Last Friday afternoon I was out on my deck – partly to get it ready for the next day’s grilling event, but mostly just to loaf (is that verb disappearing?)  – and I heard an odd whizzing sound from somewhere above. It didn’t sound like a small aircraft, or at least one that was approaching the general aviation airport about a mile from where we live. Or a large insect near my face. Soon I realized it sounded like a jet. A small jet. That’s what it was.

For a moment I thought it was a drone. We’re nearly in the age of drones, after all, and not long ago I read about a drone spotted near one of the highways near where I live. I didn’t see it, but it turned out to be doing surveying work at a construction site.

What I heard and then saw on Friday was a model airplane flying in circles above the park visible from my back yard – a model jet airplane. I could also see the guy in the park controlling the thing. I had no idea there were model jets. All the model planes I’ve ever seen had props.

According to RC Airplane World (RC = radio controlled, I assume), “RC jets, whether gas turbine or electric ducted fan (EDF) powered, can provide the ultimate radio control flying experience if you’re looking to fly faster model aircraft.

“True gas turbine RC jets, however, are not for the beginner. They are very serious model aircraft that you have to work up to after gaining a large amount of radio control flying experience and an equally large amount of cash. They’re serious business!

“But the good news is that if you do like the idea of flying a radio control jet then there are plenty of options available these days; foam RTF (Ready To Fly) electric powered jets have become commonplace in recent years.”

I don’t know what kind of jet this fellow had, but a jet it was, and he made it do various maneuvers over the park and then landed it. Remarkable the things you see in the sky sometimes.