MAYDAY HELI FEST 2026
By JC Zankl, AMA Competition and Technical Director | johnz@modelaircraft.org
I just got back from one of the longest-running RC helicopter events in the US—the 49th Mayday Heli Fest in Sulphur, Louisiana—and it did not disappoint.
Pilots from all over the country came together May 1-2 at the historic Lake Area Radio Kontrol Society (LARKS) field, where the first AMA RC Helicopter Nats was once held. The legacy here runs deep, with legends such as Dieter Schlüter, Curtis Youngblood, Todd Bennett, Jason Krause, Jamie Robertson, Phil Kraft, Walt Schoonard, and many more having been a part of this incredible event throughout the years. This year’s event set the stage for next year’s milestone—the big 50!
There were more than 37 pilots and 60-plus machines in attendance. Friday’s weather didn’t cooperate much, but Saturday turned out beautiful with nonstop flying, including some amazing night flights that carried well into Sunday morning. There were also some stunning Scale helicopters on display, including builds from Jay January and Chuck Nowell’s incredible Schlüter BK117.
Of course, Sunday wouldn’t have been complete without Uncle Bo’s famous breakfast: fried eggs, bacon, and toast for everyone, a tradition that really captured the heart of this event.
If you’re an RC helicopter enthusiast, Mayday Heli Fest is an absolute must. I’m already looking forward to next year!
Records Updates, Continued
Since my last column in the May issue, we’ve seen an incredible surge in new national records, and even a few FAI world record submissions that are now pending!
In AMA FAI national competition:
- Dave Rigotti set a blistering new record in F2G (Control Line Speed Electric) with a run of 162.06 mph.
- Reema Bharadwaj established a new Youth Junior record in F1B (Outdoor Free Flight [FF]) with an impressive 25 minutes, 16 seconds.
- Kiana Lin pushed her own limits further, resetting her Youth Junior F1Q (Electric-Powered FF) record at 21 minutes, 9 seconds.
- John Mah-Gersting also made his mark in Youth Senior F1A (Outdoor FF), with a time of 34 minutes, 42 seconds.
At the Jim Richmond Open, held April 11-13 in West Baden Springs, Indiana, at the West Baden Springs Hotel, several standout performances reshaped the record books. A Category III Indoor FF event venue, the ceiling heights are between 49 feet, 2.5 inches and 98 feet, 2.5 inches.
Caleb Finn broke the long-standing Rise-Off-Ground (ROG) Youth Junior record with a 10:10 flight, surpassing a mark that had stood for 46 years and was originally set by Dave Lindley. In a meaningful full-circle moment, Dave was there to witness it and personally congratulate Caleb, who kept the momentum going by also setting a new F1D mark with a flight of 15:43.
That record didn’t last long though—Alexander Le raised the bar with an incredible flight of 20:45. Celebrating a birthday during the event, Alexander came back the very next day to set yet another record in F1D Youth Senior with a time of 23:33.
Brett Sanborn also established a new Adult F1D record at 28:54, while Hamish Christie set a new Adult AMA Class A6 record with a time of 11:35.
At the Thermal Thumbers of Metro Atlanta April Indoor event (a Category I event with a maximum ceiling height of 26 feet, 3 inches), more records fell:
- Caleb Finn added another achievement in F1N (Indoor FF Hand-Launched Gliders) with a time of 14.1 seconds.
- Steven Griggs set a new F1D Youth Senior record at 11 minutes.
In Electric Sailplane Class D (Unlimited) Open Distance, John McNeil set a new benchmark with an impressive 4.69 miles.
Looking ahead,
several FAI world record submissions are now pending:
- Brett Sanborn has submitted an F1D flight of 28:35 in Category III (between 15 and 30 meters).
- Emma Kristal has submitted a Space Modeling S2C Payload Altitude record of 326.4 meters.
The level of talent and dedication across all classes right now is remarkable. Records continue to fall, new names are rising, and the future of model aviation has never looked stronger.
