This was definitely the year for antique and vintage airplanes at the Arlington Fly-In. The new barn that was built by fly-in volunteers is amazing and provides a real focal point for the antique/vintage crowd at Arlington.

Bruce Angell and the team of volunteers who built the barn with a budget of zero dollars deserves a huge amount of thanks from the flying community. Much of the lumber used to build the barn was milled from trees donated by fly-in volunteers Herb and Janie Brown. Everybody who visited enjoyed the atmosphere around the barn, and the shade didn’t hurt either.

The museum provided most of the items on display inside the barn including our Pietenpol project and an assortment of wings, engines and other parts. We’re looking forward to future years with the barn and hope to provide even better displays for next year.

We also brought down our Waco INF which shared the area with numerous biplanes, including other Wacos, and aircraft from Fleet, Travel Aire and Stearman. Our Ryan ST-A Special drew lots of visitors with its sleek lines and our Fairchild 24 won Antique Reserve Grand Champion.

Jim’s son Drew has been working hard on a Piper Clipper for one of his customers and the airplane was finished just in time to be flown down to Arlington for the weekend. The effort paid off, Drew was awarded Grand Champion in the classic airplane category. The awards continue to stack up for the Jenkins family!

With the dust now settled, and the airplanes tucked into their hangars again, we’re busy getting ready for the North Cascades Vintage Fly-In here in Concrete which is only a week and a half away.

We will have an update about our fly-in tomorrow, including some exciting news about ride opportunities for visitors to the airport!

There was a variety of aero machines gracing the skies yesterday at Rucker Field for the July MAAG gathering. The winds were light, runway dry, and temperatures not bad for July in Kansas. Steve Quick did a good job on the grill and others brought tasty side dishes and deserts. It was great way to relax, talk airplanes with friends, and just enjoy a nice evening.

The Arlington Fly-In is in full swing and the new vintage-antique area is great! Volunteers in Arlington spent months building the barn that serves as the center point for the vintage and antique airplanes. Outside there are lots of great looking old airplanes and inside there are lots of airplane parts and memorabilia.

The barn is truly a great addition to the fly-in and a huge thanks to everybody in Arlington who came up with the idea and put it all together!

The museum has been working with the fly-in organizers and has provided many of the items on display. Inside the barn is our Pietenpol Sky Scout and Ford Model A engine. We also have several smaller items, and the speed corner with information about the Hall Bulldog project and other air racers.

Outside the barn we also brought several airplanes down for display. Our Ryan ST-A Special, Fairchild 24 and Waco INF are parked next to several other incredible looking airplanes. We even brought down one of our latest projects, a yet to be restored 1939 Stinson HW-75.

The airplane just came out of storage thanks to the help of a group of Civil Air Patrol cadets from Bellingham. The Stinson served with the Civil Air Patrol during World War II along the St. Lawrence Seaway and still has some of the original markings. After the war the airplane was put in storage and it still includes many original interior pieces.

We will be working with the CAP cadets in the area over the next several years to restore the airplane back to its original glory. There has been a huge interest in the rusty old plane, especially from the kids who want to help with the restoration!

The weather forecast continues to look like nothing but blue skies and thankfully slightly cooler temperatures for the next few days. Be sure to make the trip to Arlington this year and stop by the barn to say hello.

The July meeting of the MAAG will be this coming Sunday, July 11. Please note the eating time is pushed back to 5:00 PM to allow the sun to be on the other side of the hangar. However, feel free to fly in (or drive in) earlier if you like and visit. Hot dogs and hamburgers are on the menu. Please feel free to bring a side dish or desert. Drinks will be provided. As always, friends are welcome.

Sky trying on a Creve Coeur Stearman for size. Now he's got the "Stearman-cough!"