Tuesday, July 20, 2010, between 35 and 40 vintage planes will land at the 4,000 foot grassy airstrip in Hagerstown for the 3rd year in a row.  This landing strip is the largest of its kind in the United States.

According to Benny Young, one of the organizers of this event, the landing strip is “perfect for vintage planes and well maintained.”  The planes will be arriving through the day starting at about 2:00 p.m., coming from the DC area, Connecticut, the Shenandoah Valley and will stop in Ohio to pick up more flyers, according to Young.  Pilots are invited to come and sleep under the “wings of their planes.”  The pilots on their way to Osh Kosh Wisconsin, have made this an annual pitstop.

Spectators should bring lawn chairs to this event and make an afternoon of watching vintage planes as they offer flying demonstrations and airplane games.  The public is invited to talk to the pilots and get a close look at their planes as well as having pictures taken with them and their aircraft.

Through the afternoon and into the evening the Hagerstown Optimist Club, sponsors of the event, will make available food, drinks and ice cream.

Included in this event will be an auto cruise-in and then at around 6:00 p.m. there will be a special air show which will include an historical reproduction of the 1911 Wright Model B, which has traveled all over the world.

Benny Young suggests that spectators arrive early and can come through the afternoon as gates open at 2:00 p.m. and the air show begins at 6:00 p.m. with planes flying in throughout that time.  Volunteers will be wearing green t-shirts and will help direct traffic.  “There will even be a special section in the northwest corner for Amish buggies and watering troughs for their horses,” adds Young.

Eat at the Airstrip and Support this Event

Amazingly the town of Hagerstown has a population of around 1,400 people, yet the spectators are expected to number around 3,000.  This is a huge event for a town the size of Hagerstown.  The event is being made free to the public as the cost of insurance is covered by the Optimist Club, which will supply the food.  So plan to eat at the airstrip and support this event.

The first major event of vintage planes in Hagerstown occurred during the organization of the Centennial Model T Party in July of 2008.  Since then it has become an annual event that grows each year.  The evening airshow will end around 8:30 p.m.

For more information about this event you can call Benny Young at 765-935-6338.