THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, April 29, 1995 TAG: 9504290342
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY LANE DeGREGORY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: KILL DEVIL HILLS LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
If you watch the skies above the Wright Brothers National Monument early this morning, time may appear to turn back a half-century.
At least 17 antique aircraft - most from the World War II era -are expected to arrive on the Outer Banks for the first ``Wright Brothers Fly-In.''
A 1946 Aeronca airplane with its wide propeller mounted on the nose will soar by. A 1945 Ercoupe - and its distinctive twin-fin tail - is expected to cruise overhead. Above the beach, a 1941 Waco biplane will carry paying passengers in its open-air cockpit.
Most of these planes are extremely rare. Many are more than 50 years old. All will be on display for free public perusal from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. today at the Wright Brothers National Monument in Kill Devil Hills.
``We'll line the planes up along the runway there, and anyone will be able to come look at them and talk to the pilots,'' said Dare County Airport Manager Tim Gaylord.
``We want to let people see the advancement and development of aircraft,'' Gaylord said. ``This will be one of the largest groupings of antique airplanes ever assembled in the Albemarle area.''
With pilots flying in from as far as Florida and Maryland, Gaylord said he expectsa wide variety of old, still-functioning planes to assemble at the National Park Service monument off U.S. Route 158.
Visitors will get a chance to tour the Wright Brothers displays free, see a replica of the 1903 plane that made the world's first flight, and compare how airplanes have evolved in the 92 years since humans first took to the skies.
``Most of those old airplanes are covered with fabric. You never see that today,'' Gaylord said. ``They didn't have aluminum then. But they still had to protect the planes' exteriors. Fabric was heavy enough to do that - but light enough to let the little planes fly.''
Sponsored by the Dare County Airport, the Outer Banks Tourist Bureau, First Flight Society and National Park Service, the daylong fly-in will provide the public with an opportunity to see antique airplanes up close.
Children may be permitted to climb inside some of the aircraft. An all-volunteer team that is restoring a 30-year-old replica of the Wright brothers' plane will work at the National Park Service Visitors' Center throughout the day.
Other antique aircraft expected to attend include a 1950 Cessna 170A, a small, high-winged, two-seater that has its third wheel mounted on the tail rather than beneath the nose; a 1943 Stearman with two wings, one engine and two seats - one behind the other; a 1955 Bonanza with a V-shaped tail; a 1949 French-built, bi-winged Stampe; and Bellancas, Taylor Crafts and Piper Cubs dating from the mid 1940s to 1958.
``A lot of these models were old, World War II trainer planes,'' said Outer Banks pilot Jay Mankedick, who operates an air-tour service. ``There aren't many of them that still fly. People will get a chance to see some really rare aircraft at this show.''
All day, Mankedick will offer the public rides in modern Cessna four-seaters and in his 1941 Waco bi-plane. The air tours will be run from the airfield behind the Wright Brothers National Monument. Costs run from $19 to $48 per person for a half-hour flight.
``We've spent six months putting this antique air show together,'' Gaylord said. ``We hope the weather holds out for us. We hope, if this fly-in takes off, it could become an annual event.''
For more information, call (919) 441-7430. MEMO: At least 17 antique aircraft will be on display today at the Wright
Brothers National Monument in Kill Devil Hills. The planes will be
available for free public perusal from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Admission to
the Wright Brothers National Monument Visitors' Center is free for this
special event.
For more information, call (919) 441-7430. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by DREW C. WILSON, Staff
Scott Challice, 34, pilots a World War II trainer - a Waco biplane -
over the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills
Friday.
by CNB