HeliStorm 2025

Helicopter in flight over grassy field, with distant buildings and trees.

Full-Scale and Model Helicopters Unite

By Tim DiPeri | timdiperi@caseco-inc.com|
Photos courtesy of the author

HeliStorm, the brainchild of longtime model pilot Michael Kranitz, hatched into existence in 2023. It would take nearly two years to make it a reality—the likes of which our hobby has never seen. Michael’s idea at the time was to attract students and the public to the world of RC Scale helicopters by bringing in members of the full-scale helicopter industry.

The vertical-lift industry has a workforce shortage, and our hobby has a shortage of new members, but it also provides an enduring and accessible gateway to professionals in the full-scale industry. The principles we all take for granted (e.g., propulsion, aerodynamics, fuel systems, electronics, and problem-solving) are all applicable to careers in full-scale aviation.

Both the aviation industry and our hobby need young and enthusiastic candidates to grow. Michael reasoned that if he could bring those parties together in one forum, the result would be a hit for all involved. Having attended HeliStorm 2025, I can tell you that he was not wrong.

Tan military helicopter flying above a grassy field, with trees and vehicles in the background. — A nice example of a Boeing Chinook CH-47 model.

White and blue helicopter flying over a grassy field with trees in the background. — Gonzalo Martinez flies his magnificent Kamov Ka-32.

Groundhog standing next to a traffic cone on green grass. — The event attracted a lot of interested spectators, including wildlife.

Navy helicopter with red tail flying low over grassy field. — A Sikorsky MH-60 Jayhawk was piloted by Romano Pesce, who came all the way from Chile. He was very proficient with the helicopter.

HeliStorm 2025 took place the last week of May in Dayton, Ohio. The actual flying venue was the entire front grounds of the National Museum of the United States Air Force (which is a part of the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base). Pilots and spectators were a short walk from the world’s largest military museum.

I arrived on Wednesday afternoon, as did many, to get set up with my pit area. Every registered pilot was provided with a space to accommodate a sun tent, table, chairs, etc. To say the flying field was excellent would almost be an understatement.

The Experience

HeliStorm was truly a unique experience from anything that I have been involved with during my 50-plus years of aeromodeling. I saw more than 150 unique Scale aircraft; met expert pilots; enjoyed educational seminars; competed in low-key, friendly flying competitions; and engaged with vendors that represented all aspects of the hobby.

Modelers from all over the world attended the event. Romano Pesce came all the way from Chile with his gorgeous (and massive) Sikorsky MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter, which broke down and fit neatly into a custom-designed carrying case that he was able to check in as "oversized luggage" on his flight. I thought taking a "pod and boom" helicopter was hard.

The People

I was fortunate to meet a great deal of pilots for the first time. In the US, there are two main regions where Scale model pilots congregate: the East and the West. There are approximately 2,000 miles between the groups, so they have never assembled at one event.

The West Coast pilots fly out west and the East Coast pilots (including the Midwest) tend to fly together in the east. HeliStorm bridged that gap (even more since pilots from outside of the US were involved) and allowed us all to enjoy fellowship together.

The Education All weekend long there were training seminars held inside the Airbus Pilot lounge, a massive tent situated at stage center. Unlike training that I’ve been involved with in the past, every one of the talks was focused on education rather than being a long advertisement for a product or company.

Model helicopters on grass, two men observing, one smiling. — Chris Pry, who is retired from the U.S. Army, readies his Scale helicopter for one of the competitive events. The event organizer, Michael Kranitz, is on the left.

Person operating a large model helicopter in a grassy field. — AeroPanda’s Danny Melnik flew an amazing routine with his CH-46 Sea Knight.

Outdoor event with tents, people, and colorful flags on a grassy field. — The event had good attendance from vendors, as seen in the photo.

Model helicopter on a table, outdoor setting with grass and gear in background. — This model of the helicopter from the movie Blue Thunder seems fitting because RC models were used for some scenes in it.

The presentations ran the gamut, covering topics such as 3D printing, turbine operations, gyro optimization, build techniques, and even hands-on riveting, during which Mark Smith, of HeliWorkshop, let us try our hand at placing rivets. Workshop training at HeliStorm 2025 was handled by Roban Model; Tyler Gray of Tyler Gray Models; Ben Minor, Pete Bisbal, and I represented Kontronik; Mark Smith of HeliWorkshop; Danny Melnik of AeroPanda; Matthias Strupf of HeliClassics; Joel Rosenzweig of Helitronics; Patrick Leong of Minimatronix; and Peter Jakadofsky of Jakadofsky Jet Engines.

Competition Events—Formal but Fun

Mixed in with all of the activities and flying at HeliStorm 2025, there were multiple competitions available to anyone who wanted to participate. The categories included EMS, military, precision hover, and team formation. The competitions were judged by full-scale pilots and Bell Flight’s own Sheldon Cohen, a 25-year-old videographer and photographer who has shot every Bell helicopter throughout the quarter century of his life.

Judges, pilots, and spectators were introduced to LiveJudge, a web-based mobile app that let judges use their own cellphones to quickly enter scores. Spectators and pilots could follow the action and cast their votes for the "best of" contests. Michael has said that LiveJudge will be free for any event to use through the end of 2025.

Red firefighting helicopter hovers over grassy field, hose dangling. — Mike Spinner piloted his nice Vario Sky Crane in a realistic manner.

Large gathering in a hangar with U.S. flag displayed, people seated at round tables. — The National Museum of the United States Air Force was the best dinner venue for aviation enthusiasts!

Man posing with a large red and green model helicopter on grass. — Ben Richardson, from Florida, is shown with just one of his many works of art at HeliStorm 2025.

Three men outdoors with a hovercraft and vehicles in a grassy area. — Mark Smith (R) works smarter, not harder!

Outside of the competitions, several of our West Coast compatriots showed off their skills at "Bambi" bucket water pickup and dumps. Mike Spinner and Tyler made the otherwise challenging maneuvers look as though they picked up water from a pool and delivered it to a simulated fire!

The Icing on the Cake

To top off the long weekend, we were all invited to an after-hours, private banquet feast inside of the National Museum of the United States Air Force. In addition to dinner, desert, and an awards ceremony, everyone was given two hours to wander around this world-class museum and take in the acres and acres of jaw-dropping exhibits.

The museum has the world’s largest collection of military aircraft, vehicles, and missiles. If you haven’t visited, this place is one of the best (the best, in my opinion) aviation museums in the world. But don’t take my word for it! According to Michael, he is already hard at work on HeliStorm 2026, which should occur in early September 2026. I am sure I will see you there!