Author: Tim DiPeri

Edition: Model Aviation - 2024/12
Page Numbers: 84, 85, 86
RC helicopter pilots and organizers gathered beneath a canopy at the competition.

RC HELICOPTER NATS AND F3CN TEAM SELECTION

By Tim DiPeri | timd​​iperi@caseco-inc.com

RC helicopter pilots and organizers gathered beneath a canopy at the competition.
ARCCHS President Tom Dooley provides instructions to the RC Helicopter Nats pilots.

FOR THE FIRST TIME in many years, the RC Helicopter Nats was managed and run by a brand new Special Interest Group (SIG). The American Radio Control Competition Helicopter Society (ARCCHS) is the SIG focused on the betterment of model helicopter participation through competition.

Because this was a US team selection year for the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) F3CN World Championships for RC Model Helicopters (every odd year), even more complexity was introduced. With the hard work of rookie Event Director Chris Goodin and veteran Team Selection Coordinator Craig Bradley, as well Assistant Contest Director (CD)/Scale CD Darrell Sprayberry, the entire event moved like a well-oiled machine.

Most pilots arrived Saturday, August 3, for Sunday’s beginning rounds. Because the FAI F2 World Championships for Control Line Model Aircraft were also being held at AMA’s International Aeromodeling Center, we flew in an area at Site 3 that was new to us. The event management, as well as ARCCHS President Tom Dooley, got the markings and the field handled quickly—we even had time to do some practice on Saturday.

I’m very pleased that we had four days to complete the competitions. Most pilots also filled in as judges; this, after hours in the sun, caused a great level of exhaustion at the end of the day.

We started Sunday morning and finished Wednesday midafternoon. We maxed out at approximately 50 formal competition rounds in a day. For a single flightline, that was more than enough!

The overall event consisted of Scale (518 Precision, Team Scale, and Sport Scale), AMA (Sportsman and Expert), and FAI (F3C and F3N team selection). If that sounds like a lot, yep, it was! If it wasn’t for the hard work of Chris, Craig, Darrell, and many others, this would have been a flop. Thank you to all!

I’ve been to almost every Nats held in Muncie, Indiana, in the past 30 years (I missed one). This one appeared to have some evidence of new pilots entering classes. Sportsman, Expert, and Scale all had new competitors, which is a great thing for growth.

One “impromptu” item that happened one day (I’m guessing this will be planned in the future) was an open clinic discussion after flying. Some of the experienced pilots (including Cliff Hiatt, a previous world champion; Tom, a previous USA World Championships team member; and Gordie Meade, a USA Worlds judge) spent a great deal of time discussing and answering questions to help pilots improve their flying (and, thus, scores). I was very impressed with the number of pilots who stayed to be involved. This was a great addition.

The final results are as follows:

Sportsman

  1. Douglas Trent: 5,964.07
  2. Satinder Dhindsa: 5,634.42
  3. Daniel Lucente: 5,491.65
  4. Daniel Hiller: 5,176.30
  5. Doug Leeka: 5,134.23
  6. Steve O’Connor: 5,104.86
  7. Joseph Ginski: 1,339.25
Sportsman competitor Steve O’Connor standing with an RC helicopter in a field.
Sportsman competitor Steve O’Connor.
Sportsman competitor Dan Lucente walking with an RC helicopter and transmitter.
Sportsman competitor Dan Lucente walks away from the flightline after a solid flight.
Judges seated beside a flightline evaluating an F3C flight.
An F3C flight is evaluated by the five judges.
Black Airwolf model helicopter on a table
A beautiful Airwolf helicopter is judged for static points.
Two men shaking hands at an RC helicopter event
Event Director Chris Goodin (L) congratulates first-time F3N competitor Scott Graham (R), who came in second place to become a first-time USA F3N Team member.

Expert

  1. Gordie Meade: 5,000.00
  2. Michael Graves II: 4,767.68

FAI/F3C

  1. Nicholas Maxwell: 2,000.00 (2025 USA Team member)
  2. Yasunobu Muraki: 1,875.07 (2025 USA Team member)
  3. Michael Goza: 1,834.41 (2025 USA Team member)
  4. Clifford Hiatt: 1,807.11 (USA Team alternate)
  5. Timothy DiPeri: 1,647.02

FAI/F3N

  1. Nicholas Maxwell: 3,000.00 (2025 USA Team member)

  1. Scott Graham: 2,400.56 (2025 USA Team member)
  2. Cade Ciripompa: 2,178.32 (2025 USA Team member)

Sport Scale 518

  1. Timothy DiPeri: 2,778.93
  2. Eaton Bryce: 2,446.03
  3. Mark Allen: 2,393.89
  4. Emile Sheriff: 1,841.35

Team Scale

  1. Gordie Meade/Yasunobu Muraki: 4,000
  2. Mark Allen/Emile Sheriff: 3,633.16

518 Scale

  1. Emile Sheriff: 4,000

Overall, this turned out to be a great AMA RC Helicopter Nats, with awesome conditions and pilots. ARCCHS also did a great job and is looking forward to the future of competition in the US. Good luck to our 2025 USA Team for the F3CN World Championships, to be held in Romania.

SOURCES:

ARCCHS
www.arcchs.org

2024 AMA Nats
https://nats.modelaircraft.org

USA F3CN World Championships Team members standing with model helicopters
The USA F3CN World Championships Team (L-R): Yasunobu Muraki (F3C), Scott (F3N), Nicholas Maxwell (F3N/F3C), Mike Goza (F3C), Clifford Hiatt (F3C alternate), and Cade Ciripompa (F3N).