Five years ago, Steve Keesey had a dream to develop a national radio- controlled military aircraft event, Warbirds Over Oklahoma.
This year — thanks to a change of venue to El Reno Airpark and what he called a growing interest in Warbirds — Keesey's dream could be on its way to becoming a reality.
The event is set for May 14 to May 16.
The Mustang resident founded the annual event in 2004. A member of the Westside RC Flyers Club in Yukon, Keesey initially drummed up support with his fellow club members, holding the first Warbirds show May 21, 2005.
Five years later, Warbirds Over Oklahoma is expanding into a three-day event, drawing in participants from all over Oklahoma as well as surrounding states.
“This year is much bigger than our previous events,” Keesey said. “The city of El Reno has really gone above and beyond my expectations — I started this wanting it to grow into a nationwide event, and with the way this is going this year, I know that's what's going to happen.”
Pilots and their planes travel not only from all over central United States to come to the Warbirds event, they also come in a wide variety of sizes, scales and models, Keesey said. From the World War I-era Sopwith Camel to a P-51 Mustang from World War II to Eurofighters and helicopters, entries run the gamut, he said.
“We have anything from small electrics with about a 1-foot wingspan, up to about 10-foot wingspans,” Keesey said. “It's pretty usual for one pilot to bring two or even three aircraft, and there are a wide range of models and historical eras as well.”
In addition to pilots and their radio-controlled planes, several full scale models are slated to be part of this year's event, Keesey said. Brent Hisey will fly his P-51 Mustang “Miss America,” as well as other aircraft that will be flown and displayed, and Oklahoma City-based Flying High Balloon Services will send their hot air balloons aloft both early May 15, as well as entertaining the crowd with a balloon “glow” that evening.
“When they inflate the hot air balloons at night and ignite the burner, it's just beautiful to see them,” Keesey said.
Food will be available, and organizers are still making arrangements for more “special” components for the May event, Keesey said. He said he hopes those preparations help boost last year's attendance of about 65 pilots with more than 100 planes much higher.
“We are also working on getting the word out to the public so they can see what this is all about,” he said.
The sixth annual Warbirds Over Oklahoma is a far cry from the 9-year-old boy who first fell in love with his model airplanes. After one of his first planes crashed, Keesey said he kept the engine — something he still has today and reminds him to pass on the love for aviation. He has done just that — turning a hobby into a career as the safety manager for the Federal Aviation Administration's FAASTeam program.
Keesey passed his love for flight on to his son as well, who works as an air traffic controller.
Representatives from Metrotech's aviation department, as well as the University of Oklahoma flight center will bring high flight to ground level for students.
“This is where it starts, where a lifelong love for flying can begin,” Keesey said. “We're in the process of contacting school officials to see about them coming out for this, and we can go and speak to them as well.”
Members will also work on recruitment for their radio control clubs, and Keesey said he hoped to generate interest sufficient for a local club to take off in El Reno.
For more information, go to the event Web site at www.warbirdsoverok. org.