that I really enjoy about the Winter Bash is that it is a very relaxed setting, and there is no pressure to do demo flights of contests. It`s just a bunch of like minded friends getting together to have some fun, and to catch up on what`s happened since the previous year.

My main sponsor, Miniature Aircraft, traveled all the way from Germany to attend the event. I had such a wonderful time hanging out with Judith and Josef, and the entire team that weekend. We flew our helicopters, promoted the Miniature Aircraft brand, and just enjoyed the event during the days. But our fun did not stop there. In the evenings, we all went out to have dinner at some nice area restaurants.

My sister Grace and I usually do tent camping when we attend events together, but this year... we decided to treat ourselves to a hotel for the weekend. We stayed at the same hotel that the rest of the Miniature Aircraft team stayed, which caused us to have even more fun. Having a hot shower, a warm bed, and A/C really appealed to us too. So We`re thinking of staying at that hotel again next year.

Raja was there as well, putting on an awesome show with his Whiplash Turbine. That helicopter always draws a crowd when he sends it up. He was also showing off his incredible auto rotation skills with the turbine, and his Whiplash gasser. 

If you have never attended the Winter Bash, it is truly an event to consider. It`s a lot of fun, and there is always a good time to be had. Not to mention, that there are food vendors on site to keep us fed and happy. Plus the pilot raffle is always really good, with a lot of high dollar prizes being given away to a lot of lucky winners. 

So come on out to the TORCHS Winter Bash next December, and have a great time with us. I`m already planning for it. I hope to see you all there.

As always...... Safe and happy flying to everyone. :)

A couple of weeks ago I attended the Fall Heli Classic and F3C contest at triple Creek RC club. Triple Creek is located in Riverview Florida and it is a very nice field.

The turnout was pretty good with somewhere around 40 registered pilots showing up for the fun fly and general flying. The F3C contest was my focus as it has been for the past couple years. There were about 8 of us competing. 5 flying P and F schedule with myself and two others competing in Sportsman class.

My first 3 rounds were really good, and gave me a strong lead. But in the 4th round, I had a stroke of bad luck. I crashed my model during the aerobatic maneuvers, which caused me to lose the round. Having no backup model with me I had to finish the last two rounds with my Whiplash nitro. Which is a 3D helicopter, and nowhere close to being set up for contest flying.

I didn`t do nearly as well as I could have done with my contest model, but I did well enough to secure first place. I have won Sportsman a few times now, and I fell that it`s time to say goodby to Sportsman class and move up to advanced class. The next contest is at AMPS flying field in Miami, Florida in March, so I have lots of work to do to get ready for the advanced class.

I would like to take a moment to give a heartfelt thank you to all of my fantastic sponsors. I couldn`t do this without you guys. :)

Miniature Aircraft. HeliDirect, KBDD International, Bavarian Demon, Pulse Battery, Xpert Servos, Kontronik Drives.

My sister Grace and I started our adventure to Muncie Indiana on 8-7-23, to attend IRCHA 2023. we took two cars, and communicated with each other via our phones for the entire trip.....I`m glad we both have unlimited talk and text.

We stopped a few times for gas and refreshments, and also at a couple of highway rest areas, to just get out of the cars for a few minutes. The trip up to Muncie was very smooth, and relatively traffic free, and we were able to make good time. We stopped to get a hotel room in Williamstown ( I think that`s the name of the town) Kentucky, and turned in for the night. 

The next morning, we got up and loaded the helicopters back into our cars, and went for breakfast at a nearby Cracker Barrel.....Their biscuit benny is fantastic, BTW. After breakfast we topped off the gas tanks, and got back on the road. We arrived at the AMA headquarters at around 16:30 on 8-8-23, and began setting up our camp.

Once camp was set up, we started walking around and saying hi to all of our friends, whom we had not seen since the last event. Then we came back to our camp, and just relaxed and let the fatigue from the long (21 hour) drive wear off.

IRCHA was officially kicked off with the National Anthem, with JC Zankl flying our beloved American Flag around the flight line from one of his vintage helicopters..... It gives me chills every time he does that. Thank you JC, for doing that for us. I for one REALLY appreciate it.

Day one and two were a little slow, and there was not too much going on. It was mostly just a meet and greet for everyone to catch up with each other and just hang out. After that, it started picking up as more and more people started to show up.

Miniature Aircraft was there in force, and we had a lot of fun doing demos, and showcasing the new Interceptor as well as the new Sukara rotor head and swash plate.

No helicopter event would be complete without the Whiplash Turbine, and we had a few of them on hand. Cade, and Raja put on some spectacular flights with their Turbine Whiplashes, and they really drew a crowd when they fired them up.

Cade has a smoke oil pump on his Turbine Whiplash, that allows him to pump smoke oil into the exhaust of the engine. Making for a really cool effect when flying. It was truly amazing to watch when he was doing 3D with his Turbine Whiplash.

Although IRCHA 2023 was not as large as previous years, I still call it a success. I had a great time, caught up with a lot of old friends, and made a lot of new ones too.

I also got to do demo flights for Miniature Aircraft, Kontronik Drives, and Helidirect on Friday and Saturday. Plus I competed in Battle of the Brands again this year. I didn`t do as well as I did last time though. I was asked to do it a day before the contest, and I didn`t have any musik, or a routine. So I had to get Leroy to play a hip-hoppy song foe, and wing it....LOL I had a great time though.

But I`m going to be ready for them next year. I`m going to have musik and a routine worked up.......just in case...LOL.

I want to give a very... VERY big thank you to Josef and Judith of Miniature Aircraft for all of the amazing support that they have given to me over the past few years. They are truly wonderful people, who have a deep passion for RC helicopters and the entire RC helicopter community. Team Miniature Aircraft are not just a team. We`re family.