2009 FAI-F3C Philippine Team

I'd like to introduce you to the pilots of the Philippine Team to the 2009 F3C Worlds.

This is Justin Paul Neri. He started F3C flying only about two years ago and participated in Hirobo Cup Asia in 2007, and the 2nd F3C Asia-Oceanic Continental Championship (AOCC) last year. He's flying the sst-Freya Eagle 3 VPUS with the SSZ-5 rotorhead, Futaba servos and gyros, YS91SR3 with Funtech F3C pipe, and 12ZH radio.

Our other pilot is Antonio Andre Lua. He started F3C only early this year and had significant improvement over the past months through continuous every day flying, including 1 hr "hovering" practice inside his company premises. Andre will be flying the sst-Freya Eagle 3 SWM AOCC model with the SSZ-5 rotorhead, Futaba gear, YS91ST with Funtech pipe and 14MZ radio.

Both pilots are among the best in the Philippines' very small roster of F3C pilots. They are very dedicated to the hobby and are proud to represent the Filipinos in this sport, where only a few take up the cudgels, as they are willing and determined participants.

Justin and Andre are not only good F3C and 3D pilots but they set-up their helis on their own. They're highly technical and meticulous on the aspect of r/c helicopter flight. You can find them posting away at runryder.com and are very active in technical discussions.

They also help a lot of other r/c helicopter (and airplane) flyers in their Club in Cebu City and are currently the most "know-how" guys in Cebu.

Goodluck to our pilots! We know they'll give their 100% for the love of the hobby. That's what we Filipino aeromodellers are made of :)

Team Practice @ Cebu - July 18-19

I'm currently in Cebu City (south of Manila) with the Philippines' pilots Justin Paul Neri and Antonio Andre Lua to check the maneuvers and practice "calling".

Cebu Aeromodellers Club really has the best "world-class" flying field in the country. Hirobo Cup Asia 2007 and the 2nd F3C AOCC 2008 were held in this field previously. They now have a very nice 100x3 mtr runway that complements the F3C-layout helicopter pad.

So far the pilots are doing well, flying both wind directions with one direction a bit 10% off from performance.

I'll be posting pictures here tomorrow when I return to Manila, and introduce our pilots and their machines.

2009 FAI F3C Helicopter World Championships

The 2009 FAI-sanctioned F3C Helicopter World Championships will be held on Aug. 2 - 11, 2009 at the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) headquarters in Muncie, Indiana, USA.

This big R/C helicopter event is held every two (2) years, with the past contests in Spain (2005) and Poland (2007). The contest caters to the precision helicopter pattern flyers with sets of hovering and aerobatic maneuvers mandated by FAI.

Our local club 3D AirSports and Hobbies (3DASH) on behalf of FAI-Philippines will be sending the Philippine contingent composing of the following:

1. Justin Paul Neri (pilot, pictured above)
2. Andre Lua (pilot)
3. Ludwig Llanora (caller/mechanic)
4. Miguel Ramos (mechanic)
5. Shakespeare Chan
6. John Paul Reyes

Our pilots will be flying mainly Hirobo F3C machines like the Freya Eagle 3 SWM and Freya Eagle EX2. These precision machines will be guided by Futaba G3 2.4MHz radios and digital servos, and powered by either YS or OS 90-size engines.

Our Cebuano flyers are practicing non-stop in preparation for this highly prestigious r/c helicopter event hoping to hook a finals slot or just a decent place overall. Let's pray and hope our team do their best and bring pride and glory to Filipinos around the world.

This contest is not about winning, but showing what we Pinoys can and are willing to do for our countrymen.

More updates soon...

R/C - A Life-long Hobby

Hi! This is my first blog site for my favorite hobby - Radio Control.
R/C Cars, Trucks, Boats, Airplanes and Helicopters, anything that is radio controlled.

Expect my site to contain pictures, videos, information and event updates regarding to anything R/C.

My primary R/C flying club membership is 3D Air Sports and Hobbies (3DASH) with our r/c field / site located at Nuvali properties in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, Philippines. We are an active member of FAI (www.fai.org).

Significant event to be covered (and of course "blogged" into this site) will be the upcoming 2009 FAI F3C Helicopter Championships (Aug.2-11) and 2009 IRCHA Jamboree (Aug. 13-16) that will be held at the AMA headquarters in Muncie, Indiana, USA.