Pilots navigate their planes through a list of manoeuvres that is a copy of the full scale aerobatic aircraft events.
Mr Russell is a specialist scale aircraft builder but also enjoys competitive flying alongside the other pilots, who have earned or been labelled flight nicknames to go alongside their real names. Sadly for fans of the movie Top Gun, starring Tom Cruise, there were no pilots using the call signs "Maverick" or "Goose".
When Hawke's Bay Today visited on Saturday, however, lunch time provided a break from competition for a period of freestyle flying providing some high-speed action straight out of the movies.
It featured aerobatics pilot Fraser Briggs, of Hamilton, in control of one of two electric-powered jets, flying to the tune of one of Joe Satriana's instrumental electric guitar numbers.
"Fraser is the overall organiser of the competition and he's still in the top 10 competition pilots in the world," Mr Russell said. "The jets can go up to speeds of 250 miles per hour (400km/h) while the planes we've got here in competition can go from 80 to 150mph."
Results
Basic Division - 1st, Ryan Groves (Tauranga); 2nd, Ross Heald (Manawatu); 3rd, Craig Watkins; 4th T. Yeats (Manawatu);
Sportsman - 1st, Jarrod Briggs (Waikato); 2nd, Alex Wardley (HB); 3rd, Jon Burger (Nth Auck); 4th, Barrie Russell (HB); 5th, Dom Stevens (Wgtn); 6th, Ian Hill (Wgtn); 7th, Jeff Winter (Manawatu); 8th, Kelvin Yeats (Manawatu); 9th, John Butler (Auck).
Intermediate - 1st, Dave Wilkins (Auck); 2nd, Anthony Hall (Manawatu); 3, Mikey Wilson; 4, Rodney Ford (Wgtn); 5, Tony Chaterton-Smith; 6, Shaun Mitchel (Waikato); 7, Ewan Galloway (HB); 8 Mike Briggs (Tauranga).
Advanced - 1st, Hamish Galloway (HB); 2nd, Steven Greig (Auck); 3rd, Steve Gene (Manawatu); 4th, John Rodgers (Auck); 5th, John Knox (Auck);
Unlimited - 1st, Fraser Briggs, (Ham); 2nd, Grant Findlay (Ham); 3rd Alex Hewson (Chch).