ANDERSONVILLE — On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, approximately 1,000 model airplane pilots and spectators will gather at Hodges Hobbies’ Field for the Dan Stevens Memorial Fly In.

The event, which has been held for the past several years, was renamed this year for Stevens, a model airplane enthusiast, who died Sept. 2.

Born in 1935, Stevens loved airplanes and started building models at an early age. A crew member with the Thunderbirds during his time in the U.S. Air Force, Stevens was called “Mr. Airplane” because, according to friend Mac Hodges, “he knew more about building, finding the center of gravity on complicated planes or anything you wanted to know.”

Hodges said that “Dan could identify any World War II-era military plane. Not only could he identify it, but he could tell you all about it. Dan was a smart guy with loads of common sense and always had the most practical answer to any problem or situation.

“He won many fun fly contests over the years, and designed the Stick-It which was kitted and became a popular fun fly plane. He had the never-give-up attitude when just flying around or in competition,” said Hodges.

“Dan and I go back a long way,” said Hodges. “I first met Dan about 1979, when I came to attend a fun fly contest that Pop Curtis, another dear friend, was putting on down at Veterans Park. Pop told me there was a guy named Dan Stevens from Albany that won every contest he entered. Pop said Dan had just won a contest that had a bomb drop by flying over at three feet of altitude and, doing a roll, put the bomb in the middle of a three-ft. circle. We started going to fun fly contests together in the ‘80s and have been traveling to various events all over ever since. ”

Stevens’ greatest proof of his building skills was completing the 34-hp, 20-ft. wingspan, 98-lb. B-29. The B-29 gave Stevens and his Hodges Hobby crew the opportunity to travel to fly-ins all over the central and eastern United States. Stevens ad Hodges would amaze the spectators by demonstrating the unbelievable maneuvers of the Bell X-1 and the B-29 at the many different fly ins they participated in.

“We’d like to invite everybody out,” Hodges said. “It’s a good family happening as well as the flying entertainment.”

Most flying will start around 9 a.m. Saturday with air shows beginning after lunch. During this time there will be a special tribute to Stevens, when his ashes will be spread over the flying field.

His wife Nancy said “There is no place he would rather be.”

For information call 924-9505.