Groups Gather to Prepare for Stearman vs. WACO Challenge

This could get ugly.

As you may have read earlier, this year at the Lee Bottom Wood, Tailwheels, & Fabric Fly-In we are going to have the first ever Stearman vs. WACO Challenge.  If you haven’t heard about it, you can click here to see what it’s all about.  Basically it’s a fairly simple contest, based on attendance, designed to give the winning group bragging rights.  The Stearman and WACO folks have always had a little friendly rivalry going on so we thought it would be nice to put some numbers to it.  Until then, if you want to see either group in action, you have two options.

The National Stearman Fly-In is being held at Galesburg, Illinois on September 1^st-6^th.  This amazing event has one of the largest gatherings of type specific aircraft on the planet.  Show up the last half of the week to witness the lines upon lines of Stearman Aircraft.  You can click here to find out more.

The WACO Fly-In held in Troy, Ohio, scheduled for September 13^th-14^th, is another must see.  It has been a few years since I last visited but I remember it being a very nice gathering.   The field, being smaller and more intimate, feels much more limited than Galesburg at first sight, but it is not.  To see all the WACOs there together is something to remember.  Unfortunately, EVENT information online is sorely lacking.  You can find informationabout the field by clicking here.

So there you have it.  During the weeks leading up to the Lee BottomFly-In, Stearman and WACO owners will be meeting to get their challenge plans in order.  They’re two very different groups but in the end only one can win.  The bragging could get pretty interesting.