Ircha Jamboree

Author: Tim DiPeri

Edition: Model Aviation - 2023/12
Page Numbers: 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29

Buddy RC vendor booth with people and model helicopter products.

Horizon Hobby vendor booth displaying model aircraft, helicopters, and radio equipment. — Horizon Hobby always has great new and cool products.

A model helicopter flying low over a grassy field. — F3N World Champion Kenny Ko smacks his XLPower model around.

HeliDirect service team members standing behind a vendor display. — The HeliDirect service team is always happy to help. It is a great company and a great group of people with whom to work.

IRCHA JAMBOREE

International participation grows in 2023

By Tim DiPeri
timdiperi@caseco-inc.com
Photos by the author and Jennifer Alderman

This year, the model helicopter community was provided with the most robust and event-packed time since 2009, with the AMA Nats, the 2023 F3CN World Championships for Model Helicopters, and the 2023 International Radio Controlled Helicopter Association (IRCHA) Jamboree.

The IRCHA Jamboree had many more visitors, vendors, and pilots from outside of North America than normal. Some of that had to do with the pandemic being in the rearview mirror and some with the number of international visitors who traveled here for the World Championships. Whatever the reason, it was wonderful to see new and old friends from around the world.

For those who haven’t attended or don’t know, IRCHA Jamboree week begins on a Saturday and ends the following Sunday. During the first few days, people arrived and the event was set up with a multitude of tents, stripes, and field manicuring. These “small” things need to be done early in the week so that all is in place when vendors arrived to set up Wednesday morning.

I had a chance to walk through the event area while vendors were setting up. It was interesting to chat with some of them before things got busy. A number of vendors attended with new products and/or technologies to show.

Quite a few retail companies were on-site to support the event pilots, as well as to offer show specials all week. One of the long-term loyal sponsors was HeliDirect. It is one of the largest dealers in North America that specializes in model helicopter products.

Many well-known products are exclusively imported by HeliDirect (such as Pulse and Goosky) and it also has a great stock of nearly every other brand in the model helicopter market. During the event, the HeliDirect team set up a large shop inside of the Platinum sponsor area and had multiple shipments arrive each day to replenish stock. (The company’s warehouse is only a few miles from the AMA compound.)

In addition to providing exceptional service at the IRCHA Jamboree, HeliDirect also filled the event with team pilots. These pilots helped and performed demonstrations throughout the entire week. HeliDirect team pilots flew a wide variety of products. Professional pilots, such as Jamie Robertson and Ben Storick (and many more), were always visible in HeliDirect shirts.

BK Hobbies (Bert Kammerer) has been a dedicated part of the IRCHA Jamboree for many years. The company sells SAB USA products and serves the US market with excellent product technologies, as well as quality service. SAB model helicopters is one of the most popular and high-quality brands available.

The BK flight team members were always in great form. It was hard to find a time of day that at least one of the team pilots was not at a flight station showing just what SAB models are capable of. I have known Bert and his lovely wife, Suzi, for years. The two of them have become one of the successful businesses within the model helicopter community in a hobby they love.

BK was promoting the new SAB Raw 500 model helicopter. This model is designed to be a great size, regardless of the modeler’s interest. For a newcomer, the helicopter is big enough to easily see and deal with in windy conditions. An experienced pilot will enjoy the convenience of its size and there is plenty of canopy area to see it during complex maneuvers.

Kontronik Power Systems had an interesting display setup manned by the North American team. In addition to the team showing a variety of Kontronik-equipped models, other interesting products were on display as well.

Kontronik (Sobek Drives) is a premier manufacturer of high-quality electric power systems. A newer technology, mostly used in the industrial drone market, is the ability for redundancy internal to a single motor. Sobek Drives perfected a design that allows a motor to continue to operate in the event that an ESC and/or power supply is faulty.

Another unique technology gaining interest in 2023 is Project 1. This new motor technology, introduced by Kontronik earlier in 2023, incorporates a design that includes an ultra-high degree of reliability and performance. This motor is also the first of its kind to provide internal motor temperature via telemetry. This information can be invaluable when predicting imminent problems because of conditions or the environment. Industrial applications, in addition to large and costly models, will benefit greatly from the additional level of information that is collected.

Horizon Hobby has so many different products that

Vario Chinook model helicopter in flight — This beautiful Vario Chinook is owned and flown by Sandy Jaffee.

Kontronik team members standing behind a display of model helicopters and power systems — Team Kontronik USA displayed the latest and greatest technologies in power systems.

Model helicopter flying over a field — During the Battle of the Brands, Denmark pilot Rasmus Jakobsen wowed the crowd with his OXY Helicopter model.

Large model Comanche helicopter in flight — Len Mount designed this Comanche that Even Sayers built and owns.

it’s hard to decide what you want first! The team set up its beautiful displays of technology, including the Blade line of quality model helicopters and Spektrum RC items.

One non-helicopter-related item that caught my eye was an RC motorcycle! They were running those all over the field and there was no telling how many they sold at the IRCHA Jamboree! Lots of fun, for sure.

Activities

Throughout the event, there was always something going on to watch or participate in. Many vendors had special drawings in their booth space, as well as Power Hours (factory demonstrations). Additionally, any pilot could participate in dedicated events, including the IRCHA Speed Cup, throughout the week.

Power Hours have traditionally been a time to see professional pilots in action. This year, more so than in recent years, had many international pilot celebrities joining the fun. Each Power Hour, held Thursday through Saturday, offered different technologies and the excitement of flight performance.

Finally, three major and popular events were the traditional night-fly competition, the King of the Midnight Sun (KMS), and the signature event, Battle of the Brands. The two nighttime events, Friday and Saturday, were open to anyone. The traditional night-fly allows anyone with internal illumination to participate. This is always very entertaining and popular.

The KMS event is the closing of the formal IRCHA Jamboree. Any helicopter can be used to perform under large construction lights. The Battle of the Brands is the world-renowned signature IRCHA event. Fourteen of the very best pilots in the world show the crowd and official judges what they can do. It is one flight and one set of music for all of the glory!

Well-known pilots from around the world included multi-time F3N and 3D World Champion Kenny Ko, Nick Maxwell, Rasmus Jakobsen, Mitch Marozas, Chris Diamanti, and many others who left it all out on the field. All performed for the brands that they support, with a goal of being crowned the 2023 champion.

At the end of it all, it was difficult to decide on the best of the best. The formal judges and crowd participation decided on Mitch Marozas, a Chicago police officer who has been a part of the model helicopter community from before he was able to shave. Flying for Futaba, Mitch performed an exciting, technical flight and really kept the crowd on its feet.

In Conclusion

For those who were not aware, I was a part of the IRCHA board of directors for many years. It is an honor to have worked with some of the finest and most dedicated people I have ever known, in any part of my life. My 50-plus years in model aviation have been a real gift. The organization is in excellent hands and I wish it well.