Turbines and Tumbleweeds - RC Jet Flying in West Texas

10/15/2026

The Fighting Falcon Takes Center Stage

Few aircraft are as instantly recognizable or as iconic as the F-16 Fighting Falcon, and at Turbines & Tumbleweeds 2026, we had plenty of them on display!

From traditional military camouflage and operational squadron markings to colorful demonstration schemes and custom liveries, the F-16 was well represented on the flightline this year.

There's just something about the unmistakable silhouette of the Viper that never gets old. Whether sitting on the ramp or screaming across the West Texas sky, these aircraft command attention.

Amber captured some fantastic photos of the different F-16s throughout our four-day event, and we thought they deserved a gallery dedicated entirely to this legendary fighter.

This collection celebrates not only the F-16 itself, but also the craftsmanship, attention to detail, and individuality that each pilot brings to their aircraft.

Take a look through the photos, appreciate the different paint schemes, and let us know which livery is your favorite!

And to all the F-16 pilots who brought their Vipers to Sweetwater this year, thank you for helping making 2026 such an incredible event!

10/15/2026

Photos – Part 4! The Final Chapter

Well, folks, we've finally reached the bottom of Amber's seemingly endless camera roll! Actually, 2/3rds ended up getting culled for one reason or another

Here's the fourth and FINAL batch of Saturday photos from Turbines & Tumbleweeds 2026!

A huge thank you to Amber for spending her entire event behind the camera so the rest of us could enjoy these memories long after the turbines stopped spinning.

And thank you once again to every pilot, spectator, sponsor, vendor, and volunteer who helped make our third year such a tremendous success.

We hope you've enjoyed looking through these photos as much as we've enjoyed sharing them. Be sure to tag your friends, share your favorites, and help spread the word about what we're building here in Sweetwater, Texas.

Now, who's ready for Turbines & Tumbleweeds 2027?

10/15/2026

Saturday Photos – Part 3

Yep, there's more! Apparently, when you combine beautiful West Texas weather, incredible RC jets, and a photographer who doesn't know when to put the camera down, you end up with a LOT of pictures!

10/15/2026

Saturday Photos – Part 2

Saturday gave Amber plenty of opportunities to capture some incredible shots.

There were simply too many great pictures to fit into one FB post, so here's another page of photos from our final day!

10/15/2026

**Saturday Photos Are Here! The Grand Finale of Turbines & Tumbleweeds 2026!**

What a way to wrap up an incredible four days in West Texas!

Saturday brought us another day of absolutely beautiful weather, blue skies, fantastic flying, and plenty of action on the flightline. From impressive scale jets to some incredible flying demonstrations, there was no shortage of great moments to capture.

Amber was busy behind the camera once again, and we've got LOTS of pictures to share from our final day!

As we close out the photo galleries from this year's event, we want to thank every pilot, spectator, vendor, sponsor, and volunteer who helped make the 3rd Annual Turbines & Tumbleweeds such a tremendous success.

Four days of flying, great weather, old friends, new friendships, and memories that will last a lifetime. It doesn't get much better than that!

Enjoy the Saturday photos, find your favorite shots, tag your friends, and share them with everyone who couldn't make it!

We're already looking forward to making 2027 even bigger and better!

Turbines & Tumbleweeds — West Texas Sky Show

10/12/2026

**Turbines & Tumbleweeds 2026 – We Need Your Feedback!**

To everyone who attended this year's Turbines & Tumbleweeds, we're asking you to take a few minutes to complete our post-event survey.

We had 81 registered pilots, I know we had a few no-shows for various reasons but I still expect to receive 70+ responses.

This survey is extremely important to the future of our event. The information we collect will help us measure and communicate the economic impact Turbines & Tumbleweeds has on the City of Sweetwater, including local hotels, restaurants, fuel stations, retailers, and other businesses.

The more responses we receive, the more accurately we can demonstrate the value our event brings to the community. This information will be instrumental as we work with the City of Sweetwater to continue growing and improving Turbines & Tumbleweeds.

We need everyone who attended to participate, but you only need to complete the survey ONCE. You may receive the survey link here on Facebook, through email, or via text message. Regardless of how many times you receive it, one completed survey is all we need.

Your feedback will also help us identify what worked well, where we can improve, and what we can do to continue building Turbines & Tumbleweeds into one of the premier RC jet events in the country.

I sincerely appreciate everyone who made the trip to Sweetwater this year. Your attendance, enthusiasm, and support are what make this event possible, and I'm already looking forward to doing it all again in 2027!

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey. Every response matters!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/18Jlhebh1DQ3A7mh60aR6GTfpUg0dNLVZ-IhvwLLI5cs/edit

Thank you again for being part of Turbines & Tumbleweeds 2026!

September 30–October 3, 2026 • Sweetwater, Texas Thank you for attending! Please report spending by your entire traveling party in Sweetwater, not just your own purchases. Do not include purchases outside Sweetwater or event registration/raffle spending. Estimates are welcome. Results will be re...

10/09/2026

Turbines & Tumbleweeds 2026 – Award Winners!

Every year, we are amazed by the incredible aircraft, craftsmanship, and flying talent that show up at Turbines & Tumbleweeds. This year was certainly no exception!

We're proud to recognize our 2026 award winners!

🏆 **Best EDF – Bill Milam**
Tomahawk Swift Glider

🏆 **People's Choice – Ronnie Dean**
An incredible collection of scale military aircraft that certainly caught everyone's attention!

🏆 **Best Sport Jet – Todd Milton**
Super clean BVM Desperado

🏆 **Best Scale Jet – Ron Horton**
A stunning A-10 Warthog sporting Alaskan camouflage.

🏆 **BEST OF SHOW – Carlos Hernandez**
Stunning piloting of his EA BDX

Congratulations to each of these outstanding pilots! The time, effort, and attention to detail that go into these aircraft are a huge part of what makes Turbines & Tumbleweeds such a special event.

And to everyone who brought an aircraft, whether you took home an award or not, THANK YOU! You are what makes this event worth doing year after year.

We're already looking forward to seeing what everyone brings to West Texas for Turbines & Tumbleweeds 2027!

RC Happens Here!

10/08/2026

And the Friday pictures just keep coming!
Enjoy Round 2 of Friday's pictures!

10/08/2026

The Friday photos from Turbines & Tumbleweeds 2026 are here...

Amber has been hard at work sorting through thousands of pictures from this year's event, and we're excited to share another collection of great moments from the flightline!

As with Thursday's photos, these are unedited images. Some may have been cropped, but no Photoshop or lighting corrections have been made. Feel free to do that yourself.

Download and enjoy these photos for your personal use. We simply ask that they not be used for commercial purposes.

A huge thank you to everyone who made Friday such an incredible day at Turbines & Tumbleweeds in spite of the damp morning.

Enjoy the pictures, and stay tuned for Saturday's collection!