Barnstorming Carnival coming to Springfield airport this weekend

Vintage airplanes of all sort will converge on the Springfield Beckley Airport Saturday and Sunday for the annual Barnstorming Carnival. Visitors not only can see vintage airplanes from the 1920s and 1930s, but they can fly in them as well, for a fee. Along with the planes there will be fun activities for the kids and food vendors as well. Barnstorming dates back the years following WWI when pilots came home from the war. They would buy surplus airplanes and travel around, landing in farm fields, and take people for rides. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Vintage airplanes of all sort will converge on the Springfield Beckley Airport Saturday and Sunday for the annual Barnstorming Carnival. Visitors not only can see vintage airplanes from the 1920s and 1930s, but they can fly in them as well, for a fee. Along with the planes there will be fun activities for the kids and food vendors as well. Barnstorming dates back the years following WWI when pilots came home from the war. They would buy surplus airplanes and travel around, landing in farm fields, and take people for rides. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

The 9th annual Barnstorming Carnival will be this weekend at the Springfield-Beckley Airport. Admission is free.

Aircrafts from the 1920s through 1940s will be on display, and 15-minute biplane rides will also be available for $80, or $60 for children 12 and under. Rides will run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and 8 a.m. until dark on Saturday and Sunday on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tickets can be purchased at the event; cash or card will be accepted. The planes available to ride are the 1929 Travel Air 4000 or D-25 New Standard. There are only eight D-25 planes still flying today, and the Travel Air 4000 is one of the most popular biplanes built, carrying up to two passengers at a time, according to their website.

There will also be activities for kids, such as paper rocket building workshops, clowns, magic shows and more.

Barnstormers will also be there showing vintage aircrafts and explaining different parts of the plane while giving the opportunity to sit in the aircraft. Barnstormers were originally WWI veterans or pilots who traveled throughout the United States in the 1920s and 1930s, selling airplane rides and aerial tricks.

Gates will open at 8 a.m., with breakfast hosted by Hustead EMS until 11 a.m. both days. Breakfast is open to the public, with donations per breakfast going to Hustead EMS.

On Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. there will be a cruise-in event where any and all cars are welcome.

Food vendors selling BBQ, ice cream, kettle corn, lumpias and more will be at the carnival.

More details, including times of all the events, can be found at barnstormingcarnival.com.

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