Come Fly With Us…
Flybar-Equipped and Pre-2010 Helicopters Welcome
We’ve got multiple forward flight boxes, two hover-around stations, presentations on heli restoration, night-flying, burgers/hot-dogs, camping, music, and a fire pit…and a whole bunch of people who love this stuff.
Don’t miss it. It’s gonna be a hoot!
Who Are We and Why Are We Doing This?
We’re a couple of sport pilots who have been into RC helicopters since we were teenagers. We are not professionals, we have nothing to sell you, and this event is not a business.
What we do have are the classic machines we grew up on — the ones that taught us to fly and inspired us and then sat too long. This weekend is for those helicopters and the people who still want to fly them.
Pull the old birds out. Dust them off. Burn some fuel. Meet and share with others who still love classic helicopters.
Flybar Fest is a fun fly, not a contest. Daytime flying is limited to vintage helicopters so the event actually feels like that era. You’ll even see some analog 72 MHz transmitters.
The Venue – MCRC Field
We’d like to extend a very heartfelt THANK YOU!!! to the MCRC Club for agreeing to host our event. Such a great group of people and such a wonderful field!
If you are local, please consider becoming a member.
Camping & Ammenities
A limited number of basic camp sites will be available…details coming soon.
Registration & Fees
There will be a “Landing Fee” for Pilots. Juniors will receive a discount. Spectators are free.
A limited number of Camping Passes will also be available.
Prices and details will be announced over the next few weeks.
This is a rain-or-shine event. Discounted “Early-Registration” tickets will go on sale in October.
Directions
The MCRC field is about a 35 minute drive south of downtown Tampa.
Manatee County Radio Controllers
7315 71st Ave E, Palmetto, FL 34221
Event Rules & Safety
This is a vintage radio control helicopter event. We don’t intend to run around policing everyone’s helicopters and checking manufacture dates, but we do respectfully ask that you honor the spirit of the event and please do not bring modern flybarless helicopters and expect to fly them. We have nothing against modern FBL helicopters. In fact, most of us own them as well, but this event is really about the smell of castor oil in the morning. This is your chance to dust off those old birds and fall in love with them all over again.
Vintage Helicopter Eligibility
General guidelines for what is acceptable are as follows:
- Helicopters that were produced with a flybar (even if they have since been converted to FBL).
- Helicopters manufactured Pre-2010
- Older flybarless helicopters that were produced before electronic flybarless controllers were a thing.
- Classic helicopters with flybarless 3+ blade rotorheads. (usually scale)
- Flybar-equipped or pre-2010 nitro helicopters that have been converted to electric
- Examples:
- Original Sab Goblin – sorry, no (nice bird, but was never produced with a flybar)
- Align T-Rex with Flybar – yep (electric or nitro good to go)
- Raptor 30 converted to electric motor and Lipo Batteries – yes (we have power for charging)
- Audacity Pantera P5 with Flybar – yes (still in production, but has classic flybar mechanics)
- Scale Airwolf with Hirobo Shuttle mechanics and no flybar – yes
- Hirobo Eagle with Flybarless Head – yes, OK, we’ll give it a pass cause its a classic, but you’re pushin’ it buddy…
Designated Areas (see the field diagram above)
- Flight Areas include the area north of the anchored fencing (the Flight Boxes) and the Hover-Around Station areas.
- The Assembly/Startup Area is the area between the white spectator fence and the flight line to the north. This area includes the sun shelters and the concrete startup pad.
- The Spectator Area is defined as the area south of the white fence (Spectator Line), and outside of startup or flight areas. Spectators may enter the caged area in the pilots’ den.
Spectators & Guests
- Spectators must remain in the designated spectator areas.
- Guests of Pilots (Spectators) may accompany paid Pilots in the startup areas; however the Pilot shall be responsible for their guest’s actions. Guests must be made aware of the dangers involved.
- Pilots, please be courteous and welcoming to Spectators; its easy to forget how much we’ve all learned over our time in the hobby. We were all Spectators once.
Flight Safety
- All Pilots must pay the Landing Fee and be current AMA members.
- All Pilots must abide by the AMA Safety Code and all Pilots are responsible for field safety!
- The event Safety Team consists of the Contest Director (the chief Safety Officer) and the Event Team. Yes, we have a “Contest Director” even though this isn’t really a contest.
- The Safety Team reserves the right to visually inspect any model and make a determination as to whether it may be flown or not.
- The Contest Director has final authority on all safety matters.
- Pilots are strongly encouraged to fly with an observer present at their station.
- All flying must be done within box boundaries of the designated flight areas.
- Please do not fly over the trees.
- Helicopter Start-Up may be performed in the Assembly/Startup Area, such as under the sun-shades, but all helicopters must be carried by their Pilot to the flight station and remain at least 25ft from the take-off spot (you can’t “hover over there”).
- 72 MHz Band – If your transmitter is on the 72MHz Band, your AMA card must be in the appropriate frequency slot in the Pilots’ Den before you may power on your transmitter. Do NOT turn on your transmitter if anyone else’s card is in the same frequency slot as your frequency.
- Gasoline-Powered Helicopters must be equipped with an ignition cut-off and their pilots familiarize themselves with the location of the fire extinguishers under the sun shades in pilots’ den.
Other Rules
- While Fixed-Wing RC aircraft and Control-Line models may not be flown during the day, if they are equipped, they may be flown during night-flying.
- No turbines (sorry, field lease doesn’t allow it).
- Alcoholic Beverages are not permitted anywhere at the field.
