NEW TECHNOLOGY

“Both make me fly,” says the handsome baritone.

The public first became aware of Vu’s helicopter obsession when he flew one of his remote-control (RC) copters on the TV show Acapella last May.

He says that while he only started flying RC helicopters a year ago, his fascination with aviation began as a child.

“I built my first model airplane when I was six. It was made of ball-point pens and rubber bands.”

Now, when he’s not performing or rehearsing, the 31-year-old heartthrob spends all his free time building and flying helicopters.

“Flying RC helicopters outside makes me more tanned than other members of the band, so the spotlight has to focus more on me,” Vu jokes.

Thinking big

Vu now dreams of building, marketing and selling the first Made-inVietnam brand of RC helicopter.

But he knows it won’t be easy.

“An RC copter is not a toy. It’s a true aircraft that flies and operates by the same principles as a full scale aircraft,” he says. “The only difference is the size and weight.”

“To fly them, you’ve got to learn to be a mechanic and pilot.”

He says designing an aircraft takes skills that only apply to the aviation industry.

“I had to spend a lot of time studying before I learned to fly... but seeing something built with my own hands flying through the air is the pinnacle of success,” Vu said.

It took the singer-turned-actor a lot of time and money to build helicopters he’s proud of.

Vu says that after performances, he often goes home and works on his helicopters until 3 a.m.

“Most people would think it’s a mechanic’s house, not a singer's, because of all the noise made by machines,” he says.

“This success is quite different from having a hit song.”

He said that art was subjective and you could be successful by accident, whereas RC flying is different: your helicopter either soars or it doesn’t.

“I’ve gained a lot more confidence since I began flying RC copters,” Vu says.

He says that many who fly RC helicopters focus too much on the way the helicopter looks and their own flying skills, rather than on building a superior aircraft, which is his main goal.

“The more I learn about flying, the deeper my passion becomes.”

Vu says his Vietnamese RC helicopters are just as good as those made by leading producers from Taiwan, China and Japan.

He’s sold a few to fanatics already, but hopes to export and supply to the wider domestic market soon. He reckons there are thousands of buyers in Vietnam alone.

“The journey has just begun,” he says.

Reported by Phuong Anh