Pilots and other aircraft enthusiasts are encouraged to flock to Chowan County this fall for “Wings Over Edenton.”
The town is hosting the airshow to commemorate “80-ish” years of the Northeastern Regional Airport in Chowan County. The event is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19.
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Offered to the public at no charge, an array of activities to entertain and engage attendees of all ages is planned, organizers said. Rain date is Oct. 20.
The skies will come alive at 1 p.m. with an aerobatic display by aircrafts, a Pitts Special and a T-6 Texan. Other demonstrations include parachutists, and possibly area aviators and first responders. There will be free plane rides for all ages throughout the day, as well as face painting, car and tractor shows, a small vendor fair with artisans and businesses, food trucks, Italian ice, plane displays and educational outreach.
The Northeastern Regional Airport was originally known as Marine Corps Air Station Edenton during World War II. The air station was handed over to the town in the decades that followed, and became a public-use airport. The first Wings Over Edenton was in 1993 as a 50th anniversary celebration. This year’s event will be the first since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
“We are truly ecstatic for the return of Wings,” Public Information Officer Tyler Newman said. “This revival of a once classic area festivity will be a regional community event, a celebration of local aviation, and an open invitation for pilots from up and down the Eastern Seaboard to come taste what Northeastern Regional, and Edenton, have to offer. We cannot wait for October and hope to deliver something special to folks here in Northeast North Carolina and beyond.”
All pilots who wish to display their aircraft must land by 9:15 a.m., no exceptions, and need to stay parked until 4 p.m. for the duration of the show. Those pilots who fly in and do not want to be on display may arrive anytime before the show or during, except from 12:40 to 2 p.m. when demonstrations are ongoing.
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For information, contact tyler.newman@edenton.nc.gov or call 252-482-2155 ext. 535. For more information about Wings Over Edenton in general, visit www.townofedenton.com/wings.