During the National Stearman Fly-in, held annually at Galesburg, Illinois, there are several fly-outs during the week for breakfast or lunch. One of those fly-outs is to Kewanee Municipal Airport (KEZI). Though this is normally a very popular fly-out luncheon, the weather was uncooperative and only a handful of aircraft made the trip due to very low cloud and sporadic rain showers.

Despite the weather, a handful of Stearmans and her pilots managed to make the trip from Galesburg to Kewanee by air and several others made the half hour drive by car. Pilots and crews didn't want to disappoint the Kewanee Airport members, volunteers and the public school children who visit the airport to see the aircraft and meet the pilots.

Of course, though it is a Stearman focused event, there are other aircraft and their owners who try to make it to the airport for lunch. For the 2023 event, the only other aircraft to visit was a stunning Waco QCF-2. Though not a Stearman, it is a beautiful aircraft and is often seen at NSFI luncheon events. The Waco QCF-2 first flew in the early 1930s. It has a cruise speed of 114knts, a ceiling of 14,800' and a range of 400 nautical miles. It has a capacity of 3 though would be a tight fit for most of today's adults.

As mentioned, there are several groups of school students who visit Kewanee to see the aircraft, along with teachers and parent volunteers. The children have the opportunity to spend time watching the aircraft and talking with the pilots. They are taken, by group, to an aircraft by one of the Stearman pilots/owners and they are introduced to the aircraft. Being children, there are always many questions as inquisitive minds always want to know things and they take in as much as they can. This year, Stearman pilot/owners, Phillip Wolford and his brother, Daniel, took kids out to their aircraft and introduced them to the Stearman, asking and answering questions.

Of the Stearmans that did make the trip one aircraft, US Navy 235, is a bit of a rarity these days in that it requires starting by means of a hand crank, inertia starter. You have to have strong arms and stamina to wind up the starter, especially if the engine won't start on the first attempt! Once a suitable amount of inertia has been reached, the flywheel in the inertia starter is screaming away, the engagement lever is pulled and, hopefully, the engine comes to life with a puff of smoke. After stowing the hand crank & warming up the engine, the pilot heads off to his/her next destination.

Those who make the visit to Kewanee can enjoy a delicious lunch and then can enjoy the coming and going of aircraft. Though there were only 8 or so Stearmans, as well as the Waco, those who visited the airport to see the aircraft did get to see some beautiful aeroplanes. Hopefully, the 2024 Kewanee fly-out luncheon will see better weather and more aircraft. However, this is aviation and, as every pilots knows, it's usually the weather that determines whether you fly. Of course, with any old aircraft, sometimes it's also a mechanical issue but, fortunately, most of these old aircraft are very well maintained.

For those who don't know much about the Stearman, they are now in and around 80-85 years old. They were developed by Stearman Aircraft in the 1930s, and became a division of Boeing in 1934. The Stearman was utilised by the US Navy and US Army throughout the war as a basic training aircraft. They were also briefly used by the RCAF but they proved to be unsuitable for the cold, winter conditions in Canada.

Most Stearmans still flying today have likely undergone restoration, either part or full, more than once through the life of the aircraft. Some have been restored right from the bare bones, having been rebuilt as an all but completely new aeroplane. It's certainly not a job for the feint of heart but many do it for the love of the aircraft, restoring the Stearman down to the most minute detail. It's also not a cheap venture, especially should anything need to be reproduced from scratch. Restoring/rebuilding the big radial engine can be a very costly venture as well but, in the end, you are left with a beautiful piece of American history. You will need fairly deep pockets to completely restore a Stearman. If it requires airframe restoration, engine rebuild and then fabric and paint, you will find yourself spending $150,000 - $200,000 or more, depending on all that's required.

If you're a history buff, a lover of aviation and/or a fan of anything aircraft, the National Stearman Fly-in, held the first week of September, is an annual event. Typically, Stearman aircraft and their owners fly to Galesburg from all parts of the US from California to Florida, from Washington to Maine, as well as the occasional Canadian Stearman. It can be a long flight, taking multiple days, depending on your starting point, but when you're flying a Stearman, every day you get to fly is better than any day sitting in an office! Make the trip to Galesburg, Illinois, especially if you own and fly a Stearman. It's worth the visit to the event and you'll be joining 70, 80, 150+ other Stearman pilots/owners who make the trip for the annual event. It's worth the flight to Galesburg!