The 2022 Heli Extravaganza Sliding Auto Contest - We're Doing It Again!
This will definitely be amusing!

It's Free!

Ready for a break from piro flips, hurricanes, and inverted auto overspeeds? Something relaxing and amusing? Random RC is sponsoring the third Sliding Autorotation Contest at the Heli Extravaganza 2022 at Triple Tree Aerodrome. There's no cost to enter and you get a cool T-shirt for participating. (If you haven't registered for HeliEx 2022 on the Heli Ex site, do it now!)

Sliding Auto Contest T-Shirt

Online Sign Ups Are Closed

You can still sign up on-site if you want to participate in the Contest. Visit the Registration desk in the Pilot Lounge at Triple Tree Aerodrome. (To get a free t-shirt you had to sign up online before August 6, 2022.)

The Program

  • Before the Contest: Visit the Pilots’ Lounge for your Official Contest T-Shirt
  • Friday, 9/2/22: Practice and expert instruction
  • Saturday, 9/3/22: the Contest (approximately 2 hours)

The Contest Rules

  1. Helicopters must be 550 size or larger.
  2. Each helicopter will have Random RC skis attached to the skids.
  3. Each pilot will fly up to four autos.
  4. The autorotation must begin at or above 50’ AGL (OK, we'll eyeball it).
  5. Initial touchdown must be within the marked 30' long 'touchdown zone.'
  6. (The touchdown zone has a 'foul line.' The helicopter must touch down before the foul line in order for a slide to count.)
  7. Sliding distance is measured from the foul line to the position of the main rotor shaft at the end of the slide. This method eliminates the need for spotters marking the initial touchdown point. (Pilots should endeavor to touch down as close to the 'foul line' as possible to have the maximum amount of their slide distance included in their score.)
  8. Intentionally lifting off the surface after initial touchdown or bouncing and floating more than 5' will 'scratch' that attempt.

The Winners

  • Longest Single Slide
  • Longest Combined Three Slides
  • Longest Failed Auto 'Tumble' (or debris field)

All three winners will receive:

  • A set of Random RC skis (slightly used) with Skid Clamps mounted to fit their heli
  • Bragging rights for at least until the next contest

Expert Instruction and Practice - You can DO this!

OK, so maybe you can do autos but you're not completely comfortable about it. Or you're pretty comfortable with autos but you've never slid one. Well, we have a couple guys who can help you.

On Friday during the event we'll have an expert instructors, Scott Graham and Dan Murnane who will demonstrate their skill at sliding autos and will provide one-on-one instruction on the techniques you'll want to learn to do massive sliding autos. They'll get you not just comfortable, but ready for the Saturday contest. (And if they're feeling really frisky, maybe we can get one of them to ski the pond 😎 (or at least strap on some floats and shoot autos to the pond)

Instructor Pilot at Heli Extravaganza

Scott Graham — Instructor Pilot

Instructor Pilot at Heli Extravaganza

Daniel Murnane — Instructor Pilot

Skis? Why Skis?

Because you can slide like a monster, farther than you've ever slid before. OK, this silliness started several years ago and was made famous by one of our previous Instructor Pilots, Steve O'Connor, who successfully skied the POND at Triple Tree. Then, Raja Bortcosh asked for some wider skis that would allow him to ski on snow with his gassers. One thing led to another and here we are.

The skis are 1/16" thick aluminum, 2-3/4" wide. They'll add about 320 grams to your heli. There's a spreader between the skis that keeps them flat to the bottom of the heli—preventing them from rotating in flight (ask me how we learned this was important).

We've got set ups for pretty much anything you bring to the contest, including 8mm, 9mm, 10mm, and 12mm skid pipes as well as Goblin-style CF skids. We've even got a special set up for Diabolo and TDR CF skids. We'll have enough sets of skis to keep guys flying their practice runs and the contest runs without waiting. And of course the winners get to take theirs home.

Random RC Skis for Sliding Autorotations

See you at the Heli Extravaganza!