Under airport’s wing

Guthrie fly-in features light bomber in need of more restoration

GUTHRIE — The Guthrie-Edmond Regional Airport held its fifth annual flyin on Saturday, offering rides in planes and helicopters, as well as tours of a World War II A-26 that was driven down the runway twice.

“The A-26 is probably, I would say, our centerpiece,” airport Director Schellon Stanley said.

Volunteers have been working to rebuild the World War II-era A-26 Douglas Invader for nearly 20 years to get it back into flying condition.

“Not only is it a piece of American history, this is a piece of Oklahoma history because this airplane was built right here in Oklahoma,” volunteer Tom Parsons said.

“This airplane is actually a military veteran,” he said. It served in combat in Vietnam for 18 months.

The plane was later used as an executive plane for businesses. It became part of what is now known as the Commemorative Air Force in Arkansas.

But there was a problem: The plane had been groundedbecause of a broken wing.

Volunteers traveled to Arkansas to assess the damage and determined the wing could be fixed and the plane could be flown again, Parsons said.

Years ago, Boeing donated a wing spar that helped make the repair possible. The plane has been at the Guthrie-Edmond airport foreight years.

“This is how far we have come with the airplane,” Parsons said of driving the plane down the runway.

Gigi Greenwell helps find grants and funding to continue the restoration on the plane. She rode down the runway in the plane. “It was an honor,” Greenwell said. “It was almost like a tearful moment.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up to support the restoration of the A-26. Donations can be made at GoFundMe. com/Save-an-Invader.

Other activities

The traveling National Weather Museum was present at the fly-in for the first time.

“The biggest thing about the airport having the community come out to the airport is to see how fun the airport is,” Stanley said.

Airplane and helicopter rides also were offered. Several small planes and local news station helicopters were on display in the parking lot.

Stanley said interactive elements and children’s activities hosted by the Sooner Flight Academy were important to get children excited about aviation.

“The biggest thing is to inspire the next generation of aviators,” she said.

JESSICA PHILLIPS, FOR THE OKLAHOMAN] [PHOTOS BY The World War II-era A-26 is being restored in an effort to get it back into flying condition. The plane was driven down the runway twice at a fly-in on Sept. 30 in Guthrie.

The Sooner Flight Academy hosted children’s activities in one of the hangars to encourage children to participate in and be educated about aviation at the GuthrieEdmond Regional Airport fly-in.

The World War II-era A-26 was a centerpiece of the recent fly-in.