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Waco Fly-In
September 20 @ 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
The annual WACO Fly-In will be held at the Air Museum on County Road 25A in Troy Sept, 20-22, opening at 9 am each day.
The event coming up this weekend features vintage WACO aircraft flying in from around the country to celebrate WACO Aircraft’s role in the history of aviation and WWII.
Open to the public, the Fly-In also includes food trucks, kid and family activities, and WACO biplane rides. The museum features the history of the company, artifacts, a glider theater, a flight simulator and WACO Airplanes.
“So many people have driven by but never stopped for a visit. Now is the time. Friday night Jerry Mullins will have a concert from 5-8 p.m. at the Red Barn. So, please come out, and bring a lawn chair to enjoy the music, powered paramotors, and plane train rides for children while watching the arrival of the airplanes,” said WACO Executive Director Nancy Royer.
Since 1923, WACO has been a high-profile part of the local community, representing innovation, creativity, and manufacturing excellence. President Clayton Brukner, an aviation pioneer and inventor, started and led WACO Aircraft Company to prominence as the top manufacturer of civil aircraft in the US. To this day, WACO airplanes are considered the best of their type ever built.
Each day of the event will feature open-cockpit biplane rides and a variety of family-friendly activities, including pedal planes, a plane train, a family scavenger hunt, food trucks, and a silent auction.
On Friday, local musician Jerry Mullins will perform. Bring a lawn chair to enjoy the music powered paramotors, and plane train rides for children while watching the arrival of the airplanes, said the release.
Saturday will be packed with excitement, including a new event — a flour drop competition at 1 p.m., sponsored by Flight Outfitters. Additionally, there will be presentations on the WACO Glider’s role in WWII, photo opportunities with WWII soldiers, robotics demonstrations, Star Wars characters, and a parachute display from the Parachute Museum.
Sunday will be dedicated to First Responders, featuring a Touch-a-Truck event and a visit from the CareFlight helicopter. Attendees can also take a ride in a WACO biplane or a helicopter before grabbing a hot dog provided by the Fraternal Order of Police. Finish the day by finding a seat along the flight line for the Radio-Controlled Barnstormer’s Air Show, which concludes with the popular candy drop.
“We’ve also added several new activities, including a flour drop contest for the pilots on Saturday. It will be a lot of fun to watch from the ground as they attempt to hit the target with a bag of flour. Flight Outfitters in Cincinnati has generously provided some fantastic pilot gifts for the event” Royer said.
This year, in addition to the regular Fly-In activities, tours of the new education building will be offered as part of the kick-off of the Wings and Dreams Campaign which is raising funds to complete the much-needed facility for the WACO’s many S.T.E.M.-related learning programs. 15-minute tours are followed by an ice cream social, sponsored by Ducky’s Snowballs & Ice Cream.
Royer said increased enrollments and limited space created a need for a dedicated educational facility. That facility, originally inspired by a $1 million gift from Thom and Pat Robinson, and designed to be a 17,000-square-foot state-of-the art education center, must be completed. It will enable current programs to improve and grow while providing much needed space for new programs and activities.
For a full schedule of events, visit www.wacoairmuseum.org . Or for more information on the Fly-In or the Wings and Dreams Campaign, please contact Nancy Royer, 937-339-9226.
