Stearman Fly-In adds runway 5K, new speakers for 45th anniversary

stearman

If you look up at the clouds next week you’ll likely see a familiar site for Galesburg residents this time of year.

The Stearman Fly-In kicks off on Labor Day, next Monday, with a slate of events through Sunday Sept. 11.

As always spectators can come out and get an eye full for free but some other activities do cost, like a guided audio tram tour of the stearman flight line and stearman rides.

Event organizer Cricket Wolford tells WGIL new for this year’s 45th anniversary is the Runway Incursion 5K.

“The community wanted more events to be involved in, so, we decided we were going to have a 5K run/walk on the runway to kick off the fly-in this year,” Wolford says.

A piece of this year’s program also includes talks by two men who trained in stearman flying before fighting in World War II.

Jerry Yellin, now 92, piloted a P-51 fighter during the Battle of Iwo Jima and on the last mission of the war in August 1945.

George Farnsworth flew P-40 and P-38 fighters in North Africa and Italy and towards the end of the war flew B-29 bombers.

Yellin will speak at 7:30 p.m. Labor Day in the Jet Air, Inc hangar at the Galesburg Airport.

Farnsworth will speak 3 p.m. Wednesday Sept 7 at fly-in seminar tent.The Stearman will also be tied into some other local events that will be happening concurrently.

Fly overs are scheduled for both the Galesburg Labor Day Parade on Monday and the Prime Beef Festival Parade in Monmouth.

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