RC HELICOPTERS
WHAT IS IRCHA?
By Tim DiPeri | timdiperi@caseco-inc.com
TO OFFER COMPLETE TRANSPARENCY, I have served as one of the five officers of the International Radio Controlled Helicopter Association (IRCHA) AMA Special Interest Group (SIG) for several years. With that stated, I will be as unbiased as possible in my discussion and simply share the information that I know.
IRCHA represents the entire scope of model helicopters—Scale, Speed, precision, freestyle, turbine, etc. For those who are unfamiliar with SIGs, they behave as the voice of each specific model community for safety, competition, education, planning, etc.
Many of the day-to-day efforts from IRCHA are quite transparent to most members but, unfortunately, the efforts are also not obvious to most because they are just that—day-to-day business.
IRCHA is commonly thought of as an event. I suspect that a large number of people reading this column associate it with (and only with) the IRCHA Helicopter Jamboree. The Jamboree is a large part of our labors (especially as we get within 180 days of the start date), but we also must (and do) continue the work of the organization. The Jamboree, as it stands, is a culmination of the efforts of many people for more than 30 years, and it is the flagship product for the IRCHA membership.
The Jamboree is the most visible result of the organization. It is the largest model helicopter gathering in the world. It’s part fun-fly, part competition, part trade show, and part party. It attracts pilots and vendors from around the world—it is the only event at which you can experience it all!
I would like to spend more time on what the organization does outside of that time and, just as importantly, provide a glimpse of some of the things to come in the future and what we would like to do, with your help.
Because leadership in this organization is completely voluntary, there are limits to what can be accomplished and when. For this reason, we are accepting applications for ambassadors and can use that help! The link to the IRCHA Ambassador guidelines and expectations, as well as the application is listed in “Sources.”
What IRCHA Does
- AMA Nats Helicopter Championships and USA World Championships teams selections: IRCHA finances, supports, and runs all of the Nats and the world championship teams selection events that are related to RC helicopters. IRCHA founder Don Chapman was a big supporter of helicopter competition.
I flew in contests with him, and he believed that competition encourages the advancement of skills. The Nats are an integral part of the legacy of the organization and its founder. - A united voice of the model helicopter community: Members regularly contact IRCHA board members with issues that might be addressed with AMA to embellish rules or procedures. IRCHA behaves as a consultant to AMA so that we can help one another understand how to make this hobby/sport safe and fun as equipment performance evolves.
- Defined procedures to help pilots improve skillsets: The IRCHA Pilot Proficiency Program (PPP) is intended to help pilots strive for improvement and to be recognized for it. This service (with approved ambassadors) is offered at the IRCHA Jamboree. The pilot is recognized at the event and awarded afterward.
- Newsletter for members (new for 2022!): This quarterly newsletter is aimed at helicopter pilots and intended to provide short details about events, technology, news, etc.
IRCHA ambassadors discuss regional events to allow the membership to enjoy a glimpse of what is happening in an area to which they might not be able to travel. This newsletter contains new product information provided by vendors as a “first look” at what’s new. Additionally, we have some of the world’s finest pilots who write and offer a view into their areas of interest.
Anyone can contribute to the newsletter. We encourage those who have an interest to provide pictures and a paragraph or two. Send it to our editor/ambassador, Matt Jost. His email is listed in “Sources.”
5. F3C/F3N World Championships: During odd years, a model helicopter world championship competition is held. The last one in the US was in 2009. IRCHA has agreed to host the 2023 F3CN World Championship for RC Model Helicopters in Muncie, Indiana, at the International Aeromodeling Center, to be held immediately before the 2023 IRCHA Jamboree.
An event of this magnitude is a tremendous undertaking, potentially requiring up to four flightlines and 20 seated judges! Officers, ambassadors, and many volunteers are needed to make this prestigious event successful, and several have already been hard at work for more than a year!
6. Regional event support sponsorship: Before the pandemic, IRCHA engaged in a trial IRCHA Endorsed Event (IEE). The intention was to offer support, potentially provide some special IRCHA prizes and marketing through the IRCHA website, and to help give prospective pilots an easy way to see available events. Additionally, we had a single, attractive prize in a drawing that only IRCHA members would be eligible to win. When COVID-19 hit, that concept was delayed, but it should be revealed in the future.
7. Model helicopter world event calendar (in process for late 2022): IRCHA, with the encouragement of several pilots and event directors, has decided to provide a simple, easy, and free way for IRCHA members to have a look at an event calendar at any time. Additionally, any helicopter-related event host will have the ability to have his or her gathering posted through our event ambassador. Any IEE will be highlighted in bold and added to quarterly newsletters as well.
8. IRCHA ambassador for support in local regions: IRCHA ambassadors have a wide range of functions that they perform for the organization. Although the intention is to have several regional people to hear your concerns and support local events, some perform duties that are more universal. Ambassadors take on responsibilities such as the newsletter, the event calendar, and the PPP, and are primarily in place to make the organization better for its members.
In conclusion, similar to most volunteer organizations, IRCHA is limited in manpower. The five officers all have jobs, families, and other responsibilities. I would guess that each officer spends between 500 and 1,000 hours of time volunteering for IRCHA alone!
IRCHA is fortunate to have dependable, hard-working ambassadors and event volunteers. As the number of volunteers increases, the organization can do more for the members. IRCHA is always open to new volunteers. The officers are also always open to constructive suggestions—especially when they come from someone who is willing to help!
SOURCES:
IRCHA
www.ircha.org
IRCHA Ambassador information
www.ircha.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/IRCHA-Ambassador-Guidelines.pdf
IRCHA PPP
www.ircha.org/ppp-program
Matt Jost
matt.jost@ircha.org
