5th Annual Fox Valley Fly In: Chicagoland: Festival of giants

Model Airplane News, Nov 1998 by Sharp, Debra

They may call it the "Windy City," but any wind at this year's Chicagoland Festival of Giants came only from the propellers of the nearly 200 giant-scale models there. For this mid-July IMAA District IV mini-fest of fun and fellowship, 160 modelers from as far away as Camada and Georgia came to St. Charles, IL. Bigplane (80-inch-span and up) devoted enjoyed three days of 9 to 5 flying in this small, picturesque town 30 miles west of Chicago.

It's no surprise that participation at Chicagoland, now in its fifth year, keeps increasing. The event host, the Fox Valley Areo Club, has a beautiful flying site with a 50X500-foot runway, a grass strip and ample room for vendor tents, parking, a concession stand, pit areas, a 60X20 charging tent and a section reserved for motor homes and campers-all within walking distance of the flightime.

Event co-directors Mike Kostecki and Jack Treadman explained how the Fox Valley Aero Club came to lease such prime real estate for flying RIC. A few years ago, club members convinced the St. Charles Park District to buy land near the Illinois Youth Center (a juvenile correctional facility), so the club would be able to lease the acres needed for a substantial flying field. The cooperation and support of the Park District and the Fox Valley fliers benefit both groups: land that would otherwise have remained unused is well maintained, and the club has a flying field that's so far from housing and business developments that the sound of R/C airplane engines isn't a problem.

In addition to having a great field for a fun fly, the Fox Valley Aero Club members are obviously experts at running an event of this size, and everything from the transmitter impound to the flightline ran smoothly and efficiently throughout the weekend. Flyers posted in local store windows and articles in all the local newspapers drew a substantial crowd of spectators each day, and Bob Ankney of Ohio R/C entertained and informed the audience over the loudspeaker with a running commentary about the models as they flew by.

During the noontime shows, Dave Patrick put his big aerobatic CAP through its paces, and Mac Hodges flew his extralarge B-29 with a Bell X-1 under its wing. After the X-1 had been released, Dan Stevens piloted it to a few feet off the ground and then activated its solid propellant rocket to blast off into the sky while the crowd cheered. It's wonderful to watch the general public share the excitement of R/C model airplanes.

The pilots' non-modeling family members enjoyed themselves away from the flightline, too. On Saturday, Sylvia Walker of Robart Mfg. organized a sightseeing tour of the area for the pilots' wives, and she and her husband, Bob, hosted a Saturday night barbecue at the Robart facility, which is in St. Charles. As a bonus, modelers were treated to a tour of the building; everyone agreed that the technology and machinery needed to produce R/C gear are impressive. Bob Walker was on hand all weekend to "talk airplane," and he even fixed a retract that had bent on a hard landing.

Robart also donated product for the pilots' raffle, as did Trillium Balsa and DuBro. Other RIC airplane manufacturers that had vendor tents at the fun-fly included Model Magic, Dynamic Balsa and Hobby Supply, Cline and Associates, Double-D Productions, TNT Landing Gear Products and Wing Mfg.

Although R/C'ers come to Chicagoland for relaxed, nopressure flying, most of their models were of contest quality in workmanship and scale detail, with painted glass finishes, rivets, scale cockpits and working lights. Not only were these giants beautifully built and detailed, but they could also have easily represented an airplane "who's who" list, with nearly all aspects of aviation--past and present-represented. Where else besides a modeling meet can you see a WW II Japanese Shinden next to a Culver Cadet on the flightline?

Chicagoland was a "show and tell" of WW I and II warbirds, modern jetliners, classic racers, aerobats and civilian planes. This variety of airplanes added to the weekend's excitement: one minute, two gorgeous B-25s were chasing each other in low passes over the runway; 10 minutes later, an aerobatic bipe with smoke trailing behind it was looping over the nearby cornfield. There was something for everyone at this fun fly.

An event's success depends on its facility, its organizers, participants and, perhaps most important, whether everyone plans to return. Any way you look at it, the Chicagoland Festival of Giants is definitely a winner. Will this editor be back? You bet!

If you'd like to be a part of this event next year, contact Mike Kostecki, 816 Province town Dr., Carol Stream, IL 60188, or check the IMAA website at www.fly-imaa.org. Take your giant-scale model to the Windy City and see why "bigger is better."