KPLC 7 News, Lake Charles, Louisiana
JENNINGS, LA (KPLC) - Willard Duke was an integral part of starting the Stearman Fly-In more than two decades ago.
"We do it once a year. We've been doing it 28 years here right at this place" said Duke.
Dozens of age-old Steersman flyers lined the runways of the airfield in Jennings for people like Mike Sager to see first hand how airmen in World War II were trained.
"The Army, the Air Force, the Navy and the Coast Guard all used this as their primary trainer" said Sager. "So if you were flying in the war, chances are you started in one of these aircraft".
The fly-in is put on by the city of Jennings and project coordinator Michelle Hebert says getting all of the historic planes in the same place every year, helps teach younger generations the history of aviation.
"For example, we have a plane over here that's number 37... this one was actually used by the Tuskegee Airmen" Hebert explained. "It's registered with the Smithsonian Institute and there's not many left out there and I think it's important for the kids to see what aviation used to be like compared to what it is today".
Lessons from the past to inspire new hobbies in the future. The Stearman Fly-In proved to be fun for the whole family.
"I fly all the time because the airstrip is in my backyard and I live next to my grandparents that actually have the hangar with all three of our planes" said flyer Lyndsey Sager.
This year marked the 32 year for the fly-in event.
Story and video: http://www.kplctv.com
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