THUNDER BAY - It was a perfect weekend to take to the sky and soar high in the air, even if everyone's feet remained firmly planted on the ground.
Model airplane enthusiasts gathered in a field off Highway 61 over the weekend to take part in Lakehead Aeromodellers Flying Flub Air Fest RC Air Show.
The weekend included demonstrations of various model aircraft, from smaller, electric powered planes, helicopters, and drones, all the way to 1/35 scale aerobatic gas powered planes.
“It’s one of those hobbies that it is safer for me to be on the ground,” said Archie Gribben, president of the Lakehead Aeromodellers Flying Club. “And I enjoy it. Building the planes these days is a lost art.”
Gribben has been building and flying model airplanes for 30 years and the Air Show is a great way for model RC pilots to show off their aircraft and skills.
“The guys with the large gas powered planes are a crowd pleaser with the smoke systems and they are impressive,” he said. “The helicopter guys are the same thing, there’s a lot of things you can’t do with a full scale aircraft.”
Dennis Poulin was out on the weekend with his 1/35 scale aerobatic plane modelled after the Russian-built Yak 54. Made out of balsa wood and plywood, the plane is powered by a gasoline twin 100 cc motor, and this year Poulin added a smoke system.
“They love it,” Poulin said of the crowd’s reaction. “It’s awesome. It’s a lot of fun. It makes another interesting element to it.”
Poulin said he has been involved with model airplanes for the past 25 years and ever since he was a child he had an interest in flight.
“I built an airplane when I was a little kid and it started from there,” he said. “Then when I started working and making some money, I was able to buy some toys.”
The Yak 54 performed barrel roles, loops, and high flying spirals, looking just like a full-sized aerobatic show. But that skill did not come over night and Poulin said it took him a few years to get to where he is now.
“It’s challenging,” he said. “I always like to do something, build a bigger plane, a more powerful plane. I like the bigger stuff now. They fly better. If it’s windy outside, it’s not really a problem to fly them.”
But the air show was not only for the seasoned flyers out in the field, as kids were also given the opportunity to try out model planes with the help of club members.
“It was really fun,” said 10-year-old Xavier Cunningham, who tried flying for the first time. “I like how there was really steep turning.”
“It’s really cool,” his sister, Payton, added. “It turns around so quickly and is just so smooth.”
“I always find the youngsters have quick reflexes, so they learn a lot faster,” Gribben said.
And while the weekend air show was a chance for pilots to show off their skills, it was also a way to get more people interested in a hobby that Gribben says has stagnated in recent years in Thunder Bay.
“We hope they get a feel for the hobby,” he said. “This is a disposable income hobby. It’s easier to get a scale race car or boat than it is to put something together and put up in the air and take a chance.”
But nothing really compares to the thrill of flight, even if you never leave the ground, because it is a difficult skill to master, and as Poulin can attest to, exhilarating when you do.
“For me it was really exciting to fly and land,” Poulin said. “It was quite an achievement to fly and land without crashing for the first time. It was a good experience.”
