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| The Ohio Radio Kontrol Society (TORKS) will present the 17th annual Heart of Ohio Jet Scramble at the Field of Dreams Model Airport Aug. 24-26. Pictured here, a high-flying candy drop that seems to be a favorite activity for the children in attendance. The Field of Dreams Model Airport is on Young Road, just three miles south of Grove City. |
The jets will be arriving in Grove City this weekend.
No, it is not the professional football team, but actual jets in a miniature scale.
The Ohio Radio Kontrol Society (TORKS) will present their 17th annual Heart of Ohio Jet Scramble on Aug. 24-26. Model aircrafts from the present and bygone days will be featured at the Field of Dreams Model Airport, located at 6321 Young Rd., just three miles south of Grove City off I-71 and Route 665.
"The models are truly jets in every aspect," said Terry Nitsch, the event chairperson. "They are high performance aircrafts that utilize the latest technologies in fabrication, construction and flight. If you look inside one of these jets, you will see a miniature turbine engine and complex electronics."
The turbine engines inside the small jets and other aircrafts at the show will be capable of reaching altitudes of 1,500 feet and speeds of 200 miles per hour.
"We can get as many as six of them up in the air at one time, but it gets and looks too congested," said Nitsch.
At last year’s event, over 3,000 people showed up over the weekend to view the hard working hobbies from the TORKS members. Since some jet models can measure 12 feet in length with wingspans of eight feet, it would be hard not to marvel at the workmanship that goes along with this hobby.
"It can take up to three months to a year to complete one model," said Nitsch. "I have 10 models total, four of which are jet models. I’ve been absolutely fascinated with them for 45 years."
Nitsch hopes his love for model aircrafts rubs off on the kids who will be in attendance for the Jet Scramble.
"At the noon shows, we’ll have sky divers and a candy drop. We want to get the kids involved as much as possible."
Admission is free, but there is a $5 fee to park at the Field of Dreams Model Airport. That expense not only maintains the facility, which is always open to the public, but to a good cause as well.
"The Jet Scramble is the primary fund raiser for TORKS," explained Nitsch "but in cooperation with the Grove City Parks and Recreation, a portion of the proceeds also go to the underprivileged youth activities in the area. The youth is where it all starts at and that’s our main focus."
Since the actual sized counterparts to some of these aircrafts can only be seen in museums, the weekend of Aug. 24 would be an opportunity, weather permitting, to view the flying relics of the past, like the F-86 and the FA-18.
The festivities begin Aug. 24 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Aug. 25 and 26 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
