Pilot Chuck Marshall from Elkhart, Indiana says he has been participating in the event for 14 years.Marshall tells WGIL that it’s a great event to reconnect with other pilots they don’t get to see often.
“For me this is the 14th year that I’m coming, ever since I bought my stearman,” says Marshall. “I’ve been coming to this event since it’s a one-in-a-lifetime. It’s a great arrival for all the formation enthusiasts. We get to fly a lot with friends we don’t see all year around and it’s a collective place for us to share the beauty of the stearman.”
Some of today’s events include a Stearman Aerobatic contest and tram rides through the Stearman Flight line.
Tonight around 7:30, a seminar will also be held by Dr. William Stearman, son of the plane’s designer Lloyd Stearman, who will talk about the aircraft and the Vietnam War.
The National Stearman Fly-in will come to a close Sunday with a Fly-out breakfast from 7-11 a.m. at the Galesburg Municipal Airport.