The 9th Annual Wings & Wheels Fall Festival is set to take off at the Delaware Coastal Airport in Georgetown on September 30th & October 1st, and excitement is running high! The two-day event is highlighted by an Aviation Education Day, a Big Band Dinner & Show, a “Fly In” of vintage, WWII aircraft, a huge Car Show, WWII Living History sessions, encampments, pilot competitions, helicopter rides and all day entertainment!
The Aviation Education Day on Friday, Sept. 30th will feature aviation-related vendors and special guest speakers, including retired Commander Joe Edwards – a former NASA astronaut and decorated Navy airman. Commander Edwards will join other leaders in the aviation industry and talk about how their careers in aviation helped shaped their lives. “The basic goal of the Aviation Education Expo is to put high-school students who may be interested in aviation in front of those companies and organizations that specialize in the field,” said Linda Price, Wings & Wheels Chair. “Students have the unique opportunity to learn the educational and employment opportunities that are out there for them,” Ms. Price said.
The popular Wings & Wheels Dinner & Show kicks-off at 6PM at the airport on Friday evening, and is reminiscent of the “camp shows” made popular during WWII. Local favorite, Smooth Sound will headline the evening’s entertainment with its 16-piece, 1940s-era jazz and swing band, and The Ultimate Abbot & Costello Tribute Show will also perform. A full course dinner will be served and 16 Mile Brewery will have its handcrafted beers on tap. Guests may bring their own wine. Tickets are $45 and still available at www.wings-wheels.com or call 302-856-544.
This year’s Dinner & Show will be made even more special with a celebration of the 101st birthday of esteemed guest and historic figure, Lt. Col. Dick Cole. Lt. Col. Cole is last remaining Doolittle Raider, and is returning for his third ‘tour of duty’ at the Wings & Wheels Festival.
Lt. Col. Dick Cole, Jimmy Doolittle’s co-pilot in the 1942 raid on Japan will also appear at Saturday’s main Wings & Wheels Festival, which opens its gates at 10:00 am. Lt. Col. Cole, will administer the oath of service during the opening ceremonies for a mass enlistment ceremony being coordinated by Dover Air Force Base. A Living History Program on Saturday will feature Cole and other veteran heroes, with a full complement of military vehicles, weapons, command posts, the Allied Airmen’s Preservation Society and re-enactors from the Harbor Defenses of the Delaware Living History Association on hand.
Ultimately, it’s the ‘wings and the wheels’ that bring out the thousands of enthusiastic festival goers every year,” says Chamber Executive Director Karen Duffield. “If the weather holds out, we could see nearly 50 vintage aircraft ‘fly in’ and some 400 cars compete for awards and prizes.” New this year will be helicopter rides for $25 per person. “This is certainly an exciting addition to the “wings” portion of this event,” Duffield said. As always, lots of craft and food vendors will be set-up, and The Glass Onion Band will provide live entertainment throughout the day. And back by popular demand, “flour bombing” pilot competitions!
Admission to the festival on Saturday is free, with $5 general parking at Sussex Academy and Sterling Square on Airport Rd. Limited handicapped parking (with proper tags) for $5 will be available on the airport grounds.
Wings & Wheels 2016 is sponsored in part by FORD MidAtlantic Dealers and Northrup Grumman. Call the Georgetown Chamber at 302-856-1544 or visit www.wings-wheels.com for more details.
