One of the planes featured at a previous Gathering of Giants show in Cape Coral. BREEZE FILE PHOTO

An annual event that will fill the sky in Cape Coral takes place over two days this weekend via a model aircraft show. 

The R/Sea Hawks “Gathering of the Giants” takes off at Seahawk Airfield this Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

Attendees can enjoy a lineup that includes popular World War-era warbirds, stunt planes, single-wing and bi-wing models, helicopters, and modern jets. Most aircraft are powered by gasoline or turbines, with some running on electric engines. Skilled operators pilot these handmade replicas with precision, sending them soaring through Cape Coral’s sunny skies.

R/Sea Hawks President Joe Dolliver said there should be about 30 pilots with their aircrafts dazzling about for spectators to take in.

“We’re very excited about this event,” he said. “We’ll have free trainer airplanes for any kid, adult, wife, daughter that wants to get hands-on with complete safety.”

Dolliver said model aircrafts will range from the period of World War I up to a F22 Stealth Jet. 

“All the famous aircrafts you might think of,” he said. “Most people are really intrigued by this event. It’s a great field to come by and get hooked on the hobby.”

Dolliver added it’s thrilling for the club to bring these planes back to the skies. 

“For us, it’s the excitement of being able to fly  airplanes that we could never own, or maybe not even existed,” Dolliver said. “For example, the DR1, which might be 100 years old. At a reasonable cost, we get to be able to put ourselves in the pilot seat of a YF22 jet or a B17 and that’s what the spectators get to see. 

“They may not be at the controls, but they’re actually reliving aircraft that are either totally locked up in storage right now or are scrapped out.”

Seahawk Air Park’s asphalt airstrip is 60 feet wide, and 600 feet long, with five taxiways. A 100-foot by 600-foot grass runway runs parallel to the asphalt runway.

Spectators can sample specialty foods from local vendors and chat with participating pilots as they display their impressive flying creations. One lucky raffle entrant will even take home a replica aircraft. 

Flights will run until noon, followed by the pilots displaying their models. 

Maybe the most fun part of the day will be the club’s Candy Bomber, which will drop 5 pounds of candy at noon across the airfield for children to collect. 

Many members of R/Sea Hawks, nearly 300 of them — have real-life piloting experience. 

“Attendees can talk to the pilots — they have a tremendous amount of aeronautical and mechanical experience.”

Dolliver said the camaraderie within the club is exceptional. 

“It’s the friendship. It’s the knowledge. It’s trading ideas. It’s talking shop,” he said. “We get along like a brotherhood.”

R/Sea Hawks are very involved in the community. Other than putting on eight shows each year (Gathering of the Giants being the largest), the club works with Special Populations, donates toys during the holidays, takes part in local shows and more.

R/Sea Hawks are always arms-wide-open for new members. The club is part of the Academy of Model Aeronautics, holding a gold rating. R/Sea Hawks actually has the seventh-most members out of more than 2,000 AMA clubs in the country. 

“We have all walks of life in our club,” Dolliver said. “We have plumbers, retired airline captains, private pilots that have their owns planes, electricians, teachers — if you have an airplane background or not, or just have a desire for electronics or gadgetry, we’re well versed.”

Dolliver said for anyone wanting to get into the hobby, the club is there to guide them and can provide equipment for them to learn. He said it’s a difficult hobby to learn by yourself. 

“We have a buddy box system and a trainer plane,” Dolliver said. 

The event is free to attend, with a $5 parking donation encouraged to help the club. 

“Come out and have fun,” Dolliver said. 

The park is also home to a RC Car Track. Sea Hawk Raceway is a dedicated, clay banked oval short-track open to all club members for operating RC cars and trucks. Vehicles are limited to 1/10th scale in size running on 2S batteries. Drivers hold organized races every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to approximately 12:30 p.m. (weather permitting).

Seahawk Air Park is at 1030 NW 28th St., Cape Coral.

For more information on R/Sea Hawks, visit rseahawks.org.