One of the planes featured at a previous Gathering of Giants show in Cape Coral. BREEZE FILE PHOTO<\/p>\n
An annual event that will fill the sky in Cape Coral takes place over two days this weekend via a model aircraft show.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The R\/Sea Hawks \u201cGathering of the Giants\u201d takes off at Seahawk Airfield this Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s sunny skies.<\/p>\n
R\/Sea Hawks President Joe Dolliver said there should be about 30 pilots with their aircrafts dazzling about for spectators to take in.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re very excited about this event,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ll have free trainer airplanes for any kid, adult, wife, daughter that wants to get hands-on with complete safety.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dolliver said model aircrafts will range from the period of World War I up to a F22 Stealth Jet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAll the famous aircrafts you might think of,\u201d he said. \u201cMost people are really intrigued by this event. It\u2019s a great field to come by and get hooked on the hobby.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dolliver added it\u2019s thrilling for the club to bring these planes back to the skies.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFor us, it\u2019s the excitement of being able to fly\u00a0 airplanes that we could never own, or maybe not even existed,\u201d Dolliver said. \u201cFor 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\u2019s what the spectators get to see.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey may not be at the controls, but they\u2019re actually reliving aircraft that are either totally locked up in storage right now or are scrapped out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Seahawk Air Park\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Flights will run until noon, followed by the pilots displaying their models.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maybe the most fun part of the day will be the club\u2019s Candy Bomber, which will drop 5 pounds of candy at noon across the airfield for children to collect.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Many members of R\/Sea Hawks, nearly 300 of them \u2014 have real-life piloting experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAttendees can talk to the pilots \u2014 they have a tremendous amount of aeronautical and mechanical experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dolliver said the camaraderie within the club is exceptional.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the friendship. It\u2019s the knowledge. It\u2019s trading ideas. It\u2019s talking shop,\u201d he said. \u201cWe get along like a brotherhood.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have all walks of life in our club,\u201d Dolliver said. \u201cWe have plumbers, retired airline captains, private pilots that have their owns planes, electricians, teachers \u2014 if you have an airplane background or not, or just have a desire for electronics or gadgetry, we\u2019re well versed.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u2019s a difficult hobby to learn by yourself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a buddy box system and a trainer plane,\u201d Dolliver said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The event is free to attend, with a $5 parking donation encouraged to help the club.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCome out and have fun,\u201d Dolliver said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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).<\/p>\n
Seahawk Air Park is at 1030 NW 28th St., Cape Coral.<\/p>\n