Jet-setters: Michigan Jets club sends its models soaring above Monroe

The jets soared across the Monroe County sky with some capable of reaching speeds of 200 mph.

The Michigan Jets model airplane club recently met at Monroe's Custer Airport for a three-day event filled with presentations and lots of flying.

Curtis Wade, the club's contest director, said about 40 pilots and 120 jets gathered at the airport during the event. He said participants come from several states, including Florida, Ohio and Kentucky.

Participants paid a landing fee and spectators paid to watch the event. Those proceeds are intended for Jeff Tuttle, the Monroe radio personality who is fighting cancer.

Wade said another meet is scheduled for the airport during the third weekend in September.

Bob Neely of Monroe, who attended the meet, said model jets ranged in length from three to four feet with some up to 10 feet or more.  The models have fully functioning jet engines and use a jet octane fuel.  Speeds and range of operation are limited by Federal Aviation Authority rules.

Neely said each jet is based on an actual military jet (current or past) and scaled down to 1/5th or smaller. The jets are fully detailed exactly like the real ones including model pilots sitting in the cockpit dressed according to the actual pilot's gear. One such jet was an American F-16 fighter jet.

"The jets roared down the runway, just like their big brothers, and were able to perform every maneuver that the big ones can, including rolls, dives, loops, vertical ascents and flybys," Neely said.

Neely noted a camaraderie among the flyers and their families with many sharing meals or helping each other. The visitors enjoyed the flying skills of the operators who were willing to share experiences and details about their jets.  One operator told Neely that he sold a model jet for $12,000.

All jets were hand-crafted and hand-painted in exact detail of the original military jets. During the event, the airport was closed unless a flight was required.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Model airplanes soar above Monroe