Up, up and away - 'FunFly' held by Palomar RC Flyers

Last weekend, nearly 40 pilots from a variety of cities throughout the southland converged on the Palomar RC Flyers field to share a love for their hobby and to take the opportunity to learn from the masters. One of those famous and entertaining pilots was Danny Szabo. Danny amazed his peers and visitors with some spectacular acrobatic-type flying of several different Nitro (gas) radio-controlled mini-helicopters.

The three-day event Friday, May 11 through Sunday, May 13 and included a special evening event… night flying. Only a few pilots participated in this event, possibly due to the difficulty in seeing and the associated high risk of crashing their helicopters. Glow tubes wired on the landing runners, multi-colored “glowires” wound around various parts of the helicopters, and lights on the tips of the rotor blades made for a very special sight for spectators.

Daytime festivities included a variety of demonstrations, raffles, and opportunities for pilots of all skill levels to test and hone their flying skills. There was no charge to visitors attending these events and hundreds of visitors did attend this weekend show. The event, although dominated by males, was found to be entertaining to both genders and all age groups.

Some visitors contemplated getting their own helicopter or other flying machines. Pilots were eager to talk with visitors about their hobby. Depending on a variety of factors, the cost appeared to range from a few hundred to over $3,000 with an average investment in the hobby of around $1,500.

Both electric and gas powered helicopters were flown in this event. The Palomar RC Flyers club is San Diego’s largest powered radio-controlled flying club. Membership and future event information is available at http://www.palomarrcflyers.org.