In the seventies I was learning to fly fixed wing RC aircraft in a Sylvania parking lot in Danvers Massachusetts with a wonderfully talented gentleman Kenny Walker. During my training I’d occasional see a man who flew scale aircraft in a scale manner, his flying ability was unmatched, I felt a bit of a total putz in his presents. Cut lose from training and soloing now this individuals pull up on a Honda Goldwing with a beautiful custom and purpose built trailer with a nitro helicopter attached to it, a bizarre sight but as a motorcyclist myself even more so. It was the 1st RC helicopter I’d seen and the trailers paint job matched the Gold Wing perfectly. He unloaded the helicopter, prepped and started it, takes off vertically, and hovering over a nearby grassy area he kills the engine and autorotates down for a perfect landing. Letting out a jubilant cry, hands in the air, I ask why the excitement and he says it’s the 1st time an RC helicopter has ever auto rotated. Wasting no time he re-fired the model, climbed vertically, killed the engine and auto rotated perfectly onto, yes, the pavement!!! His excitement was palatable. This man was Ernie Huber, a local owner of a successful aircraft engine machining facility in Middleton Massachusetts (explaining the custom trailer) which I later came to do business with in my career as Buyer in the aerospace industry. I was in the presents of a very unique event and accomplished man but at the time I hadn’t a clue. Of course Ernie was a very prominent presents in the RC world but you’d never know it, he was truly very humble, having no airs about him what so ever. This video came up in my feed so watched it hoping to once again catch a glimpse of his superlative flying abilities. RIP Ernie and thank you for providing me with a lifelong memory of a historical event in the RC world. I fly RC to this day but never approached his level of expertise, he was truly inspirational. Thanks for sharing!!

I am 16 years old, i wish that more people in my age would fly rc heli’s rather than go out and drink alcohol and stuff:(

I think this is the best RC helicopter video ever!

My first heli was American Mantis, fixed pitch from Tower Hobbies. Bought it with my paper route money. Very hard to fly, very disappointing. Then someone in a club clued me in on Schluter. Found a Heli-Star for sale and never looked back! It was amazing to hear Dieter talk in this video. First time I heard his voice. We lost Dieter in 2021. Thank you Dieter for pioneering this hobby.

Great video! Fascinating how much engagement, perserverance and engergy the first pioneers invested to make their machines overcome all obsticles and fly, even if only for a few seconds! Thats what passion is all about! Newcomers like me are having it much easier today: open a box, take out a OMPHOBBY M2 and start to fly. Still we have to learn to fly but it's so much easier with todays great flying models! Thanks for sharing this video!! It was a pleasure to watch it!!

Wow. My 1st heli in the 80s was a MFA 500 fixed. I worked all summer to get heli.... now i fly vario scales. I love this hobby. Special thanks to all the pioneers. Without Mike Mas there wouldn't be Curtis Youngblood.

I like watching old videos of Curtis flying 3D. So smooooth. Thanks for sharing JC.

I bought my first GMP Cobra in Albuquerque from a man by the name of Rom McCray. I love doing scale flying. Eventually, I got married and sold my heli to Larry Jolly, for a movie that he blew it up in. I'd sure like to get back into flying a heli again. Would like to build a Hughes 500 E

I purchased a Schluter 65cc from Mike Mas, and I put a Long Ranger III fuse on it, and loved flying it way back in the late 80's down in south FL.

Great video! Hirobo shuttle was my first helicopter, and it was 2nd owner. I self taught as well then simulator. I'm still flying 3d helicopters today

Some of these helicopters are back in the 19 70,s when I started flying that makes it 50 years ago. Wow time flies when you're having fun. My first Heli was Heli Baby.

10:00 I had no idea that Dieter essentially invented the RC tail gyro. I thought i took kraft or futaba till the 70s to have such a thing.

I still have that Vario helicopter from the beginning of that video

great video love see to old pylon racing in Bakerfield, CA. I was was their every year. great seeing Nick from TSK Helicopters doing the died chicken. Love to is Curtis fly 3D Tooo Smoooooth. The God father of 3d Flying.

7:00 My only guess as to why JFK was the award comes down to the fact it's 1968 and America was about to land on the moon, a mission put forth by JFK. These heli enthusiasts and builders are likely mostly air and space engineers

Excellent video 🎉🎉😊 Those were definitely the best days of the hobby! I've noticed that a lot of those helicopter models were huge! 500-750 scale! And, mostly nitro powered. Also with the flybar. The radio and receiver were ancient. Nowadays, modern rc helicopters are electronic, with, better radios and receivers, and are easier to fly out of the box!

Man watching Curtis at IRCHA was incredible!!!! I miss this hobby and I’ve been in it since the 80’s. We need some new blood!!!

Ahhh! Love this old RC footage! Reminds me of RC Video Magazine. Thank you for posting!!

Mine was a Kobe Kiko Hughes 300 from California Model Imports, Dave Robertson, I believe. Anyway it was between 1/5 & 1/6 scale. Flew great, especially after he called me and said I’ve got this new thing called a gyro. Around 1980. Never forgot it. Those were the best of times.

Ahh the good ol day’s before drones ruined it all.

I wore out the pages of Ray Hostetler's Book on RC helicopters. My first helicopter was a Concept 30 with a Futaba tail gyro, you had to actually let it spin up and a transmitter from Circus hobbies that I believe was the original JR Propo's. Dave Brown put out a simulator for the PC and I got really good with it using the "switched inverted" flying. The TOC was always a great event to watch, especially the lunch time Helicopter demos. I look at my fleet now of SAB's, Align and Goosky and can't help to think where we started. Electric motor, ESC and battery technology have really added to the reliability. The modern FBL units have made it possible for many to be able to successfully learn to fly. I remember a good flying day was when you could hover long enough to see if your blades were in track.

Great video. Having run Dr. J's west coast hobby wherhouse in the late 80's and 90's, Mike Johnson and I were at most trade shows and fly ins. Great times for sure!

As a somone who own a few of these helicopters in this video today, and modern ones, it was great to watch this. I have over 30 vintage helicopters i have been collecting. Some rare, so mass produced. My old schedulers are a work of art to me. I still fly them all too!! But to see the movie guy build them know they will be destroyed on purpose is sort of heart breaking.....

Nice to see some old Friends of mine. Günther Knipprath flying his Peka Hughes or the electric Heli from Ralf Buxnowitz, Mikado

My first was a tired old 2d hand hirobo shuttle, I forgot how long ago that was!

Thanks! We've come a long way since my first Schluter Mini-Boy!

Thank you for everything youhave done. - DogDip

Back to the 80s, when I first time saw RC helicopter pilot flying auto rotation landing in a flip and before back landing was by Curtis Youngblood when he visited Hong Kong for an unofficial demonstration.

Thanks for posting this JC!

Even the music's fitting for the footage😂

That’s very awesome JC thanks bro❤

0:35 nice! this rendering looks vaguely like a Schluter Chamption :) wonder if mike mas was involved?

Thank you for sharing!!!

Как же давно это было.

1982❤

1:18 seconds in are pictures of helicopters on table. Those were mine.

What was your first Heli? mine was a kyosho concept 30