Model aircraft show

Watching a dance to a tune is not something out of the ordinary, but seeing a model plane dance to music is.

This was the treat the people who went to the first day of "Wings over Ta' Qali" - the annual model planes show organised by the Malta Model Aircraft Flying Association - were greeted with.

Italian national aerobatic champion and one of the Las Vegas Tournament of Champions pilots, Sebastiano Silvestri gave a marvellous show, guiding his plane up very high and bringing it back down doing various aerobatics, all to the sound of music.

The plane - a bright yellow model, which Mr Silvestri also used in Las Vegas - was one of the largest taking part in yesterday's show, but others also wowed the public.

Two other renowned Italian pilots - Renzo Rognini and Roberto Lagi - and UK pilot John Blake also took part in the show.

In all there were around 110 static models, while Maltese enthusiasts were flying some 50 of them.

Children also had a field day, with some of the planes dropping sweets from the air. The association tries to attract children to the sport, and in fact, some of the 120 members are as young as nine years old.

However, association vice president Frans Zammit Haber stressed that the planes were not toys and should not be treated as such.

The two-day event, which will continue today, is the 12th of its kind. The pièce de résistance today will be the simulation of an air raid on a specially built control tower at the Ta' Qali runway. The display is expected to take place around 4 p.m, Mr Zammit Haber said.

Although one could buy almost ready-to-fly kits today, Mr Zammit Haber said many of the association's "older" members liked to build theirs from scratch.

Asked how long it takes to build a plane, he said it depended on the amount of time a person dedicated to the sport, but sometimes it takes as much as two years.

Mr Zammit Haber said association members used to participate in international competitions, and although they are not doing so at the moment, there are plans to restart the participation.

Education, Youth and Employment Minister Louis Galea was present for the show and said the activity was becoming more popular. He said locals have been practicing this sport for around 50 years.

Gates will open at Ta' Qali at 9 a.m today, and the show will continue until 6.30 p.m.