The fifth annual Florida International Jet Rally took place at the Lake Whales municipal airport on October 15 through the 18th. A few scheduling conflicts kept the participation to about 45 pilots this year but this may change for '99. The site is perfect offering a long wide runway with lots of open space.

BVM customers brought a variety of Aggressors, Vipers, Mavericks, Bandits, Sabres, MiG-15, and T-33's. A steady 15 to 20 mph crosswind affected the Bandits and MiG-15 the least, these are 2 great all weather jets. We saw this at Superman as well. Even a light crosswind caused landing wrecks with some of the so called BVM challengers.

The photo's below show some new models and paint schemes that brightened up the runway.

BVM rep Rob Lynch is a very very good aerobatic pilot and he kept his Bandit "V" in the air constantly. It utilizes the new VIOFAN/BVM .96 power package to perform convincing vertical maneuvers. Rob's crosswind landings were always on the centerline - good technique with a good design.

Rob is glad to tell all about his Bandit. He works at R/C Hobbies in Fort Lauderdale, a very active BVM dealer. There phone number is 954-721-5720. Rob will be traveling to Mesa, Arizona with the BVM team for the jet event there on November 20-22.

John Burdin from Lakeland, Florida brought out his newly finished Aggressor III. He logged several sorties during the beautiful weekend. John did a great job finishing and flying this aircraft.

Here's a real happy jet pilot. David Carter from St. Petersburg, Florida enjoyed total success with his new AMT Mercury powered Bandit. The paint scheme was borrowed from the prototype F-18 Hornet. The plane and power combo is excellent.

The following is a typical scenario of what you can expect if you get started in turbines with a BVM jet.

Owning a turbine jet is a pretty big deal and we want to make sure that you're successful. Since the release of the Bandit and turbine F-80/T-33, BVM has been assisting many modelers achieve there goals of a successful first flight.

Before that first flight, many things need to be checked, and some are often overlooked. For instance, the CG needs to be checked, the model needs to be ranged checked, with and without the engine running. The entire model needs to be looked over, surfaces checked, linkages, etc.. Sometimes the owner doesn't feel comfortable taking the first flight. Most of the time, there is an expert BVM pilot around and that can fly the aircraft. David Carter has been the most recent story of success, and it happened at the Florida International Jet Rally. He flew for almost 8 minutes and everything worked as planned. Even the constant crosswind didn't put a damper on things, just some added stress on the pilot.

Each person that has availed himself of this program so far has achieved 100% success.