You don’t have to be a history buff to understand why this is an
exciting year in flight history
– a milestone to look back on man’s achievements in the last
century.
You don’t have to be a history buff to understand why this is an exciting year in flight history – a milestone to look back on man’s achievements in the last century.
And that’s in part because of two brothers who were certain they could find a way to make man fly, and 100 years ago did just that.
“This is the 100th anniversary of the Wright brother’s first flight,” said Len VonClemm, one of the founders of the Wings of History Museum, which was built in the 1970s as an outtake of the Northern California Antique Airplane Association.
On Dec. 17, 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright made the first sustained, controlled flights in a powered aircraft with four successful takeoffs in Kitty Hawk, N.C. While there always have been claims that the brothers were not the first to take to the air, their contributions to flight have never been doubted.
There will be an open house in December at the museum based directly on the Wright brother’s achievements in flight, but VonClemm also hopes some of the renewed excitement in the achievements in flight will help to bring people to the Wings of History Harvest Festival.
The festival will run from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday at the museum, located at 12777 Murphy Ave. across from the South County Airport.
“We’ve got two things that go on each year; we have the Cinco De Mayo Fly-in in May and the Harvest Celebration in October,” said VonClemm, who said this is the fifth year for the harvest celebration.
He said he wasn’t even sure how many people to expect to come in the doors for the event, with will include a pancake breakfast, lunch, old planes, cars and tractors and airplane rides at the airport.
“I haven’t a clue,” he said. “Maybe 3,000 over the course of the weekend. They keep wandering in. We have 100 balloons that come in here, and, of course, the museum has a large collection of Santa Clara Aviation history.”
Along with myriad items from the history of flight in Santa Clara, the museum also has one of just five exact replicas of the Wright Flyer that was used on the historic winter day in Kitty Hawk.
VonClemm said the event is one of the biggest days of the year for the museum and, although a free day at the museum, is a way to bring money in.
“It’s part of our operational funds,” he said. “Admission is free, but we would appreciate any donations that people bring in.”
And you don’t have to be a plane enthusiast to get in on the fun, VonClemm said.
“Some come for the planes, and some of them just come for the free pancakes,” he said. “It’s an interesting place to be.”
VonClemm was a parachutist in the Army, served in the Korean war before starting flying.
“I’ve been flying some 40 years,” he said. “I figured at one point it was time to stay in the plane and learn how to bring it back down to the ground.”
VonClemm helped to found the Northern California Antique Airplane Association.
“We started in 1961 with maybe 30 people,” he said. “Now maybe thousands have been in or have joined.”
Wings Of History is a volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to aviation history. For more information visit www.wingsofhistory.com or call 683-8890.
