The Steve Crowe Memorial Airshow is one of the Chino Valley Flyers’ signature events and a great day for both model aviation enthusiasts and the entire family. Held in cooperation with the Town of Chino Valley, the event is designed to be an enjoyable community outing where visitors of all ages can experience the excitement of radio-controlled aviation. Watch everything from World War I and II warbirds to turbine-powered jets, precision aerobatics, and thrilling combat demonstrations. Between flying sessions, enjoy raffle prizes, great food, and a chance to meet the pilots and learn more about this fascinating hobby. Whether you’re an experienced modeler or simply looking for a fun Saturday with the family, you’ll find something to enjoy.
Who Was Steve Crowe?
Steve Crowe, the man after whom this airshow is named, was a true war hero. Born in the San Fernando Valley in Southern California, he was already a civilian pilot when WWII broke out in Europe in the late 1930s. He felt strongly that he wanted to defend and protect the world from the Axis Powers but the United States was not yet in the war.
After meeting a member of the famed Lafayette Escadrille (a group of American pilots who had joined the French air service in WWI prior to the US entering that war) he was inspired to join the RAF Volunteer Reserves in England. He left the US in May, 1941 and arrived in England in June, 1941. He was trained in Hawker Hurricanes and flew his first combat mission in November, 1941. He transitioned to the Supermarine Spitfire, one of the best-known and highest performing WWII fighter aircraft and moved to the RAF Eagle Squadron 133, the WWII equivalent of the Lafayette Escadrille.
In September, 1942, he transferred to the US Army Air Forces (USAAF) 336th Fighter Squadron. He flew over 70 combat missions in both the European and Mediterranean theatres, shooting down four enemy aircraft. That alone was an excellent service record, but he went on to fly some of the most difficult missions of the war. He flew his favorite aircraft, the Westland Lysander, dropping resistance fighters and supplies behind enemy lines, usually in darkness, with heavy flak, and in bad weather.
Towards the end of the war he rotated back to the United States, serving as a flight instructor, teaching our young pilots how to defeat the enemy and survive the air battles.
After the war, he was a bush pilot in Alaska before he finally retired from flying. He was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, Ohio, in 2002. He was a modeler all his life, a member of the Prescott area community and a member of our flying club. He died in Los Angeles, CA in August of 2009, at 89 years of age.
It is to Steve Crowe, a true war hero, that we dedicate this airshow.
(bio provided by Chuck Colwell)
Where: Chino Valley Flyers Field, Chino Valley, AZ
When: Saturday, September 19, 2026
Registration Fee: None
Event Manager: Mark Lipp
AMA Sanction No. 20330
General Information
The Steve Crowe Memorial Airshow is an open fun fly event where all types and classes of R/C models and pilots of all skill levels are welcome. There is no registration fee but pilots must sign in at the administration table prior to flying. Model types may include scale, sport, EDF, turbine, electric, or glow powered. There are six pilot stations and two air bosses will be managing pilots and traffic. All questions about the flight line will be resolved by the Air Bosses.
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- All AMA and club safety rules will be enforced.
- All pilots must have current AMA and FAA registration.
- CVF Field is an AMA-recognized FRIA field so stand-alone remote ID gear is not required.
- Pilots need not be CVF members.
- Open flying may be interrupted occasionally by the Air Bosses to allow for approved demonstration flights.
- A “cash-only” food service will be available from 9:00am to noon.
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Raffles
Two raffles will be held. Tickets will be drawn for both raffles at the end of the airshow.
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- The Chino Valley Runway Raffle is for a number of model aviation-oriented items including kits, complete models, merchandise, building and flying supplies, batteries, tools, and more. Proceeds will benefit the CVF and future events. Ticket prices for this raffle are $1.00 per ticket, $5.00 for six, or $20.00 for 24.
- 50/50 Raffle participants will buy tickets for a chance to win a cash prize, which will be 50% of the total money collected from 50/50 Raffle ticket sales. The more tickets sold, the higher the prize. The remaining 50% will be presented to the Chino Valley HS STEM Program. Ticket price for this raffle is $1.00 per ticket.
Schedule: Open flying is allowed until 7:30am when the Pilot Meeting and Safety Briefing will be held.
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- 7:00am – Pilot registration opens
- 7:30am – Pilot Meeting. All pilots must attend.
- 8:00am – Official flying begins.
- 9:00am – Food service opens.
- 12:00 noon – Raffle ticket sales end and raffles are held. Event concludes and the field is available for open flying.
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There will be several special flight demonstrations throughout the day. These will be announced during the course of the event.
Flight Format: This event is open to any R/C aircraft of any size or propulsion system. Spots on the flight line will be available on a first-come, first-served basis throughout the day. There are no designated times for particular types of models to fly but if you would like to request a time slot for a specific flight demonstration (i.e., high-performance aircraft, team flight, unusual model type, etc.) then contact one of the Air Bosses to make arrangements.
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