The Heli Extravaganza
Chris Mulcahy
cspaced@gmail.com
Every September, I attend the Heli Extravaganza at the Triple Tree Aerodrome in Woodruff, South Carolina, and each year it gets just a little bit better. It’s always fun catching up with friends and watching awesome flying, but there’s something about that place that keeps luring me back.
There were a couple of additions this year that made the event that much better. The RV hookups were affordable, with water and power provided, making life a little easier for those who camped.
One evening, while chatting with Triple Tree’s founder, Pat Hartness, he commented that if there was anything we needed, to let him know. I thought for a moment, and said that it would be great if we could have a couple of light towers next year so that everyone could continue flying after dark. There were
a few people with night-flying rigs, but light towers would open up the flying for everyone to try without using night blades or special equipment.
Well, forget about next year. That next morning there were two light towers
next to the runway. The flying continued well into the night, and there was a lot of excitement. Many pilots who had never flown under floodlights got to try it for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Pat! I look forward to seeing everyone night fly next year.
It was great to see pilots of all skill levels flying on the same flightline. At events such as this, I usually see newer pilots who seem to feel intimidated by the more experienced pilots. They “just want to watch” and not do any flying. I was happy to see that there was little of that going on at this event.
At the end of the day, if you are having fun, you are doing it right. The only way to improve your skills is to get time in the air, and events such as this expose you to new flying styles and maneuvers, as well as experienced people who can help you along the way. Don’t be nervous about flying at events—all of those “experienced” pilots started at the beginning too!
The pond is always an attraction for the heli pilots, at least when the floatplanes aren’t hogging it! The truth is that many of us bring floatplanes to the Heli Extravaganza to take advantage of the awesome pond. It’s a nice way to relax at the end of the day!
Back to helicopters. Nick Maxwell put on an awesome show over the water, as did Neal Kapaloric, who is a member of Team Gaui. JC Zankl was the only one who had to wade into the water to retrieve his helicopter, and a small, inconspicuous sign was left as a reminder
at the water’s edge for the rest of the event.
There were a few vendors at the Heli Extravaganza, such as Gaui and Empire Hobby, Random Heli, Castle Creations, Peak Aircraft, and Only Fine Helis, but not nearly as many as there were in previous years. Everyone appreciated the vendors that were there because we all understand there is a cost to travel to events.
If being there wasn’t enough, Gaui raffled off a helicopter kit at its tent then pulled a second ticket and gave away another kit! Pretty cool! The company took it a step further and donated the money raised through the raffle to Triple Tree! A class act indeed.
Darrell Sprayberry manned the grill and cooked burgers, hot dogs, and chicken for lunch for everyone, and there was also a pilots’ lunch that consisted of fried chicken and sides. Good stuff!
The crew at Triple Tree is open to ideas for the Heli Extravaganza. If you have suggestions, just let them know.
Thanks also go to Steve Rogers and Darrell Sprayberry for organizing the event—great job! Put it on your calendar for September 2018. It is sure to be a blast.
SOURCES:
International Radio Controlled Helicopter Association (IRCHA)
www.ircha.org
Triple Tree Aerodrome
www.tripletreeaerodrome.com
Castle Creations
(913) 390-6939
www.castlecreations.com
Only Fine Helis
(434) 374-5777
www.onlyfinehelis.com
Peak Aircraft
www.peakaircraft.com
Random Heli
www.randomheli.com
Empire Hobby
(480) 982-0909
www.empirehobby.com
