Mention Hopkins Airport or Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland and most county residents will recognize their names. Mention Casement Airport in Painesville, Concord Airpark , and Lost Nation Airport in Willoughby and county residents may not have heard of these names. Yet all three sites in Lake County are part of our aviation history. In fact, Lost Nation Airport, founded in December, 1937 sits just three miles from downtown Willoughby and only 16 miles from downtown Cleveland. Situated on 420 acres, Lost Nation Airport has two runways and averages 123 flights daily, 55% of which are local. Over 73 planes are housed at the airport. This weekend another 25 plus aircraft will call the Willoughby Airport home as the 'Gathering of Eagles XVI' visit. The public is invited to attend this event from 10am-4pm each day.
The Gathering of Eagles XVI has its origins in the early 1980's. Brig. General Paul Tibbets accepted an invitation in 1982 to share his experiences at the Maxwell AFB in Alabama. From these humble beginnings this gathering grew and spread across our country. Celebrating the Golden Age of Flying, the public can inspect historic aircraft, witness flight demonstrations, and arrange a flight on a B-25 or T-6 Trainer plane. Aircraft scheduled to appear include the B-25, T-28, CJ6-A, T-51,C-47, WACO, Fouge Jet, OV-10, and Stearman. Proceeds from the Gathering of Eagles XVI will be used to restore the Superfortress 'Doc' Boeing B-29 Project. A complete schedule of weekend aviation events is available in many Willoughby venues or at the Downtown Welcome Center.
For more information visit - www.usam.us or www.lakevisit.com Volunteer opportunities are possible by calling 440-290-8364 or 440-944-3518. YouTube has 'Gathering' videos posted.
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