This was the Helifest
Helifest took place last weekend in Weston Park with Weston Park Model Air Show as usual. And it was how this major event of the UK was supposed to be.
Helifest weather is always a question, this wasn't so different this year either, although we expected a sort fo good weather. Our forecast wasn't exactly accurate, but boots were not needed at least. Friday and Saturday were great from this point of view, only Sunday was affected by rain, but even the rain could interrupt the event for ten minutes. The real rain arrived just after the event. And there was no significant wind.
The Weston Park side of the event was fully packed by spectators on Saturday, Sunday wasn't that busy at the fixed wing models. The show presented scale models, jets, even full scale aircrafts. There were beautiful scale models, like warbirds, DC3, MiG and Yak models.
Next to Helifest, the FPV competition is getting more popular there, the FPV tent was full of pilots and spectators too.
Major part of Helifest is the competition. This wasn't different now.
Inters class
Charlie Keeble, Andy Bennett, Gabor Szalontay, Peter Edmondson, Jay Gardner, Mick Johnson, Mickey Bling, Mick Platts, Mike Revuke was the order in Inters Saturday evening. Sunday afternoon Charlie Keeble, Andy Bennett and Peter Edmondson could stand up on the podium.
Pro class
The order was Duncan Osbourn, Ethan Williams, Stu Smith, Callum Henson, Richard van Aken, John Nobbs, Dave Fisher, George Isaacs, Summer Fisher, Tom Ralph, James Carter Saturday evening. Ethan and Stu swapped places on Sunday, therefore Duncan Osbourn, Stu Smith and Ethan Williams was the final order.
There was a special trophy: the most entertaining flight of the weekend. The trophy has landed at Nick Maxwell.
Two new models has been introduced by AT Models at Helifest: the new Goosky RS4 Venom edition and the Tron Dnamic from Tron Helicopters.
And the famous raffle of Helifest was rich this year again. Among many prizes SAB Goblin kit, SoXos Strike 7.1, OMP Hobby models, rotor blades, fuel, batteries, Egodrift motor, vouchers were given away.
All previously announced international pilots attended Helifest, Raquel Bellot, Gabriele Rowere, Cédric Melens, Robin Lipke, Henrik Clausen and of course Nick Maxwell were flying during the weekend. But unofficial overseas pilots also turned up like Jonas Schelpe with Kim de Weese.
Thanks to the weather conditions and other circumstances, there were crashes, but neither of them was extremely significant to mention. But there was one manoeuvre to remember: Richard van Aken (aka RC Helicopter Richard) flew through the trees in the middle of the flight line, trimming them quite well. Despite the manoeuvre, the helicopter came down in one piece with no damage, therefore those trees are called "Richard trees" from now on.
Helifest organisers announced a change for next year: there will be an international competition class as well.