Toughkenamon, Pennsylvania – This past August (18-19), Air Museum Network attended the 47th Edition of the Festival of Flight, held at New Garden Flying Field in beautiful Chester County Pennsylvania. This is an event that has been covered by AMN for some years now and being within two hours of our home office, it wasn’t too much of a stretch to mosey on over. So, is it safe to say that when one has an air show is held in your back yard, attendance is a must? Absolutely not! But when the air show is well publicized, well organized and well run… you betcha!!
We can sit here and bore you with the details of the who’s who of performers and “a good time was had by all”, but quite frankly, what good would that do if you were not there? That would be like crying over spilled milk. So let us dare to be different, and instead of telling the reader what they missed, how about convincing the reader to attend next year?
Being considered a “local” show, organizers rely on performers from the region. Performers like, Kevin Russo in his SNJ4, the High speed low drag aerobatics of Scott Francis, Jerry Wells in his yellow Bucker Jungmeister and a slew of L planes flown by the likes of Frank Vitellaro and Paul Smith. The Festival of Flight can always use a Yellow PT-26B Fairchild Cornell II, like the one flown by Tim Trimble. If they play their cards right, they can secure a C-47 Chinook from Pennsylvania Army National Guard and/or a rescue demonstration from the United States Coast Guard out of Atlantic City.
I am sure you are thinking, wouldn’t it be nice to have the USAF Thunderbirds or the USN Blue Angels? How about a C-17 Globemaster III perform a short field landing? Well yeah! But that all comes at a cost. The New Garden Festival of Flight is a local home grown community show that doesn’t bite off more than it can chew. Maybe one day the Canadian Flight Demonstration Team – Snow Birds will perform over the skies of Chester County, but while you sit at home and fantasize of that day, the rest of us will be enjoying fan favorite acts like Mark Murphy and his Father Dave, flying the P-51D “Never Miss” and the F4U Corsair “God Speed”.
This isn’t Air Museum Network’s first rodeo and while many shows have “Jumped the shark” and are not worth a forty minute “commute”, this place understands what their public wants. They don’t pretend to be something grandiose, they are what they are… a local, family and community air show. It’s a place that a parent can bring a child or a car enthusiast can bring their hot rod and who knows… maybe take home a trophy. This is a place that a family can come and spend the day and not have to take out a second mortgage just to pay for parking.
This show just doesn’t materialize. It is an endeavor to organize. The person at the helm of this event is New Garden Airport Manager Jon Martin. Partnering with David Schultz Airshows, they begin assembling the line-up months in advance. With the assistance of an army of loyal volunteers, many from the E.A.A. Chapter 240, they all put in countless hours getting everything in place for show time. Jon has become a regular fixture on social media with his live feeds, encouraging everybody to stop by one of the many events N57 (New Garden Flying Field designation) holds throughout the year. How many airports do you see doing that?
There is always plenty to see and do at the Festival of Flight. Air show fans can start the day with a pancake breakfast (hosted by the Local E.A.A. Chapter 240) and be entertained by the musical talent of America’s Sweethearts NYC as they introduce a new generation to the sounds of the 1940’s. Before the flying portion of the event begins, one can check out the Hot Rods and classic cars that have assembled on the field. There are even those who chose to stay in the parking and have a family picnic and watch the show.
The one thing that this air show has in common with its larger counterparts is mother nature. This is the one force that will take months of hard work and wash it down the drain. The storm clouds did move in and as the Murphy duo prepared to cap off the show in the Corsair/Mustang routine. The storm seemed to sit above the airport well into the following day. Jon Martin and crew could have thrown their hands up in the air but they refused. Jon was doing live feeds encouraging everyone to come by, have breakfast at the E.A.A., and hang out in the hangar and listen to the America’s Sweethearts as rain danced on the roof. The RC Modelers pitched in and got one of their aircraft flying. And just so those present didn’t go home without a taste of some vintage noise, Mark Murphy hopped into the F-4U Corsair and gave the Festival of Flight a 10 minutes Pratt & Whitney symphony.
These people love their show. It is evident in their spirit and tenacity. At New Garden, every one pitches in. Before the storm cloud released gallons of H20, the remaining spectators were helping push aircraft to safety. Who knew that air show performer Scott Francis was an expert at folding chairs? Everyone feels like a part of the extended family. The core of volunteers, from pint size to old as the hills, they all put in a maximum effort! So if you are planning a vacation to Philadelphia or the Delaware Shore, it is only a hop, skip or a jump to beautiful Chester County and this little place called New Garden Flying Field. Air Museum Network is a Festival of Flight veteran and we can say we never heard anyone utter the words “I am never going back”, on the contrary, all anyone hears is… “see you here next year”.
