From lasting friendships to planes flown by dignitaries, pilots have plenty of stories to tell about their aircraft out at the Galesburg Municipal Airport.
Aviation enthusiasts are in town all week for the 45th annual Stearman Fly-in– the largest celebration anywhere in the world of “trainer planes” flown during World War II.
Daniel Wolford of Abingdon is a corporate pilot, but was enjoying his hobby at the fly-in yesterday. Wolford tells WGIL his family’s plane has a special story attached to its wing.
“The Stearman my family and I own, it’s one of four that President George Bush Sr. flew during World War II,” Wolford says. “Two are in museums and then ours and one other are flying.”
Wolford says a large part of the fly-in is creating friendships and that sentiment is echoed by Marie Spear of Wisconsin. Spear is part of a women’s flying collective called the “Galesburg 12.”
“A number of years ago a request had come in to bring some Girl Scouts to Galesburg Airport and they preferred that we get a group of lady pilots together,” Spear says. “The first time we all got together in one place there was 12 of us. Every year since then, we try to take some time and get as many of the original 12 that show up. I believe there’s actually 25 or more of us now.”
Stearman will be in the skies above Galesburg through Sunday.
