IRCHA Jamboree

THE BIGGEST HELICOPTER EVENT OF THEM ALL

The biggest helicopter event of them all

The IRCHA (International Radio Control Helicopter Association) Jamboree is the world’s largest RC helicopter flying event, welcoming fliers of all interests and skill levels to the National Flying Site of the Academy of Model Aeronautics each August. While high-performance 3D aerobatics predominates at the Jamboree, there are flying venues scattered around the site to cater to other interests, including micro helis and outright beginners. This year’s event was somewhat smaller than in previous years, but this meant pilots rarely had to wait for a flight station. Whatever the attendance, there was a lot of flying going on.

WHAT’S NEW

With the huge growth in interest in quadcopters of all kinds, pure helicopter events like the Jamboree are getting a little smaller. This impression was borne out in conversations with longstanding vendors at the event, who are reporting a significant shift toward multirotor kits and hardware. Electric power has become predominant for RC helicopters of all sizes, but there are still some outstanding nitro helis on the market. On the electric side, more vendors are offering plug-and-play charging stations that can manage your batteries off AC, 12-volt, or generator power.

FLYING COMPETITIONS

IRCHA always features some great competitions, the big one being the “Battle of the Brands,” where pilots for Platinum and Gold-level sponsors compete in a simple one-flight format. Pilots are allowed only a single heli, so an early crash is an automatic

disqualification. While there were some superb flights this year, Nick Maxwell was crowned champion by smartphone voting. Nick’s combination of precision and daring is truly spectacular.

The annual IRCHA Speed Cup had more than 20 pilots competing in classes for Formula (fully enclosed) and Sport (pod and boom) helicopters, and the Sport class was further divided into electric and nitro classes. In the premier 700-size Formula class, perennial champion Miles Dunkel clocked average left and right passes of 198mph. It was really impressive.

JUST LIKE THE FULL-SIZE

At the Jamboree, scale flying takes place in the southwest corner of the flying site, and a large tent is provided for displaying these gorgeous machines. In addition to lots of informal open flying, there’s also the IRCHA Scale competition. This year’s scale champion was Steve Smith, flying his tried-and-true AH-1W Whiskey Cobra. Second place went to Eaton Bryce with his Eurocopter AS355 built from a 30-year-old Schlüter kit, and third was Stan Kopreski and his big Coast Guard Sikorsky H-34.

SHOW CENTER

There is always something happening at Show Center. The flying day is broken into one-hour blocks for vendors to demonstrate their latest helicopters and other products, and the demo flying is excellent. I’m always struck by the sheer number of outstanding 3D fliers, and there are more young people showing up every year.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I travel to flying events all across the country, and I can honestly say that the Jamboree is in a class of its own. The IRCHA committee does a wonderful job of organizing the event, and there’s literally something for everyone.

Caleb Turner and his dad traveled from Clarksville, Virginia, for the event. Caleb is 11 years old and has been flying for five years. He was impressive with his MSH Protos 700. With its McClareninfluenced airflow control, the SAB Comet 700 shows great...

Tom Mast of rotormast.com has been flying his amazing V-22 Osprey design for years, and the effect is impressive. While the scale venue was a little too confined, the V-22 is capable of transition to wingborne flight. The Osprey is available in a...

While he’d flown it before unpainted, Steve Smith did the “real” maiden flight with his awesome giant-scale Airwolf. Steve was a bundle of nerves for this all-important flight, but you never would have known it from Airwolf’s silky smooth handling....