By GRANT BOYD
By all accounts, the first annual Aviation Content Creator Awards were a success. The event took place July 17-19, 2020, at Stearman Field (1K1), about 20 miles northeast of downtown Wichita, Kansas.
With the increasing number of reported cases of COVID-19 in Kansas, some were deterred away from the fly-in. Many still attended, regardless of the possible risks associated. The county in which the airport is located did not have a mask mandate, so many opted not to wear masks. Overall, most socially distanced themselves from one another and large congregations of people were not a common sight throughout the weekend.
According to organizers, about 120 planes, 30 YouTube stars, and around 700 people attended the three-day event.
The event officially began Friday morning, but almost 10 YouTubers and several others arrived early on Thursday evening. These pilots were well situated to see the following day’s arrivals, many of which came in the late morning and early afternoon.
Things began heating up late Friday morning, both the temperature —which quickly reached near 100° and stayed there the entire weekend — as well as the traffic pattern.
A standout aircraft caught the growing crowd’s attention right away, with its two radial engines propelling it abruptly into the traffic pattern.
The Lockheed Model 12 Electra that was used in the film Amelia, starring Hillary Swank, landed with lots of eyes on it and promptly took the “centerstage” spot near the on-field restaurant. The aircraft’s owner and pilot, Glenn Hancock, talked with enthusiasts about the historic aircraft, as well as offered dozens of rides in it throughout the weekend.
Friday’s arrivals and content creation opportunities soon morphed into Saturday, which was the busiest day of the weekend. The day was packed full of opportunities for YouTube stars to shoot more videos, as well as attend tailor-made workshops.
“We learned a lot about growing our channel, staying on point, and being consistent with our videos,” said Ron Parr who, with his wife Janis, runs the YouTube channel “Parr 4 the Course.”
Besides the Parrs, other YouTube personalities at the fly-in included Mike Patey, FlightChops, Aviation101, Just Planes, AIRBOYD, blancolirio, Trent Palmer, Cory Robin, and more.
The number of pilots who showcase their views of aviation on YouTube and other platforms was apparent at the fly-in, with a large number of GoPro and other camera mounts on the wings, struts, and interiors of a variety of aircraft.
Saturday ended with an awards show that recognized the content creators and their contributions to the industry.
Unsurprising to many, Mike Patey — perhaps best known for his creation of Draco — took home four of the 14 awards, including the “Best Aviation Content Creator of the Year.”
Josh Flowers of Aviation101 won the other grand prize of “Best Aviation Accident Prevention Video Series.”
While many pilots departed Saturday evening, a healthy number opted to stay one more night — whether it was primitive camping on the field or a nearby hotel.
Those who hung around still had plenty to see, as three of the roughly dozen PT-17 Stearman biplanes based at Stearman Field flew in formation during the day.
More Photos from the Fly-In
Cory Robin flying his black Carbon Cub at the fly-in. 