DO NOT Call Them 'Toys'

E-I-C Note: The Aero-TV Team -- Jim, Sarah, Bill, Nathan, Jim, Laura, Ben, Birgit, Rob, Paul, Scott and the rest of the aero-gnomes -- want to wish you a Happy Holiday while we all pursue our own various and sundry holiday diversions. Our regular daily webcasting schedule will resume promptly on Monday. In the meantime, please enjoy this 'classic' episode of Aero-TV from the last year as we all recover from the obligatory turkey induced comas.... -- Jim Campbell, ANN E-I-C.  

This is the last of the programs we shot at the 2008 E-Fest event that SO boggled our minds early in 2008. It was one of the most amazing air displays ANN and Aero-TV has ever seen was and was (pretty much) run on batteries... no kidding. The growing popularity of small, electric Radio-Controlled aircraft (of ALL kinds and configurations) has given rise to an amazing event, held each Winter in Champaign, IL.

They call it "E-Fest" and all manner of electrically powered airplanes, motorgliders, helicopters, warbirds and even 'jets' gather together for a weekend INSIDE the massive University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Armory Track and Field Facility -- to fly... in some truly extraordinary ways.

E-Fest is hosted by Great Planes, Inc., a major player in the model aircraft industry and over the course of the last few years, the event has grown to become known (and documented) worldwide. While must of the weekend is devoted to simple "free-flying," a number of competitions do take place.

In just the last few years, RC Model Airplanes, especially the electric versions, have come down aggressively in price, are available in just about EVERY RC hobby shop, and have become far more easy to fly. This has happened, in large part, due to better design, enhanced powerplants, better radio technology, very quite noise signatures, and (as a result) have quite simply become one of the fastest growing segments in model aviation.

But... how do they work? How hard are they to fly? What do they cost? How do you get started? For the answers to these, and other questions, come along with Aero-TV as we wrap up our exciting programming from the 2008 E-Fest... an event we can't wait to return to, next year!

Aero-TV Checks Out The Technology Behind Those Amazing RC Airplanes!

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