by Jack Upchurch | Jul 12, 2018 | District News, Events, Radio Control, RC Jets, Scale
I just spent the day enjoying wonderful weather, great friendly people and some pretty spectacular airplanes. Anybody in range should drop whatever they are doing and get to Lums Pond to see this event. This is a family friendly environment with good food provided by a local Scout Troup. Wanted to share some photos to share the feel of what is going on- biplanes, triplanes, 3 scale warthog jets flying together- something for everyone. Link to the event website for more information: ...
by Jack Upchurch | May 7, 2017 | Events, RC Jets
Eastern Shore Aeromodelers Club #4095 (ESAC) hosted its first ever Jet Rally at the field on Saturday, April 29. The club now has 4 Turbine Waiver pilots with Tom Perkin being the latest to join the ranks flying his qualifying flight at the event with Andy Kane, CD/Turbine Waiver holder and Dennis Blades, Event coordinator/Turbine Waiver holder providing the required signatures on the Waiver Application. Larry Roper of Boomerang RC Jets and Steven Goler District 1 AVP) were in attendance all the way from Maine. It has long been a club goal to share the wide open field with as many AMA hobbyists as possible, and hosting a Jet Event was the latest effort. ESAC currently hosts an annual Control Line event and two IMAC competitions during a normal year. Sharing our wonderful field with the public and other AMA members is one way to keep the hobby alive. Several invited pilots were unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts, but an open invitation is extended to come fly any time. In addition to Tom obtaining his waiver, the folks from Boomerang RC Jets set up a buddy box and invited members to fly. It was totally amazing that total strangers would be invited to experience turbine jet flight with the AMA card as the only requirement. What a great hobby and what a great experience to meet new friends like this. While lunch was cooking Gary asked permission to fly his QuadCopter (AKA ‘drone’) and let some of the spectators and members try it out. A link to the video from part of that flight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6tlS3cVBMs Some pictures...
by Robert Vess | Jun 16, 2015 | RC Jets
On May 20-24, 2015, the Wilson Industrial Air Center in Wilson, NC became one of the busiest airports in the country. RC jet enthusiasts from across the country descended upon this airport to fly off it’s huge main runway and over the wide open expanse of obstacle-free property that once served as a military training base. Event organizers Larry Lewis (CD) and myself once again worked with very supportive city/airport officials and a crack team of hard working volunteers to plan and execute this well orchestrated jet fly-in. The photo to the left shows the perfect layout that the venue promotes. The wide, center taxiway stretching from the FBO to the runway was flanked with pilot tents and their aircraft lined the edges of the pavement so that the public could stroll by and examine them up close. A barrier fence kept non-pilots a safe distance from startup area and flight line but bleachers positioned at show center kept them up front with an unobstructed view of the action. This was most appreciated by our guests whom we introduced to our awesome hobby with professionalism and flair. Jeff Stubbs’ complete video from which the image was taken can be found by clicking this link. The weather was beautiful and the pilots kept the six flight stations busy for nearly the entire five days. The number and variety of jets was stunning as was the skill that was demonstrated in their flight. The equipment and airframes have evolved to a level that promotes frequent, safe operation of these high performance aircraft. And this adds up to many, many trouble-free and impressive flights. It also turns the event into an “airshow” for the crowd who, frankly, were...
by Robert Vess | May 13, 2015 | RC Jets
May is a busy month for big RC events and one more to add to the list is the fantastic “First in Flight” RC Jet Rally in Wilson, NC. This large and exciting event draws pilots from across the country to the Wilson Industrial Air Center, which has gained the reputation for being a remarkable venue for such a gathering. Jets are flown from the 4500 x 150 foot main runway over the expansive airport grounds that almost makes it a dream experience for the participants. With full support of the City of Wilson and the airport management, event organizers Larry Lewis and myself are given “carte blanche” to make it a safe and memorable event for pilots and spectators alike! We are expecting over 100 pilots again this year and with 300 or more jets in one place you can count on non-stop flying action. We are also looking forward to hosting our AMA Executive Director Dave Matthewson and District IV VP Jay Marsh as our special guests. You can count on some post-event coverage here in the near...
