New air show coming to Whiteside County Airport

ROCK FALLS – The Whiteside County Airport will be the site of a new 3-day aviation event July 23-25, when more than 50 aviation YouTube celebrities – individuals who own and actively operate Aviation YouTube channels – will gather for the second annual Aviation Content Creators Awards.

In addition to the awards ceremony Saturday night, that weekend will feature a public component that includes an airshow with aircraft such as North American B-25s, Douglas C-47s, Wacos, Hueys, and North American T-6s, as well as experimental aircraft and the pilots who fly them.

Fans can mingle with the YouTube celebrities, and airplane rides will be sold.

A fundraiser dinner to support what is planned to be an annual event is being held June 3 at the Candlelight Inn in Rock Falls. A cash bar opens at 6:30 p.m., with a Chicken George dinner and “Dinner and Guitars with Dan Gryder” starting at 7 p.m.

Gryder, a 1979 Sterling High School grad and organizer of the ACCA event, will perform and tell stories about growing up in Sterling and Rock Falls.

Admission is $100, which includes four ramp access armbands for the 3-day event, or $500 for a sponsorship table for six that includes a fence banner, rampside display space and four armbands.

Call 815-626-3750 or 622-1106 for tickets.

Gates will open at 7 a.m. each day that weekend. Among the highlights:

Friday

Flying all day and flight line static displays open to the public. Commercial sales vendors open all day.

8 a.m.: Warbird tours/rides all day – B-25, C-47, Waco, T-6, and Huey.

8 p.m.: The all ACCA YouTuber band.

Saturday

8 a.m.: 2.021k (1.25 mile) FunRun down the middle of the runway; $20 for those competing, which includes a T-shirt, but the run is open to all and registration is not required.

Warbird tours/rides all day – B-25, C-47, Waco, T-6, and Huey, except during the air show.

2 to 4 p.m.: ACCA Airshow.

7 p.m.: Just 4 Fun band.

Sunday

Warbird tours/rides all day – B-25, C-47, Waco, T-6, and Huey.

8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: EAA Young Eagle rides (registration available starting June 25).

Parking costs $5 a day at the airport at 10950 Hoover Road; a 3-day armband costs $10; children younger than 12 are admitted free.

Go to http://aviationcontentcreators.com for complete schedules and more information, or contact the ACCA at Aviation ContentCreators@gmail.com, the airport at 815-626-3750 or www.whitesidecountyairport.org, or Rock Falls Tourism at director@visitrockfalls.com or 815-622-1106 for more information.