Rockford, IL, Canceled Its 'Airfest' After Losing The Blue Angels

Even though organizers decided that it would not go on with the Rockford Airfest in Rockford, IL, once it was learned that the Blue Angels would not be able to perform, it doesn't mean that there will be NO air show in the city this summer.

The Rock Valley R/C Flyers Club says it will stage its own air show in a field west of town, and the club says the aircraft are not your typical small-scale models made of wood or Styrofoam.

Radio station WBBM reports that, according to club member Jerry Ream, the aircraft are "hauled out in covered trailers or vans." He said his personal R/C aircraft is a Carden Extra with a 10-foot wingspan.

Ream said the club will fly all day long, allowing spectators to join them for free, on July 1, the day that the Airfest had been scheduled. He promised aerobatic biplanes, jets, helicopters, and other aircraft performing stunts that would not be possible in full-sized airplanes.

And the city of Rockford hasn't given up completely on an air show that would feature those full-sized planes, with plans in the works for such an event by the end of August.

FMI: www.rockvalleyrcflyers.com, www.ci.rockford.il.us