Windy City Warbirds and Classics returns June 23-25

The Fox Valley Aero Club, a radio control model airplane group in St. Charles, is having its third annual Windy City Warbirds and Classics large scale RC airplane event at the club grounds, 3821 Karl Madsen Drive in St. Charles. It will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, June 23 to Saturday, June 25. It will feature continuous flying of giant scale Warbirds and Classics from the World War I and World War II era.

This year, there will be noontime air shows, a highly entertaining dogfight between a famous beagle, Snoopy, and the Red Baron. At noon each day, they will be raffling off prizes that include "The Peanuts Movie," so the winner can enjoy the fun of flying with Snoopy at home, and one of the custom-designed Windy City Warbirds and Classics T-shirt featuring a Sopwith Camel.

All proceeds from the raffle and part of the T-shirt sales will go to the TriCity Salvation Army to support the Salvation Army Angel Tree Program. Each year, the Fox Valley Aero Club is a key sponsor of this program that donates to over 20,000 families in need of assistance during the holidays.

The donated and purchased toys, hats, gloves, winter coats, board games and clothing are given out to more than 1,300 families in St. Charles, Geneva, Batavia, Campton Hills and Wayne.

This event will feature more than 60 pilots from seven different states and Canada. These pilots are all skilled at flying and building large scale RC airplanes. The single wing airplanes flown will have wingspans of at least 6 feet 8 inches and some have wingspans up to 20 feet. Biplanes will have wingspans of at least 5 feet. All RC planes are scale models of historic aircraft.

It is open to the public and they have spectator seating. There will be food concession, continuous flying of the large scale airplanes, noon time shows and other special demonstrations.

Admission is $5 per person; kids under 12 are free. Event T-shirts and hats will be available for purchase. Parking is free. Visit foxvalleyaero.com.