SAN MARTIN
– Air traffic will be a little bit busier this weekend at the
South County Airport as the Wings of History Museum opens its doors
for the Cinco de Mayo Fly-In.
SAN MARTIN – Air traffic will be a little bit busier this weekend at the South County Airport as the Wings of History Museum opens its doors for the Cinco de Mayo Fly-In.
“People have flown in from Utah, Arizona,” said Connie Ebert of the Wings of History Museum. “A lot of people come in from Watsonville, even Santa Maria. Most of them come from California. They’ve been doing it for years and years.”
The event begins at 6:30 a.m. Saturday as pilots begin to make their way to the airport for a pancake breakfast and the Pacific Coast Aeronauts set up hot air balloons to take people up and down.
There also will be a vintage model aircraft display, antique cars, bi-planes early gas engines and tractors and the Bay Area Backyard Garden Railroad Society and Short Line Railroaders will have displays. Young Eagles will take to the sky as well.
“It’s a group of pilots who donate their time and plane to take kids up on free airplane rides,” Ebert said. “They want kids to be enthused to generate an interest in aeronautics.”
During the event, entrance to the Wings of History Museum will be free.
“Basically, the event helps bring people to the museum,” Ebert said about the fly-in, which is a twice-a-year event for Wings of History. “For the museum, it helps to generate interest and get people in the door. It’s basically a big open house.”
Ebert said the event is fun for both local and visiting pilots.
“There’s little museums like this all over the country and pilots fly to these events all over and meet each other and look at each other’s planes. It’s like a big club type thing for them.”
The museum is hoping for a couple dozen visiting planes to fly in, but rain could be a deciding factor.
“If it’s anything like last year, we’d hope for a couple hundred,” said Vaughn Lamb of the museum. “I sure hope it doesn’t rain.”
The Cinco de Mayo Fly-In will run from sunup to sundown at the South County Airport in San Martin Saturday and Sunday. For more information, call 683-2290.
