First In Flight

Mike Hollowell, Robert Vess, and Larry Lewis worked with the township of Wilson, N.C. to host one of the best jet rallies we have ever attended, and they did it with just 8 weeks of planning. The cancellation of the Mid-Atlantic event in Chesapeake, Va. left a lot of us disappointed, but this group really stepped up. We now have a perfect facility, located just off interstate 95 in northern North Carolina. It is one day's drive for just about any jet enthusiast on the Eastern Seaboard. BVM is excited about the future of this event. All of the necessary ingredients for long term success are there.


	Air time was plentiful because of the perfect weather and the bountiful runway and air space, so arranging a KingCat gaggle was easy. There were 6 KingCats with pilots, Eric Meyers, George DelMoral, David Fepelstein, Harley Condra, and Jeff Foley. Dave Malchione, Jr. "Smoke" helps this pilot identify his KingCat from the others.



Andy Finizio acquired this fabulous (2) seater Hun from Scott Marr. The huge runway at "First-in-Flight" allows easy fam flights and landing confidence, so Andy took full advantage.

The D.C.R.C. (District of Columbia R/C Club) has many active jet flyers because their Montgomery County, Md. sponsored field is appropriate. David Fepelstein is one of those "jet guys" who enjoys his KingCat there.

	A formation display with EVF powered Sabres was beautiful to watch as pilots Dave Jr. and Dave Malchione performed. Six minute flight times are now easy to accomplish and the verticals are impressive. These two and 4 more paint schemes are available with the Sabre/Fury ARF. EVF 2 12s power plants really bring this model jet to life.

BVM enjoyed a close-to-the-flight-line staging area. This is a photo of most of our demo jets. BV consentrated his efforts on the E Bandit, Utah Sabre, and Camo Electra. Dustin and Chris exercised the turbines.




Joe Rafalowski (BVM/JR Rep) was a big supporter of the "First in Flight" event and helped many others get their stuff airborne. Joe still managed to put in some super smooth flights on his BVM F-100D and personalized Ultra Bandit.

	The BVM demo Skymaster F-16 (1/6th scale) is available for test rides at events. This time, Dustin assisted David Fepelstein with a flight.

Occasionally, I get to fly this fantastic machine. The point of my demo was to show many touch-n-goes and an in-the-box routine that allows this large scale jet to be operated at most club fields. It is powered by a JetCat P-160 and controlled of course by a JR 12X radio. There are many scale paint schemes available.


	This is another Skymaster F-16 but this is a one-of-a-kind paint scheme executed by Scott Harris of Nashville, Tennessee. It is brilliant in the sky.


The "Sundowner" scheme Skymaster F-4 is proudly flown by Mike Lesher of Lebanon, Pa. It looks and sounds very real and is equipped with a drogue chute.


	Bob Fiorenze usually attended the Mid Atlantic event over the past many years, so he too was disappointed when it was cancelled. The "First in Flight" presented an opportunity to see some old friends from the Northeast and enjoy excellent flying conditions. This early BVM Electra is thrusted with an EVF 5012 that is now powered with the latest ThunderPower 45c 7600 mAh 10s batteries using (2) 4s and (1) 2s packs. See webpage No adjustments to the original E.S.C. settings are required. Flight times are 7+ minutes with excellent performance.

The Skymaster T-45 Goshawk is gaining popularity with its many exposures lately at the jet events. People ask, "Does it fly as good as it appears to in Dustin's hands?" So, Dustin invites guest pilots to prove that it does.

	One of several Electras that frequented the skies at Wilson, N.C., was this built-from-a-kit version. It works great for Ron Stahl on its EVF 5012.



Pete and Dave Malchione campaigned this Electra ARF which is just part of their BVM fleet that they bring to several jet events annually.



Part of the KingCat brigade was Harley Condra and George DelMoral with these two colorful samples of one of the easiest to operate sport jets in the BVM arsenal.

	Reggie Showers from New Jersey had a lot of fun at First in Flight with his Bandit ARF. He is always on the move helping fellow pilots or flying his own.

George DelMoral thinks that there might be an "Ultra" in his future so Dustin gave him a test ride on the factory demo.



Dee Miller is proud owner and pilot of this very "sporty" Electra. The scheme was borrowed from his Ultra Bandit and shows well in the sky. Power is by EVF 5612 and ThunderPower LiPo batteries.

	Eric Meyers borrowed a ride from Chris Keene on the BVM demo Bandit with JetCat P-80SE power. Eric is now considering this combo for his next sport jet. JR/DSM is one of the brands that Eric influences at Horizon Hobby. Chris has been fine tuning his jet piloting skills on the Bandit.

First in Flight's administration tent was always busy helping the pilots and spectators enjoy the "Memorial" weekend event. Robert Vess took care of informing the spectators with his "just right" P.A. announcing.

	The premium prize was this "Wright Stuff" Wright Brothers replica trophy that represented the spirit of this First in Flight jet event. A pilot's vote for the guy who was the most helpful to many of the attendees determined that Dustin was exemplary in his efforts. Competition for this prestigious award fostered a very positive theme. Emma in her BVM baby hat, gave her full support between naps.



With its clear coat barely dry, Eric Baugher displayed the absolute ultimate, Ultra Bandit. A full detailed pictorial will follow on another page. Click here for more information