The BMFA is the governing body for fixed wing, rotary wing, and silent flight (glider) RC aircraft in the UK. It works closely with the Civil Aviation Authority, and is one of just two representatives for the FIA in Great Britain (the other being the Scottish Aeromodeller’s Association, or SAA).

The BMFA runs competitions for Radio Control Helicopters across the UK, from Sportsman to Masters class. In addition it runs an achievement scheme, with certificates of competence being issued at all levels.

These certificates are essential for anyone wishing to fly at club level, whether or not they compete. The only pilots who are exempt (generally) are those using a “Buddy Box” system. Here, pilots of Electric Helicopters fly in “tandem” with an instructor who is linked in to their transmitter – the equivalent of dual pedal control for a learner driver.

For RC Helicopters, there are two competence levels: the BMFA A and B Certificates. Because they are based on their fixed wing equivalents, there is a certain amount of controversy as to whether the B Certificate is relevant to Radio Control Helicopters. Pilots have suggested a better system would be one based on Fixed Wing A and C grades.

The Helicopter A certificate covers basic hovering and figure of eight movements, and is a basic requirement for solo flying. The B Certificate covers complicated manoeuvres such as stall turns and “top hats”, and is often a prerequisite for public events like heli flyins and BMFA competitions.

In addition, there are exams to qualify pilots to be BMFA examiners themselves – a useful thing to have, if you’re looking at joining a club with a long waiting list.

This is another move used in BMFA Sportsman A class competitions. For anyone thinking of flying RC Helicopters as a sport – this is where you start.

In competitions, the radio control helicopters fly from one manoeuvre to the next, with a hover stop of at least 2 seconds in between each. Marks are deducted for badly performed manoeuvres, and the marking starts from the moment you start her up.

The reference points are the centre pad, the sectioning lines and the marker flags. Evidently, in the description below you won’t know where these are, but you can visualise. In a real competition, you should acquaint yourself with the layout well beforehand i.e. download the flight plan and practice like mad. If you belong to a club, they probably run “friendly” sessions to BMFA plans anyway.

This is one of the most basic competition moves, yet you can lose a lot of points if the judges don’t like what they see. Remember that each change of direction must be preceded by a clearly differentiated stop; you must be adept at hovering CP Electric Helicopters if you’re going to compete at any level.

Vertical Circle

Take off from the central helipad. Ascend vertically to eye level (and stop).

Fly backwards, rising in a continuous radius, until you reach the downwind halfway line.

Go into forward flight, still rising in a circle, until you are 5 metres above eye level and directly above the pad. You have completed half a full circle.

Begin your descent in the second half of the circle in the same manner, until you reach the upwind halfway line.

Place your helicopter at eye level over the centre circle and stop. Descend vertically and land.

If all that sounds like gobbledegook – watch the electric helicopters at your local heli club. They do it all the time, just for the hell of it.

RC Helicopters have a 3D “language” all of their own. Whether you want to take your BMFA proficiency certificate, enter a competition or just fly for fun, you should understand at least some of the terminology.

Every club, and every club member, have their own “pet phrases” for familiar 3D manoeuvres. However, many of the names are standard across the board. Here is an outline of the most basic linear (2-D) competition move, gleaned from a 2008 Sportsman A competition schedule.

Even if you just fly for fun, why not see how you get on? At the very least, it will hone the skills you’ve already acquired.

A few pointers:

BMFA competitions are for collective pitch only, although apart from this all Radio Control Helicopters can take part – if the club where the contest is held says it’s okay.

“Upwind” “Central” etc: All RC Helicopters in competitions take off singly, from a central pad within a rectangular flagged “box” area. Competitors will generally have a copy of the flight plan well ahead of the due date, so they can practice.

Each stop is for a minimum of 2 seconds. There must be a clear break between one manoeuvre and the next.

The Vertical Rectangle:

Take off from the central pad and ascend to eye level. Stop. Fly backwards, at constant speed and elevation, to the downwind flag. Stop. Ascend vertically to 4 metres above eye level. Stop. Fly forward to the upwind flag. Stop. Descend vertically to eye level. Stop.

Fly backwards to the centre circle. Stop. Descend vertically and land where you started.
Each manoeuvre is marked, with points deducted for “wonky” horizontal and vertical lines, non-static/shortened stops, and bad takeoff and landing.

“Wonky” however silly the word seems is an official BMFA term.

During 3D competitions, RC Helicopters have to perform various set hovering and 3D manoeuvres. There are two parts of the competition – hovering skills and 3D performance.

Hovering is performed above the landing pad area, which is marked by the central pad plus 4 flags. Hovering is split into “segments” of varying complexity between the flags and pad area. The segments can be circular, diagonal, lateral or vertical.

The aerobatics manoeuvres are performed within a “box” area directly in front of the pilot. The helicopter must not stray outside this box or it is marked down.

The only part of the performance that is not judged are the turn-arounds. Everything else, including take-offs and landings, are awarded marks. Evidently, the lower competition classes i.e. Sportman level, are less complex than the higher, and judging standards vary according to the event taking place. A local show has a lot more leeway than the county equivalent, for example.

You might think it is the aim of all pilots flying competitive RC Electric Helicopters to attain FAI F3C status. In practice, many are quite happy to remain at Sportsman level, entering the occasional club competition and just having a bit of fun.

You only have to look at the schedule for a Sportsman Level A event (the lowest) to see this is far from being an easy get-out. Names of various manoeuvres for an upcoming competition include: vertical rectangle, vertical rectangle, Immelman, Vertical Triangle with 360° Pirouette, the “Split S” and 180 degree Autorotation landing.

If you do decide to take it to FAI level, be aware that by then you will have to know what terms like the Pirouetting Waltzer, Big Ben, Sidewinder and Death Spinner mean – and how to do them.

Competitions for Electric Helicopters are run at all levels, from your local heli club Sportsman rallies to the World FAI Championships. This article explains a little of what to expect at a local show – which is what most hobby pilots are interested in.

Modern heli aerobatics is called 3D flying, or sports flying. This covers all the BMFA classes as well as the FIA F3C class. Other types of competition also FIA affiliated include scale model and Freestyle (often to music). But it is the strict competition manoeuvres of 3D tests that we are interested in here.

Years ago, both RC helicopters and RC helicopter competitions were a lot simpler. Marks were awarded for precision manoeuvres within a defined area, or box, as today. However, the competitions were held at a very simple level, due to the limitations of the craft being flown.

As RC Helicopters became more complex, with highly manoeuvrable pod-and-boom Electric Helicopters appearing, RC competitions had to get more complex to keep up.

Nowadays, precision flying is no longer limited to simple linear manoeuvres. Instead, RC Helicopters are expected to accurately hover over various set reference points, and perform a set series of intricate manoeuvres that test the craft through its full 360 degrees, in every direction of travel (hence, the term 3D flying).

The movements include flips, rolls, tumbles, Cuban 8s, and stalls. The pilot is expected to perform large, high speed manoeuvres with high vertical flight, and there must be defined transitions from one movement to the next.

In 3D competitions, points are awarded for skill rather than style. Nonetheless, smooth transitions with non-jerky movements invariably score higher than jerky, badly placed movements.

Once you’ve been flying Electric Helicopters for a while, you’ll probably want to start club competitions. In the UK, RC flying clubs follow BMFA/FAI rules, with various competitions for both scale model and aerobatic (3D) pilots.

RC Helicopters have 4 levels of competition. Each country has its own national board, which works closely with the FAI. In the UK this is the BMFA, in America the AMA (American Academy of Aeronautics) and so on. These all come under the umbrella of the FAI, which is the international body for the sport.

3D RC Helicopters compete at 4 levels. The first 3 are governed and named by the individual national boards. In Great Britain, the competitions are BMFA Sportsman, BMFA Intermediate and BMFA Masters. In the US the equivalents are AMA Classes 1, 2 and 3. Although the rules vary from country to country, the influence of the FAI keeps everything on a pretty even keel worldwide. This means AMA 1 County level is pretty equal to BMFA Sportsman County level.

But these are only the rule books, setting down what you can and can’t do, and establishing the scoring system. There are BMFA/AMA classes at every level from local heli club rallies to the Nationals, with the best pilots winning local, then regional heats to progress through the ranks. It is just the same as any other sport.

The 4th and highest competition level for RC Helicopters is the FAI F3C. F3C designates it is for Radio Control Helicopters (the FAI governs all amateur aerobatic competitions, including full-size and fixed wing aircraft).

Again, there are F3C competitions at all levels, from local upwards.

Although there is no reason why a competent pilot cannot begin competing at FIA level straightaway, this is unwise. Whatever level you begin flying RC Electric Helicopters, it dictates the minimum from then on. It is best to start at a lower level rather than enter too high.

This club is not just for RC Helicopters – it flies both fixed and rotary wing aircraft.

Normally, Electric Helicopters are a bit of an “afterthought” in clubs like this, which is why we tend not to cover them. However, Aberdeen Aeromodellers is the exception. Not only do they actively support the Radio Control Helicopters community, they host the Scottish RCH National Championships.

The club first hosted this event in 1994. Since then, every September sees thousands of heli fans descend on a flying field in Aberdeen – either to take part, or simply to add their support.

Visiting pilots of RC Helicopters are warmly welcomed - all the AAC ask is that you show proof of insurance if you want to fly.

The club is in a superb location, at a farm in the village of Banchory-Devenick, just outside Aberdeen. A quick click on the location link on the website appears to reveal wide open moorland and a rough track leading to open pasture – perfect for flying larger Electric Helicopters.

While this was certainly true when the club was formed in the 1930s (not that there were such things as RC Electric Helicopters then!) building development has gradually encroached. The club field is now surrounded by modern housing developments, with the inevitable friction that this causes.

Although residents have a right to peace and safety in their own back yards, it does seem unfair that the original sole residents are now under threat from these modern “outsiders.”

A quick scan of the AAC Flying Rules page reveals a total intolerance for pilots who don’t obey them. However, it seems this isn’t enough for the locals. This paragraph is from the same page:

“Club members are requested to keep the noise levels of their engines to a socially acceptable level and avoid flying close to habitation. Public complaints in respect of this are on the increase and the authorities will again revoke our permission to operate in the event of further complaints.”

Again? Perhaps this is why the club is so keen on Electric Helicopters which, as we all know, are the perfect solution to flying in built up areas.

 Who is Walkera?

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The Walkera factory, which is located in Panyu District, Guangzhou City (the center of Pearl River Delta), has 40,000m2 garden-style workshops and more than 1,000 senior engineers and skillful workers. The Walkera-branded series of products harmoniously integrate together mechanics, electronics, software and aerodynamics.

All the items are protected by patents. Walkera have exported products to Europe, America, Southeast Asia, and all over the world. With high-quality and a valued service, walkera have established a very good reputation in the field. Walkera know thoroughly that  they can not make such achievement and progress without customers support and attention.

It is fair to say Walkera are the market leaders when it comes to bringing new and fresh RC Helicopters on to the market. With new products coming out montly keep your eyes out for more new and unique RC Helicopters.

When RC Helicopters start vibrating, either the main blades or the flybar are unbalanced. The flybar can be balanced in one of three ways:

1. Adjustment of the flybar weights. However, on cheaper Electric Helicopters this is often ineffectual.

2. Moving the flybar paddles.

3. Moving the entire flybar on the rotor mast.

The third method is the best, as it is quick to do - you are dealing with both sides of the flybar simultaneously. The downside is that it can lead to wear on the flybar if the screws are repeatedly retightened. It’s best avoided on cheaper RC Electric Helicopters.

First, make sure it is the flybar that’s the problem: secure the heli and remove the main blades. Disengage the rotor and start the engine. If the flybar is unbalanced, the helicopter will start to vibrate.

To adjust it, first, mark the flybar on one side, where it meets the retaining nut on the rotor head (a fine glass marker is best). Measure the distance from this nut to the flybar weight.

Now loosen both the retaining nuts so you can slide the flybar from one side to the other. Gently slide the entire bar in or out - no more than 1mm to start with. It may need a wiggle to get it moving.

Check again for vibration; if it still occurs just keep adjusting until you get the best possible ‘fit.’

This method is particularly good if the vibration is severe (although this is rare in electric helicopters, unless there is severe warping elsewhere)

The sequence is: Dampen down the movement as much as possible using the method above; make finer adjustments by moving the paddles; trim out any very minor tremors using the flybar weights.