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ISSUE 576 - March 2019
Over 9,000 Total Ads Listed
1,000+ NEW Ads Per Week |
| 2018 National Stearman Fly-in - Part I |
By Kevin Moore, Contributing
Editor & Photographer
Watford, Ontario, Canada |
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| There are dozens and dozens of Stearman aircraft that attend the fly-in but several are local such as the Jet Blue Navy Stearman (foreground), flown by Phillip Wolford and Daniel Wolford's yellow Stearman (background), once flown by George H. Bush. |
| Whether you like aviation history, or you like biplanes, or you like flying, or all of the above, Galesburg Airport (KGBG) in Illinois is the place to be the first week in September. It's the home of the National Stearman Fly-in, held annually, and it draws dozens and dozens of Stearman aircraft from all over the United States and, occasionally, from Canada. |
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| There were lots of Stearmans that were tied down when we arrived at Galesburg. |
| The fly-in celebrated its 48th event in 2018 and saw some 50+ Stearman aircraft make the trip. Stearmans were flown in from far and wide including California, New Jersey and southwestern Ontario, to name but a few. There was even a Stearman owner who flew in from the Netherlands (no, not in his Stearman). |
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| There were many different engined Stearman aircraft in attendance, some with the original smaller Continental 220hp, left, and others with the big 450hp, right. |
| If you're not familiar with the Boeing Stearman, here's a touch of history about the aircraft. It was originally designed by the Stearman Aircraft Corporation, Wichita, Kansas which was initially established in 1926. The company designed & built the Stearman C3 and Stearman 4 Speedmail before the company was sold to the United Aircraft and Transport Corporation in 1929. |
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| One of the most common liveries in attendance were the bright yellow air force training scheme which were in abundance at the fly-in. |
In 1934, due to US government regulations, the company was forced to separate its manufacturing and airline operations. Boeing, which was part of United at that time, became a separate business, of which Stearman became a subsidiary. It was around this time that the iconic Model 75 "Kaydet" was designed, known by most today simply as the "Stearman." |
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There was lots of flying going on while the weather was suitable
and many pilots certainly took advantage. |
| The aircraft was operated as the primary training aircraft for the US military (United States Army Air Force & US Navy) during World War II as well as a trainer for the Royal Canadian Air Force. Post-war, many of these aircraft were no longer required for military service, were declared surplus, and were sold off to the civilian market. Many were used for wing walking and aerobatic displays in airshows as well as crop dusters and more. Of the 10,600+ that were built, many still exist today, both flying and in museums. |
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| Stearman numbers were down for the 2018 fly-in, likely due to impending weather, but there were still lots of aircraft that made it for the beginning of the week. |
| The National Stearman Fly-in was the brainchild of Jim Leahy and Tom Lowe, two Stearman owners who first met at the Antique Airplane Association's National Fly-in in 1969. They had discussed the creation of a Stearman fly-in and, in 1972, the first National Stearman Fly-in was held in September and saw 27 Stearman aircraft attend. As the years went on, more and more Stearman aircraft and owners attended. In 1988 they surpassed the 100 mark in aircraft attendance with a record 141 attending the event in 1996. |
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Though there were no records set for attendance in 2018 there were still lots
of aircraft on hand and in many different paint schemes. |
| Early NSFI events were held for only 3 days through the first 10 years however, in 1978, the fly-in was extended to 5 days until 1996 when it was further extended to a full week. Throughout that week, several events, workshops and fly-outs are held as well as many pilots going up to do formation flying, tour the area, take folks for a flight and just enjoy the company of other owners and pilots. |
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| Every morning a pilots briefing was held to go over the day's events, left. There was also a whiteboard, right, posted with all the daily happenings, each day, for easy reference for pilots, crews and visitors. |
| Pilot briefings are also held each morning to go over the day's events and there is a large whiteboard outside the NSFI office outlining what's going on each day. The public is also welcome to attend the fly-in and can shop at any of the merchants that are on hand and enjoy something to eat from one of the food suppliers brought in for the week. There's really something for everyone to enjoy whether you're an owner, pilot or aviation enthusiast. |
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| After the rains left, we were right back up in the air enjoying some formation and an air-to-air photography shoot with the Jet Blue US Navy Stearman, flown by Phillip Wolford and Daniel Wolford in his lovely bright training yellow Stearman. |
| Everyone at the NSFI were the most hospitable and friendly people you could ever meet in aviation. Two chaps who stood out from the organisational side of the event were Phillip Wolford and his younger brother, Daniel Wolford. Within a couple of hours of our arrival they had us up to do some formation flying and the opportunity to get some air-to-air shots of their aircraft. |
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| Flying over Kewanee Municipal Airport before entering the circuit, left. A couple of the aircraft, right, that made the 10 minute flight from Galesburg to Kewanee for the luncheon. |
| One of the 2018 events was a fly-out lunch, held annually, at Kewanee Municipal Airport about 10 miles away. Pilots were invited to fly to Kewanee for a $7 luncheon held in a hangar at the airport where a hearty meal and non-alcoholic beverages are provided for all. The folks at Kewanee are wonderfully hospitable and enjoy hosting however many Stearman aircraft and their crews make the short 10 minute flight. |
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Come back next week for more Stearman action ... people, aeroplanes and information. |
| Next week we'll return to the 2018 National Stearman Fly-in in Galesburg, Illinois for Part II. |
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| There isn't a bad angle when looking at a Stearman, from front or back. |
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Next week we'll also do a little more formation flying with Scott Murphy in
his lovely Stearman over the Galesburg area. |
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