Heli Extravaganza

09/18/2026

As we wrap-up Heli Extravaganza 2026 there's one more thing I want to do.

I want to give a giant thank you to the people on the Heli Ex team. We were short probably two people so the workload was brutal. Nonetheless, they made it happen. Each of these folks spends hours in advance of the event planning and organizing. Then they drive hours just to get to Triple Tree so they can work their butts off. Then we start all over again figuring out what we can do better so you guys have a great time. So when you see one of them at one of the other RC Heli events, say hi. And if you had a good time at Heli Ex 2026, say thanks. They made it happen and it couldn't have without them.

Jamie Burkholder
Mauryah Noble
Lane Rector
Andy Ross
Dorothy Shaw
Steve Shaw
Tima Stanley
Mary Beth Titus
Jay Treadway

09/16/2026

𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗜 𝗘𝗫 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗦𝗟𝗜𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗢 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗦

In sports, every now and then, somebody blows through previous records like it's nothing. This year two pilots did just that. The previous record for longest slide was 221 feet and was set by Matthew Tickle in 2024. Prior to that, in 2023, Angel Rojas slid 192 feet. Last year, perhaps it was the conditions, but the longest single slide was made by Jamie Burkholder at just 182 feet (yeah, just 182 feet).

Well, this year was something else. There was breeze from uphill to down, the grass was dry, and (this is probably a huge factor) for the first time, several pilots chose to enter from left to right and slide downhill.

OK, easy to say 'land downwind and downhill.' But much harder on this competition field because not only is the ground constantly falling away from you as you're trying to stay in contact but it slopes strongly to the right on the downhill half. Keeping the model on the course was far from easy.

First time Sliding Auto Contest Pilot Stephen Serrand figured it out and turned in the longest single slide of 274 feet. He beat the old record by 53 feet! And if that weren't enough, he also turned in the longest combined three slides of 667 feet as well, beating the previous record of 430 feet set by Andy Ross in 2025

So I planned to give away three sets of Random RC skis. One for the longest single slide; one for the longest combined three, and one for the longest debris field. By rights, Stephen won the first two but no way was I giving him two sets of skis. So, we awarded the 'second' prize and Darren got some skis.

This was the 6th running of the Sliding Auto Contest at Heli Extravaganza. Records were set that right now seem to hard to beat. But one record wasn't even touched—longest debris field. Last year James Palacios created a debris field 183 feet long (it had some width, too but we don't measure that). Jon Ireland got his skis for his winning debris field of 64 feet. But he's gonna have to try a lot harder if he wants to break the record.

Thanks to the pilots and everyone who came over to watch. And a special thanks to the Contest MC, Bert Kammerer. Most everybody agrees that Bert's participation added a new layer of fun to the event. Even if Andy doesn't think so.

BTW, Random Heli will keep sponsoring this silliness as long as it's this much fun. See you in 2027.

09/15/2026

The Heli Ex 2026 sponsors made some people really happy on Saturday. I want to give each of them a huge thanks for their support.

Aeropanda
AMain Hobbies
BK Hobbies
FrSky
Goosky
HeliDirect
Kontronik
Nick Maxwell Products
Progressive RC
Random Heli
SMC Racing
Spirit System
XL Power

You can say thanks, too. Buy some stuff from them. 😁

09/08/2026

Heli Extravaganza 2026 was another great event at Triple Tree Aerodrome. But on Saturday, during the night flying, a serious accident occurred. Our friend Bill Gemmell was struck by the helicopter Cary Brooks was flying and suffered severe injuries. He was flown to the hospital for treatment.

Thankfully, Bill is recovering. He’s home, he’s up and around and has been talking with Cary and other friends. Although he will have some significant scars, he is expected to make a full recovery.

Accidents like this are rare. We all know they are possible, but this incident has forced us to take a hard look at whether we are doing enough to reduce the risks inherent in our hobby.
Cary, Bill, Jay, and I want to use what happened as a catalyst for long-overdue improvements in safety procedures—not only at Heli Extravaganza, but also at other helicopter events and clubs around the country.

We believe four additions to event and club safety protocols can make accidents less likely:
• Spotters who are trained and understand their responsibilities
• A clearly marked flight line, with designated positions for pilots and spotters
• A clearly marked flight-path inside limit line in front of the pilot
• A thorough preflight check before every takeoff

In the coming days, we will provide more detail about each of these recommendations. We very much welcome input from members of the helicopter community on how they can be strengthened and more widely adopted wherever RC helicopters are flown.

Understandably, Cary is deeply affected by what happened and is unsure whether he will ever fly again. At the same time, he does not want to lose his connection to the people and the hobby that have meant so much to him.

Like hundreds of others in our community, Jay, Bill, and I want Cary to remain part of it. We have asked him to consider helping us promote these safety improvements, all of which he strongly supports. We know this will not be easy, and we are not asking him to do more than he is comfortable doing.

Cary has told us that he does not want anyone else to go through what he and Bill have experienced. Perhaps something constructive can come from this accident: a safer hobby and a way for a good friend to remain part of the community that cares about him.

09/01/2026

OK, so the meal cutoff has passed but you can still register on line as a Pilot, Spectator, and for Camping. And...our friends at Triple Tree did some repairs on the water hook up for a couple sites so they're 100% and available. I know it's last minute but if you want to bring an RV to Heli Ex this year, Premium Campsites 25 and 27 are waiting for you. Each has 50A electrical and water.

Over 50 Premium Campsites available. Each has 50A power and water hookup.

08/27/2026

And even more sponsors are joining in. More cool stuff! This is gonna be great!

08/26/2026

More sponsors still joining in. Kits!
And by special request, a new image for the flyer.
Still time to sign up for meals (https://heliex.org/shop. Ends 8/31/26) or, if you don't eat, just show up.
See you there.

08/25/2026

Heli Ex 2026 Update

Online Registration ends at midnight a week from today. That lets us plan for meals. If you're planning on joining us and want food, sign up now. You can still show up on site and register but we won't have meals for you.

There are still a few nice RV camping spots available and of course tons of dry camping spots.

Weather is looking very good so this is an event you don't want to miss. See you there.

https://heliex.org/shop

08/20/2026