SAN ANGELO, Texas — Miniature airplanes will be soaring across Foster Communications Coliseum this weekend for the 17th annual "Tiny Fly-In" event.
From 8 a.m.-8 p.m. March 4 and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. March 5, attendees can sit in the stands and watch a balloon pop, races, a nighttime fly and more.
One sports flier, Mark Turnbow, drove into San Angelo from Midland to showcase his aerobatic planes.
"It's just a hobby of mine," Turnbow said. "My main hobby."
On March 3, Turnbow practiced flying his plane amongst many others in the coliseum.
With a controller in his hand, he is able to carry a childhood passion into a thriving lifetime hobby.
"I have been doing it since I was probably eight years old," he said. "My dad kinda got me into it."
For most beginners, trainer planes are the easiest way to learn how to fly because their wings are located higher up than most.
This can help with increased wind levels, allowing the plane to remain steady even in unpredictable outdoor conditions.
After a while, though, many opt for more advanced options such as floatplanes, warbirds and jets.
Many planes are built using pre-packaged kits. For Turnbow, his aerobatic plane took about 3-4 hours to complete.
The aerobatic planes weigh roughly .6 ounces and are made from carbon fiber foam and an electric motor. They are also to perform more complicated actions like rolling and spinning around.
For Turnbow, though, his favorite part of flying is "Probably honestly the people involved It's a really tight community and everyone helps everyone out."
Go to the Angelo RC website for more information.
