IRCHA Board of Directors

Welcome to the page for the 2024 IRCHA Election. Below is a list of the nominees for the all the Board positions. Each member provided a bio about themselves and their involvement in the hobby. Please vote for the Board members you would like to see help lead the organization. Current IRCHA members will receive an email and/or text to record their vote. To be eligible to vote you must have registered with full payment that included an IRCHA membership at the 2023 IRCHA Jamboree or purchased an IRCHA Membership and for it to be current. To check the status of your membership please go to the membership status page. Voting will be open until May 3rd, please vote by May 3rd, 2024. If you want to join IRCHA and be able to vote please go to the IRCHA shop and select either the 2024 IRCHA Jamboree Pre-registration which includes an IRCHA membership or the IRCHA Membership by itself.

Hello, my name is Auggie Arevalo. I’m known in the RC helicopter hobby and among good friends as Auggie Copter. I currently live in the Seattle area in the state of WA on the West Coast of the United States.

I have been in the Model Aircraft Hobby since 1967 when I was 7 years old. starting with control line planes with my dad. Started into RC helicopters in 1975 with a Schluter Heli-Baby. I’ve been an AMA Contest Director for close to 30 years. I developed a video training course on YouTube called “Auggie’s Instinctive Flying Method” to help people develop instinctive flying abilities for RC Helicopter Flying and its “Auggie’s Ring” learning tool has been included in the Heli-X simulator and is being used all over the world. I developed and programmed the IRCHA Toolbox app for iPhone and Android that’s being used by thousands of Heli hobby enthusiasts.

I personally know and have very good relations and frequent contact with pretty much all the owners and managers of the RC Helicopter manufacturing industry which I believe would be an asset for communication between IRCHA and the RC Helicopter Industry.

I am always open to communications via PMs on social media, texting, and phone calls to address any concerns from the members.

Happy Flying 🙂

Auggie.

I’ve been hooked on RC helicopters since 2006, after wanting one for over 20 years but not being able to afford it. This hobby has been a big part of my life, especially since 2017 when friends in the hobby (Frank Moradiellos and Jared Mincey) pushed me to get even more into it. In 2018, I met Nob Muraki, who inspired me to start competing. Winning the national championship in the Sportsman class in 2019 was a huge moment for me, and I kept competing in more events, sponsored by some of the companies that make and sell our helicopters. But after I found out and shared the problems within IRCHA, those sponsors left me. That didn’t stop me, though. I know this hobby is about more than just flying for fun; it’s about inspiring the next generation to do great things. That’s why I’m staying involved and why I want to help lead IRCHA into the future.

Motivation:
I would like to give back to a hobby that has given me so much. I enjoy helping other hobbyists and want to encourage new people to join. I am an IT professional working for one of the largest Professional Services Firms in the world with an experience that could probably be useful for IRCHA. This last 2023 IRCHA Jamboree I ran the IRCHA drag races and the IRCHA water gallon Jug drop events and had a great time doing so. Auggie asked me to run for the board and I agreed to do so because I want to help IRCHA be reborn.

Hobby History:
In 2003 I lost my sister to a tragic medical accident and was having difficulty dealing with the trauma of the situation. I had always been interested in RC helicopters, ever since seeing the movie FX, and dreamt of learning to fly one day. At that time I had no idea what high performance RC helicopters could do and even the fact that they were available in large sizes (700+). That summer I purchased a Nexus 30 helicopter and had no idea how to set it up. I was introduced to the Toronto RC Heli Club by the local hobby store where i purchased the helicopter and was informed that there was a fun fly event happening soon. I decided to attend the event to see what it was about and all I can say is the rest is history….lol. I was totally blown away by the level of skill from all of the pilots at the Toronto RC Heli club and all of the guest pilots that were in attendance. I was welcomed by a friendly group of guys, which I am still friends with to this day and they helped get me all setup. The joy that I felt when flying and the group of new friends that I met really helped me deal with a very difficult time period. I was able to focus on learning to fly and also enjoyed building models.

It’s been over 20 years now and I continue to look forward to the IRCHA Jamboree each year. IRCHA has been very successful in bringing helicopter pilots of all skill levels together to enjoy the hobby and to promote comradery.

I want to do my part in giving back to a community that has given me so much and I look forward to this opportunity to be a part of the IRCHA organization.

Motivation:
When I ran for the Board, my motivation was that in my opinion IRCHA has long been an under utilized part of the RC Heli community. I believe that member collaboration and support is integral to this new chapter of IRCHA. I hope that as a member, my participation on the board would help create an organization that is valued and respected.

History:
People in the hobby know me as Tima, Andy Ross’s girlfriend. Andy was my gateway into the RC Heli community, and I have been his partner in crime over the last 9 years. I love being at the field and at events meeting new people and hanging out. I am always willing to volunteer and help at events because I love the people in the RC Heli community.

Motivation:
I have served as one of the temporary IRCHA Board members since Auggie brought legal action to make IRCHA compliant with the law and its own bylaws. He recently asked me to nominate myself for the board to help with the transition to a much better organization and I agreed under the condition that I won’t vote in any decision that affects or benefits me as a sponsor.

History:
I’ve been in the hobby since 1983. I currently own BK Hobbies and have been a professional pilot for many years helping manufacturers design, test and market their new products. I would like for ircha to be a successful organization once again. I cannot commit to this long term, but Auggie asked me and I honestly believe in the cause so I am willing to put at least a year of my time into it to try and make IRCHA great again.