Czech 2 and 4 taxi in
About an hour west of Traverse City, Gaylord is a small town in Northern Michigan best known for golfing, winter sports, and its “Alpine Village” aesthetic. The 2019 edition of Wings Over Northern Michigan marked the 10th consecutive year of airshows hosted at Gaylord Regional Airport, an admirable streak for any show much less one hosted in a quaint vacation town with a population under 4,000.
One of my absolute favorite shows of the year, and the best vintage show in the Western United States, is the Planes of Fame Airshow held in Chino, California. This year’s show commemorated the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
With only two airworthy examples remaining of nearly 4,000 airframes built, it’s a rare treat to see a B-29 in observation. Aviation geeks from near and far had that opportunity during the recent stop of the Commemorative Air Force’s AirPower History Tour stop at Oakland County International Airport in Southeast Michigan. The airport, known to pilots at “Pontiac” is located in the city of Waterford and is surrounded by the inland lakes that are famous in the region, and is celebrating its 90th birthday in 2019. What better way to celebrate than a visit from one of the rarest warbirds in operation?
A few days ago, the Collings Foundation’s B-17G, “Nine-O-Nine” crashed while returning to Bradley International Airport in Connecticut. Seven crew members and passengers died, while seven more people in the plane and on the ground were injured. The highly visible aircraft, part of the Wings of Freedom Tour, had departed with ten passengers and three crew members; it was attempting to return to the airport after a crew member mentioned a problem with an engine in a conversation with air traffic controllers.