The world of RC Helicopters is constantly becoming more popular, and helis are becoming easier and more affordable for the average Joe to fly. Quite a bit of this growth over the last few years is due to the internet. The web makes information easily accessible, and while I personally would argue that you can’t beat the in-person hands-on mentor approach, I must admit that it’s not always that easy to find a local heli guru to help you get started in the hobby.

One of the more popular internet phenomena of recent years is the podcast. For those of you who may not be familiar with them, podcasts are recordings which can be made by anyone and shared with everyone, generally free to download on the internet, and can be played on a computer or MP3 player (PODcast refers to Apple’s iPod MP3 player). Podcasts can be produced to the same standards as a television show, or they can be as simple as a guy talking into his computer’s microphone and recording it. Most podcasts are audio only, but there are quite a few video podcasts as well, which take advantage of the video capabilities of computers and newer generations of portable media devices.

Generally, the subject matter for podcasting is limitless. Any topic or subject can be discussed and it’s up to the listeners to decide what’s good and what’s not. Podcasts are generally of a talkshow type format, and have periodic episodes. To manage them, you can use a program such as Juice, in which you subscribe to the podcast and it will automatically check for new episodes and download them to your computer. Alternately, Apple’s iTunes program gives your this functionality and is a great solution for those of you who have an iPod or an iPhone.

“That’s all great”, you say “but what does all this have to do with RC helicopters?” Well, about two years ago, two RC flight enthusiasts, Chris Boultinghouse and Jamie Burke decided that the RC helicopter hobby needed a podcast of its own and began the InsideHeli RC Podcast. Starting out small, Chris and Jamie talked with each other about everything imaginable in the RC helicopter universe. In those early episodes, they also included some fixed-wing subjects.

As the InsideHeli podcast progressed, the hosts conducted interviews with notable people in the RC community, manufacturers, and others. Soon, Chris and Jamie decided that since both hosts flew both fixed-wing as well as rotory models, that their podcast should be transitioned to one that would encompass both areas of interest. InsideHeli became All Things That Fly. With the transition, Chris and Jamie brought on board a new co-host, Diggs. The three hosts continued the very informative, and greatly entertaining podcast, but as time went on, the general slant of the podcast moved more towards fixed wing flight until helicopters were rarely discussed.

Then, in the spring of 2008, just after the first birthday of the podcast, InsideHeli made a welcomed return with another new co-host, James aka Sparx. Picking up where they left off, with InsideHeli episode number 18, RC helicopter junkies again had their own podcast. Jamie and Diggs would be the primary hosts of ATTF, while Chris and James were doing InsideHeli (although Chris was also still doing many of the ATTF podcasts.. where does he find the time????)

This April, InsideHeli / ATTF have passed their second birthday and those of us who are fans of the show are eager to download and listen to new episodes. The banter between the hosts makes the podcast very entertaining and the content they bring to every episode makes it informative too. I don’t think I’ve ever listened to an episode of InsideHeli and not learned at least one new thing. From product reviews, to factory rep interviews and talks with everyone from the top factory pilots down to the average listener, Chris and James make everybody feel welcome and listening to the show is just like a bunch of RC junkies shooting the breeze at the flying field on a Sunday afternoon.

A few months ago, I had the bright idea of “reviewing” the InsideHeli podcast for the HeliGeek’s Blog and I contacted Chris and James about it. They were very enthusiastic and agreed to answer a few questions I came up with via email. Since my format here is written, it seemed like email would be a good medium to conduct this interview. I tried to come up with some questions that I thought the average listener might ask were he given the chance. While you’re reading these questions, keep in mind that Chris and James each answered the questions independently and neither knows what the other has said. Here’s what Chris and James had to say:

Q:
What first interested you in RC Helicopters, and what keeps you interested?

Chris:
I first tried helicopters back in the 80′s, when I was moonlighting at a
hobby shop and the owner was a heli enthusiast. At the time, the
Schluter helis were top of the heap, and the Hirobo Shuttle had just
been introduced. The first heli I owned was a Horizon 60, which was
actually flybarless! It had no gyro, and I never really got it to do
anything beyond hop around. After that I bought a Gorham Cobra 50,
complete with a JR gyro. This was not like today’s gyros, it was an
actual spinning gyro and of course was rate mode only. I managed to
learn to hover and do basic forward flight with that helicopter. At the
time, it was terribly expensive (much more so than now) and that really
took the fun out of it for me. I finally sold it, swore off helis, and
went back to planes.

Fast forward 15 years or so and Hobby-Lobby ran a sale on the Honey Bee
FP. I figured $100 was not too much to spend to find out if I still
disliked helicopters. Of course the bug bit (and hard) and I’ve been
consumed by helis since then.

I suppose it’s the challenge of flying them well, combined with the
“geek factor” of the mechanical and electronic setup that I find so
fascinating. Oddly, full size helicopters don’t capture my interest that
much. I still prefer to ogle full scale airplanes more than helicopters.

James:
Anything that flies is interesting to me.  When I was at our local club with my Grandfather when I as a kid, a guy brought out an RC Heli.  I knew right then I had to have one.  It just took me 20 years to get one.  At the time they were too expensive for a kid.   Now they are much more affordable.  When I saw I could get a RTF Honey Bee King for around $200, I had to give it a shot.  Well, as everyone surely understands, the needle was inserted and the “heli drug” was injected.  I have not been able to stop flying them since!

RC Helis just seem to keep my interest more than other “flying hobbies”.   The main reason they hold my interest so much is because there is always something new to do with them.  New models, new technologies and the never ending learning to fly them.

Q:
If you had to pick just one helicopter to keep, what would it be and why?

Chris:
Wow, that’s a tough question. And the answer would likely change daily!
I think right now my favorite all-around heli is probably the MSH
Protos. It’s powerful, fast, groovy, and it sounds great. But I also
really like my Compass Knights (3D and 600E) and the Thunder Tiger mini
Titan is fun too. And the Blade 400 is a great yard bird… Yeah, tough
question. Ask me again tomorrow.

James:
Right now I would have to say it would be my Compass Knight 50 3D.  It is the best flying heli I have flown to date.  It is a very true flying heli and I feel very connected to it.  Oh, and I just love the smell of burning Nitro!

Q:
Are there any new products or technologies emerging in the hobby today that you’re excited about?

Chris:
Flybarless is very interesting to me, for a variety of reasons. I still
haven’t tried it, but I will soon. Very soon. Of course, batteries keep
getting better and cheaper so that’s always exciting too.

(Editor’s note: since this question was answered, Chris has indeed stepped into the flybarless arena, outfitting his Protos with a Skookum Robotics SK360. Vids can be found at his website, www.justplanechris.com)

James:
Flybarless controllers are definitely on the top of this list.  More and more are coming to the market and making it more affordable to own them.  If you haven’t tried Flybarless yet, I really suggest you do.

Q:
Do you prefer electric or nitro and if so why?

Chris:
Again, tough question! For convenience, it’s hard to beat electric -
especially A123 power since you can keep the packs fully charged all the
time without degrading their lifespan. For getting a lot of stick time
though, it’s tough to beat nitro. Fuel and fly, repeat until you starve
out and have to go home. I will say I probably fly my electrics more
than my nitro, simply because I can go down to the local park (or front
yard) with the mini Titan or Blade 400 and burn a few packs before
dinner.

James:
Right now I prefer Nitro.  Chris will tell you that this is shocking because he had to twist my arm to try it.  I like not having to fuss with charging batteries to get a day of flying in.  That could very well change with the new lipos coming to market though. Time will tell.

Q:
Is there one particular helicopter or type of helicopter (gasser, turbine, etc) that you’d really love to have?

Chris:
Given unlimited funds, of course I’d love to have a Bergen turbine! It’s
the most manly sounding of all. However, the Henseleit Rigid runs a
close second… wow, what a machine.

James:
A Gasser is one that I really want to get soon.  There are some new models coming out that I simply must try.  The idea of flying all day on $5 worth of fuel is very appealing to me.

Q:
What’s the most rewarding part of doing the Inside Heli Podcast?

Chris:
Why, the huge amounts of money we get paid of course! Oh wait no, that’s
not right. LOL I think I enjoy it for the simple reason that I like to share what I’ve
learned (sometimes the hard way) and hopefully help others get as much
enjoyment from the hobby as I’ve had. Face it, learning to build and fly
helicopters is not easy! It’s a steep stairway. The internet has been a
huge factor in making that climb more accessible to the masses, and the
podcast is just another step in the right direction. We also sometimes
get to do something really “feel good” like the recent fund raiser to
purchase a Gyrobot for one of our listeners who is learning to fly helis
even though he’s legally blind!

James:
Well that has to be the Fleet of free Helis I have. LOL!  I wish.  In all honesty, what I really enjoy is hearing from our listeners that we in some way helped them enjoy their hobby even more.  When we get emails telling us how we helped them get thru a problem or helped them learn something new, I feel really good about what we are doing.

Q:
Do you have a favorite show type (interview, review, bull session etc) and why?

Chris:
I like doing interviews, mainly because it gives someone else a chance
to talk for a while. And getting someone else on the show means I get to
learn something new! We also like to get folks on the show who have a
product or service to offer that might be a bit off the beaten path. In
other words, giving “the little guys” some free publicity is rewarding,
and makes us feel good.

James:
There are different show types?  I thought they were all just “bull sessions”!   I do enjoy when we have guests on the shows.  Not only do our listeners get entertained by that show, but I do as well.

Q:
Is there anyone you’d really like to interview for the show, and is that interview in the works yet?

Chris:
We were really happy that Curtis Youngblood was able to join us, and
we’d been trying to get that to happen for a long time. I guess I don’t
really have anybody on my “must interview” list right now, we really
just play it by ear and depend on our listeners to suggest what they’d
like to hear (hint hint)

James:
I cannot think of anyone in particular.  I enjoy anyone that comes on the show to chat with us from the Pro Pilot to the “every day forum Joe”.

Q:
Where do you see the Inside Heli Podcast going in the future? Would you prefer to keep it small or to expand?

Chris:
You know, we debate that almost daily. On the one hand, it would be cool
for InsideHeli to become much more of a resource for heli guys with
written content, photos, videos, etc. But on the other hand, I certainly
don’t want it to take up all of my own personal hobby time either! For
now I’m pretty happy with what it is, since it only takes up a few hours
a week to record and edit the show.

James:
That changes every time Chris and I talk about it.  Someday we will figure it out!

Q:
If you could give a new or aspiring RC helicopter pilot one piece of advice, what would it be?

Chris:
Don’t fly beyond your skills! Get a simulator, and spend an hour a day
practicing. And make it structured practice too, don’t just stick bang
until you crash. Get your basic hovering and forward flight skills down
before you start messing around with aerobatics. It may be tempting to
start doing flips right off, but it’s going to hinder your training and
cost you money in the long run. Ask me how I know.

James:
Only ONE!  Ok.  The Simulator is a Tool, not a Game.  Use it in that manner and it will pay off in the end 10 fold.

Well, hopefully these questions and their responses have given you some insight into the hosts of the Inside Heli Podcast. A few more tidbits of info:

Chris Boultinghouse (aka: JustPlaneChris on the forums and on Twitter), in addition to being a great podcast host and RC helicopter enthusiast, is a licensed full-scale pilot (PPSEL – Private Pilot Single Engine – Land, with an additional glider rating), a geocacher, and an aspiring square-foot gardener. More info can be found on his home page:
http://www.justplanechris.com.

James Kovach (aka: Sparx on the forums and ATTFJames on Twitter) is lucky enough to have a built-in flying field at his home, but also enjoys flying at his local RC club for the camaraderie. He also runs an online air-combat simulator server at:
http://www.war-clouds.com.

The InsideHeli Podcast is available though iTunes, or can be subscribed to via RSS feed, or downloaded directly from:
http://insideheli.com -or- http://allthingsthatfly.com

Show ideas, questions, suggestions or other comments can be made here, and donations to help support the show are greatly appreciated.