Fly-in celebration to return Saturday

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The annual celebration of aviation returns this Saturday to the Morristown Regional Airport as the EAA’s annual Fly-in event comes in for a landing.

The event starts at 10 a.m. with the opening ceremony beginning at 10:30 a.m. in front of the terminal building.

History talks will be at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the terminal building.

As in years past, they’ll have a variety of aircraft flying over and on display and lots of pilots eager to share their passion for aviation.

Among the highlight aircraft and pilots will be Marc Hightower in his beautiful, blue 1927 Waco from SkyHigh Air Tours and Wes Stowers in his T-6 Texan.

The North American Aviation T-6 Texan is an American single-engined advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), United States Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1970s.

Designed by North American Aviation, the T-6 is known by a variety of designations depending on the model and operating air force.

The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) and USAAF designated it as the AT-6, the United States Navy the SNJ, and British Commonwealth air forces the Harvard, the name by which it is best known outside the US. Starting in 1948, the new United States Air Force (USAF) designated it the T-6, with the USN following in 1962. It remains a popular warbird used for airshow demonstrations and static displays.

It has also been used many times to simulate various historical aircraft, including the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero.

A total of 15,495 T-6s of all variants were built.

Other aircraft flying over will be the Sky Program’s C-172 restoration project aircraft, a youth program where the youth work with adult leaders and restore, then fly aircraft.

Sevier County Choppers, the Med-Trans helicopter based at the Morristown Airport, and many more interesting aircraft from across the region will also be at the event as will Rosie the Riveter.

There will be food options available, including Kurbside Grillin’ and Hillbilly Concessions, snow cones, cotton candy and several other food and drink options.

They will have T-shirt and aviation merchandise sales, booths staffed by pilots/instructors ready to discuss flight training, flight scholarships and aviation organizations.

They’ll also have a variety of hands-on aviation/STEM activities for youth and adults of all ages.

There will be an airplane scavenger hunt with prizes awarded.

Not everything on site will be able to fly. In addition to Morristown’s First Fire Truck, there will be show cars and military vehicles on display.

Local photographer, Alex Stiner will be on the field snapping photos.

In addition to the history talks by Mike Thornton at 11 and 1 in the Airport Board Room, Navy Commander Tommy Mariner (Ret.) will speak at 11 a.m. in the Airport Classroom and NASA Astronaut, JJ Oteag will speak at 1 p.m. in the classroom.

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