Fans of model aircraft fly high at Festival of Flight in St. Charles
Airplane enthusiasts took to the skies on Saturday as the Fox Valley Aero Club offered its annual Festival of Flight public demonstration in St. Charles featuring a variety of model aircraft flown by Aero Club members.
Paul Lund of Sycamore has long held a love of planes and decided to visit St. Charles for the event.
'I used to be a member of the club a while back that is putting this on, but then we moved out to Sycamore and were too far away,' Lund said as he stood near some bleachers in a field operated by the Fox Valley Aero Club. 'I used to have some planes myself but I sold them. I came to hang out with a couple guys I know and I just love flying. It was fun to just come out and watch the planes fly.'
The event, which ran from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Fox Valley Aero Club Field at 3831 Karl Madsen Drive, featured model aircraft including 'civilian and military replicas to non-scale sport planes, with power sources including electric motors, small gas and glow engines and even real jet turbines,' according to the club's website.
Todd Culbertson of St. Charles, who handles public relations for the club, said the event has been held 'for more than 20 years,' noting that the club holds two such air shows a year along with about 10 other events. The club, he said, has been in existence for almost 100 years.
'These shows are community-focused. The purpose of this show is to showcases miniature versions of every full-sized aircraft in existence,' Culbertson said. 'We're talking about jets, biplanes, warbirds from World War I, World War II, commercial aircraft – every aircraft in full-scale is represented here in miniature. We fly using a transmitter and they look like the real things when they're flying.'
Culbertson said that 'some of our planes have wing spans up to 20 feet.'
'It gets kind of crazy. It's a hobby for club members but it's a real community event and a chance to bring whatever kind of craft you have and hang out with other enthusiasts,' he said. 'It is a community event as tickets are $5 and kids are free and it helps pay for the upkeep of the field every year.'
Those attending had a chance to to see planes built and flown by their owners.
'We're talking about things like a jet with an eight-foot wing span – an F-16, military jet, all scale – and it goes 300 mph,' Culbertson said. 'It's flying right over the 800-foot runway and people are 'oohing and aahing' while it's doing it. There are real jet engines in these planes and these things cost $30,000. This is pretty series hobby action.'
St. Charles resident Laura Molter said she came with her cousin to the event.
'I love this event and I actually am going to become a member and learn how to fly,' she said.
Mark Ramsgard of Geneva said he has worked as a commercial pilot for 35 years and that he is amazed at the authenticity of the planes hobbyists fly.
'It's incredible the way they make things seem so real now. Back when I was a youngster, guys were doing things out of balsa wood,' he said. 'I usually just come out here whether there is a show or not and find guys flying. People enjoy seeing the historical airplanes and they like the history.'
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