Helicopter Show at Tag City

Let's All Go to the Heli Show!

I was given a notice yesterday that there would be a helicopter show at the relatively new Tag City Airport, so I thought I would go there and have a look. I had heard mention of this new airport before, but I had not actually taken the time to visit, so this was going to be all new for me. Once I arrived, I saw that many helicopters were already on display. While wandering around, I met the owner of the airport, Zipperhead Wurgle. He was very pleasant and invited me to add to the display.

Being a huge rotary-wing aficionado, I didn't need to be asked twice. I picked an open spot and set up a few of my favorites, being careful to select ones that were not already on display. I must have timed it just right, because the sim began to fill up shortly after I added my own display. Nearly every helicopter manufacturer in Second Life has been represented, including a few that I was not aware of (yes, I ended up spending more of my hard-earned L$). I went around and took pictures to show what a large gathering this is, and I'll post of few of those pictures below. I hope many of you will take the time to come out and have a gander at what's on display; it may surprise you to see the vast number of helicopters that are actually available in SL. Here's the SLURL so you don't have to search for it in-world: Tag City Airport

Overall, it's nearly overwhelming. There are so many different aircraft here that it's hard to know where to start. You'd probably be best-served by beginning at one end and methodically working your way through all the displays. There is no tentative schedule of events, but Zipperhead informed me that there will be some in-flight displays. If I am able, I'll announce these through the group chat (group joiners are set up on the field, if you're not already a member of either 1st Air or Aero Scouts). Hopefully this will turn out to be like a week-long airshow. It should be a good way to meet new friends, considering that most people there will have the common interest in helicopters, or at the very least, in aviation itself.



Above is an overall view of the airport. You can see that much of it has been filled, but there is still some open space available. Contact Zipperhead Wurgle in-world to make arrangements if you have something you'd like to display here.




This is the EC-135 Eurocopter, made and sold in SL by Apolon.




This is another version of the same helicopter, the EC-135, but this one is made by Tig Spijkers. The advantage to Tig's helicopters is that they are 'mod', meaning that if you are a skilled builder in SL, you can change things on it, like perhaps the colors, if you're so inclined. Second Life is all about choices, and there certainly are plenty of them available.




Here we have a Piasecki H-21, a helicopter first built in 1949 and later used by the United States Army in the early stages of the Southeast Asia Wargames in Vietnam. This one is built by Jade Kangas.




The helicopter above is made by Pretender Broome. I had never heard of this builder before, and he has no mention of his products anywhere in his profile. I finally found his online store by searching Marketplace, and was pleasantly surprised to see that this helicopter costs only L$150. This aircraft flies strictly by 'mouselook' (be sure to invert your mouse in 'preferences' before trying to fly it), so for me that is just a bit different. Nevertheless, it's a wonderful build, especially for the price, and I think it's a good candidate for for a first helicopter for anyone wanting to become involved with rotary-wing aircraft in Second Life. It deserves a place in everyone's collection; get yours HERE.




Above: A UH-60 Blackhawk variant by IKI Heavy Industries; their store can be found at Yumix.




Oh, check this out... it's one of the old Cubey Terra helis from the Golden Age! Yes, these are still available, but you'll have to get yours online from the Marketplace. I posted a link to his page in an earlier article. I think it was in one of the Mesh rants, I can't remember. Well, you DID read it, didn't you?? LOL, go have a look; I'm not going to post the same link twice. This helicopter is another classic, and for the price you can't go wrong. (OK, it's near the beginning of THIS article)




THIS, my friends, really is a true classic. It's the Milestone Bell 47. I have to tell you that the scripts that Milestone uses in his helicopters are unique, and they account for the fact that his helicopters are the VERY BEST you can get in SL. Milestone's helicopters are the most fun to fly, I just can't say enough about them. If you buy just one helicopter, it should be a Milestone. You won't regret it. All others pale by comparison.




Another great Milestone helicopter, this one is the CH-54 Skycrane. It's expensive, and I would not recommend it as a first heli by any means, but it's a wonderful build, and it's worth every penny. It's also available in a civilian version, for those who are not interested in playing with military helicopters. Like I said, SL is all about choices.




Yet another classic Milestone helicopter is the UH-1B/C Huey, made famous during that Vietnam War we have all heard about. I really like this one. I have bought several.




The above helicopter is a bit less military looking, and is reminiscent of the old Bell 47. This particular one is made by Judy Dressler, whose products can also be found in Marketplace.


I'm going to end it here, for now. I have a lot more pictures to share with you; perhaps I'll do another installment of photos from the helicopter show. At any rate, please take the time to go have a look for yourself. You have nothing to lose, aside from more of your hard-earned L$, but even if you do decide to spend some of it on a helicopter, I think you'll find that you've opened up some new horizons for yourself. At the very least, you might make some new friends. Take care, and maybe I'll see you at the show.

~Jamie~