Plans for Aviation Heritage Fair have begun

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by Kristin Casale

Stow Sentry Associate Editor

Stow -- Even though this year's Aviation Heritage Fair will not take off until September, plans for the event already are in the works.

Dr. Isaac Richmond Nettey, academic program director of Kent State University's school of aeronautics, said plans for the free Heritage Fair "are coming along quite well. We should be having an equally successful fair [this year]."

The Heritage Fair will celebrate its third anniversary this year. The event replaced Aviation Day ... A Taste of Stow in 2006. The Heritage Fair costs approximately $20,000 each year, said Nettey, and will be funded through corporate sponsorships and donations. Organizers have set a tentative date of Sept. 6 -- a Saturday -- for this year's fair, though that could change based on the schedule of the F-15 jet pilots slated to appear.

"That's such a critical element," explained Nettey.

In previous years, the fair's main activities took place on a Sunday, though airplane rides were offered Saturday and Sunday.

Nettey said organizers want to host the event on a Saturday this year to avoid conflicts with church, to give volunteers an additional day to clean up and keep equipment rental costs down.

Returning features of past events will include the Stow-Munroe Falls Kiwanis Club's pancake breakfast fundraiser, stationary aircrafts that can be viewed on the ground, children's games sponsored by the city of Stow and performances from the Stow-Munroe Falls High School Marching Band. New features will include an additional balloon launch, said Nettey.

Past events offered a morning balloon launch only, but fog sometimes either would delay or cancel the launch. This year, though, an afternoon launch also will take place to give festival attendees an additional chance to see the activity.

"Another important shift is to have two fly-bys," said Nettey, stating the traditional afternoon fly-by will continue to take place, along with a new morning fly-by. He expects the fair to be a continued success.

"Last year's attendance was 15,000 due to rain," said Nettey. "In the absence of rain, we anticipate 25,000. It is remarkable that in spite of the rain last year we had such a large number of people. That speaks volumes."

To become a volunteer or donate, contact Nettey at 330-672-9409 or at inettey@kent.edu.

E-mail: kcasale@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-686-3917