It must have been an exciting time.
I can imagine William Piper, Clyde Cessna and the other
general aviation pioneers, visiting the factory floor and
watching hundreds of new civilian aircraft roll out the
door. World War II was over and thousands of airmen were
coming home and would want an affordable airplane in which
they would crisscross the country. What these aviation
greats did not foresee is that few of the returning airmen
would be interesting in flying at all. Instead they enrolled
in college, bought houses and started families. America
had thousands of new civilian airplanes but few buyers.
There is another thing Piper and Cessna probably did
not foresee. Sixty years later hundreds of aviators would
gather at the Piper Airport in Lock Haven, Pa. to celebrate
these great airplanes and the men and women who built them.
The painstaking restorations and modern versions of the
classics J-3 would no doubt have amazed Mr. Piper and his
contemporaries.
Fast forward to June 2008 but the
setting is the same. We are at William T. Piper Memorial
Airport in Lock Haven for the 23rd annual Sentimental Journey
Fly-in. The field and pattern are swarming with yellow
airplanes, in many cases, returning to the place of their
birth. Sentimental Journey is not just about Cubs or ever
just Piper aircraft. Everyone who loves these vintage
airplanes is welcome at this annual event. There are
aircraft built by Cessna, Fairchild, Fleet and Taylorcraft.
These are not museum pieces on display to be gawked
at by passing visitors. These are living airplanes, some traveling a thousand
miles or more to take part in the Sentimental Journey. They are powered by
everything from 65 horsepower Continentals to giant radials putting out 450
horsepower.
Every aviation event has its own personality. Oshkosh,
Sun'nFun, and the many regional events each draw visitors
who return year after year to enjoy the community of aviation.
The Sentimental Journey has its own feel and spirit that
is different than other events. Join us as we walk the
grounds at William T. Piper Airport, as we meet some old
friends and make some new ones. This is the Sentimental
Journey, 2008. |