Aviation Day(s) 2023
At The Greene County Airport, Waynesburg PA.
August the 19th and 20th
Click Here to view the 2023 Aviation Days poster with more information
General Information: The usual food and static displays will be available. Young Eagles rides will be offered on Sat Aug 19th only (navigate back to the Home Page using the navigation menu in the header or footer of this page for more info on Young Eagles rides. Look under the Current News heading). The TBM Avenger, a WWII carrier-based attack aircraft, will not be here this year. However, a 1942 Douglas C-53 from Vintage Wings Inc will make its debut at our humble event. It is another example of the will and determination required by a few individuals to keep these historical aircraft alive and well for all of us to behold. You can read more about it by Clicking Here
If the weather and other anomalies favor us this year, the Charitable airplane rides, given by volunteer pilots (who also force their aircraft to volunteer) will be giving rides for a nominal fee (to help cover the cost of the event and other expenses). There will also be short helicopter rides provided by a private vendor at an affordable price. A note regarding both: these rides do not need to comply with the EAA restrictions and can be taken by both young and old but are not free.
The grand finale, and it truly is, will be the Candy Drop on Sunday at around 4pm. This part of the event, while lots of fun for all of the children, also represents a time in the historical archive of both the United States and its allies shortly after the end of World War II, 1948-49, The Berlin Airlift. The C-54 from the Berlin Airlift Foundation will take off and circle the airport to recreate the famous Hershey candy drop. Be advised to have your cameras and cellphones at the ready. For a brief description of the original airlift and links to more info, please Click Here.
2022 Aviation Days
New info: Aug 15th 2022. The C54 in all of its splendor has landed at the Greene County Airport, and will remain through this week ends show.
Aug 20-21 2022 Aviation Days event Young Eagles rides online registration opens July 20th. If you want to register early click on this link: Young Eagles online registration
Mark your calendar!
The county government would very likely not want us to burn down the entire airport and all of the aircraft, so the evening event listed below is probably a nonstarter, but a wonderful thought given the misery the pandemic has caused throughout the world.
Bring your COVID mask, not to wear, but to toss on the pile which will later be sprinkled with 100 octane aviation fuel. Careless smokers will be encouraged to toss still lit cigs at the pile to start the evening bonfire ceremony, during which all will be encouraged to join in holding ungloved hands and to sing a modified version of the old Roy Rogers song, now named Un-Happy Trails to You as the masks turn back into ashes and dust.
The real show, so far, will be very similar to last year, and that is a good thing, so similar that for now we will keep the same description below from 2021.
CLICK HERE to download the Aviation Day 2022 flyer.
Always a highlight of Aviation Days, the historic, educational C-54 SPIRIT OF FREEDOM from The Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation is returning, culminating in a Hershey candy parachute drop on Sunday around 4 PM. (bring lots of hand wipes to remove all that chocolate from those tiny hands, and a camera).
We will also have Charlie Cartledge and his TBM Avenger, a WWII carrier-based attack aircraft, the same type that a 20-year-old Naval Aviator named George H W Bush flew 58 combat missions in during WWII.
Andrew King is coming back with the Travel Air to give thrilling bi-plane rides for an affordable fee — a great adventure for anyone — even “seasoned pilots.”
The very popular Experimental Aircraft Association Young Eagles program, courtesy of EAA Chapter 842 from Fairmont WV, will be at the event as well. Members will be giving free rides to youth ages 8-17 with written consent from a parent or guardian. There is a registration link to the EAA Young Eagles rides in the list below. Take a look anytime to get familiar with the process, but note, actual Young Eagles registration will not be accepted until July 21st.
Someone in our group has vastly improved the SOAR YouTube site. Prior to her involvement, I think the most recent post was that of a brand new Trans World Airlines DC-3 being pulled out of the Douglas hangar, which a member personally witnessed, then rushed home to post on YouTube, I guess it was probably You-Vacuum-Tube back then. But seriously, if you have never been to an Aviation Day event and want to know more about it, you can see video of the C-54 landing, and the candy drop to commemorate the courage and skill and ultimately acts of kindness over war torn Berlin shortly after the end of WWII. Some Greene County airport history, other past events and more are in the video collection.
This link will take you directly to the C-54 landing at Waynesburg the very first time it came to participate in Aviation Day, and you can look around for other subjects of interest if you like.
Crank the sound up to hear those 4 radial engines. Click Here
A skydiving demo will be provided by Skydive Mountaineer during the event’s opening services, and, back after several years of absence are helicopter rides! Vortex Helicopter Services will be offering short local rides for purchase. Friday evening (8-20) there will be a Plane Pull contest where teams will test their strength and skill.
We’ve offered the weather gods a free plane ride, and burned a pile of discarded Piper J3 wing fabric and a gallon of 100 octane aviation fuel as a sacrifice, but you never know, if they are displeased, that is the one thing that could cancel or delay the event, very bad weather. Pray for blue skies and light winds!
And the usual stuff will also be available, food and other vendors, things of interest for kids.
Contact info: Email us, or phone 724-344-9693
Event related links below
Skydive Mountaineer
TBM Avenger
Travel Air giving bi-plane rides
Spirit of Freedom
EAA Young Eagles Registration
Vortex Helicopter Services (helicopter rides