Michael Schwellenbach, 7, gets a lift from Walter Stoneski to get a better look inside on one of the many aircraft on display Sunday at the Aurora Municipal Airport open house. Michael Mieszcak, 11, gets some noise relief from his father Dan as Harrier jets roar by. Dan Mieszcak said this is their fifth consecutive year attending the Aurora airport open house. 'It gives you that great day in America feeling,' he said.
A beautiful day combined with antique, World War II, current military, and homebuilt aircraft, resulted in a successful 19th Annual Open House at the Aurora Municipal Airport Sunday.'It was one of our better events,' said Al Shackleton, president of The Fox Valley Sport Aviation Association -- EAA Chapter 579, which sponsored the event with the city of Aurora.
Bob Rieser, airport manager, estimated the crowd throughout the day at 5,000.
People of all ages walked around the aircraft, getting right next to F- 18 and Harrier fighter jets along with two World War II B-25 bombers, Barbie III, which is based at Aurora, and Show Me, a member of the Ghost Squadron of the Commemorative Air Force, Missouri Wing.
Rides also were available in a helicopter, an open cockpit Waco, and Breezy, a home-made aircraft where one sits strapped to a board attached to the aircraft frame, with nothing else between passenger and ground.
Spectators had two opportunities to see enactments of a World War ground battle between American and German troops, which included tanks as well as foot soldiers.
As one would expect, the Americans won both times.
The soldiers' encampment also was open for tours.
The event was emceed by Rieser and Gene Littlefield, who until 1996, performed at 20 air shows a year with his wife Cheryl doing wing-walking on his Stearman, a World War II double- winged trainer.
During a two-hour period, planes made low-speed and high-speed passes over the main runway, giving spectators a chance to see the aircraft and their pilots do their stuff.
When the two B-25s made their low passes, Rieser and Littlefield both reminded the audience that these were the aircraft made famous by Lt. Col Jimmie Doolittle when they took off for their Tokyo Raid on April 18, 1942, from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet to bomb the Japanese just a few months after Pearl Harbor.
As the two twin-engine aircraft -- large by World War II standards -- made thunderous passes over the runway, one could only imagine what it must have sounded like when large numbers of them flew in formation on bombing raids.
Although Sunday's event was not considered an air show, Lima-Lima, a group of six T-34s based in Naperville, performed a shortened version of their specialty: precision flying, with planes at times just inches apart.
Richard Hansen of Batavia, did several fly-bys in Miss Marilyn II, his P-51, World War II fighter as his son Scott and Jeff Williams of Aurora, did the same thing in an AT6, advanced World War II Army Air Corps trainer, and an SNJ, the Navy version of the same aircraft.
Tom Buck of Joliet did fly-bys in his TBF Grumman, and Bob Frasca of Urbana flew his Wildcat F4F, both World War II fighters.
The Harriers and F-18s made a few low passes before leaving for their home bases in other states.
Two F-14s had been scheduled for the event, but all F-14s were grounded recently for inspection after the nose gear on one collapsed from corrosion, Rieser said.
It was a good day for Hansen, who also flew his Twin Beech aircraft for the crowd as he celebrated his 65th birthday.
'This is a nice party they threw for me,' he said jokingly, while making his low-level passes over the runway.
When Rieser learned of Hansen's birthday he told the audience they were watching 'a senior citizen fighter pilot in the P-51, who had his Medicare card in his billfold next to his pilot's license.'
Other aircraft on display included several L-5 single engine planes made by Stinson and Piper for the Army to use for liaison during World War II, two Russian Yaks used as trainers, a C-130 cargo plane from Maxwell Airforce Base and other World War II aircraft.
Profits from the food sales are used by the Experimental Aircraft Association chapter for their various events during the year, Shackleton said.
