Airshow in miniature
Yuma Aeromodelers host radio-controlled air show on Feb. 25
Living in a city that hosts one of the military’s busier air fields as well having an airport of its own, Yumans are used to seeing aircraft of all kinds flying overhead.
On Feb. 25, they can see flights of aircraft in miniature – that is, in scale.
Model aircraft enthusiasts will gather at Contreras Field east of Yuma to fly their prop-driven airplanes, turbine jets and helicopters in the annual Radio Control Yuma Air Show that is open to the public.
Hosted by the Yuma Aeromodelers club, the four-hour air show begins at 10 a.m. at the air field located off Highway 95 at Milepost 35, about 7 miles east of Yuma.
Made from materials such as balsa wood, plywood, Fiberglass, aluminum, foam and even sheet metal, the aircraft are scaled down but exacting versions of military aircraft from World War II and other conflicts and of civilian aircraft from different eras of flight. The models will be guided on the ground by using radio transmitters to send signals to receivers onboard the aircraft.
Pilots from Yuma, Phoenix and other parts of Arizona and from California annually come to Yuma to flying their aircraft in the show, said Don Hoyt, a longtime member of Yuma Aeromodelers.
Yuma-area residents who attend “will get camaraderie by going to a sort of festival-type event, plus they will see the abilities of model aircraft that are unbelievable,” he said. “They do aerobatic maneuvers, they fly in formation. They do what real airplanes do plus more.
“At the end of the show, we will place the aircraft on the runway and open it up for the spectators to talk to the flyers and ask questions,” Hoyt added. “They will get
the availability of talking to the pilots and learn everything (about radio-controlled model aircraft).
“Whether people are interested in getting started (in the hobby) or just having a good time, it will be fun.”
Up to 30 pilots are expect to fly model aircraft in the Feb. 25 show, Hoyt said. Among the aircraft expected to be featured are three turbine jets and a World War II bomber.
The club will make use of an upgraded sound system to inform spectators about the pilots and their aircraft. Spectators should bring folding chairs and sunglasses.
“We put on a good show and we have some really good flyers,” Hoyt said.
“There should be plenty of parking and concessions and restrooms, and everything will be ready for a crowd,” he added. “They’ll get their money’s worth.”
Made up of about 130 members, Yuma Aeromodelers is chartered by the Academy of Model Aviation, a national organization that represents aeromodelling interests around the world.
Formed in 1972, the club organized the show each year for its member before opening up the event to the public attendance about two decades ago. Beside hosting that event, Yuma Aeromodelers visit school classrooms and youth organizations in efforts to promote aeromodeling as a pastime, say Hoyt, the club’s first-ever president.
Admission to the show is $10 per car. Proceeds from the fee go to cover the club’s cost of maintaining Contreras Field and its asphalt runway.
The air show will be preceded by a night flying show beginning at sunset on Feb. 24, also at Contreras Field. Hosted also by the club, the night event will be free and open to the public. Hot dogs will be available for purchase at the event.
As in past years, Yuma Aeromodelers will host a swap meet at Contreras Field the morning after the air show. It begin at 8 a.m. on Feb. 26 and is open to the public.
For more information about the air show, visit www.yumaaeromodelers. com or call Hoyt at 928-9412700.