Wheels Fly-in/Cruise-in. Strictly speaking we didn’t
even have a structured airshow. The day started off
with a heavy mist which turned into a soaking rain,
which finally turned to clearing skies and a picture
perfect afternoon. Despite the wet start to the day
the crowds came. We found that there was a lot
of curiosity in the community about this airport,
which sits on the Canadian border, that most had
only heard about but hadn’t had occasion to visit.
They were just waiting for an invitation! Due to the
inclement weather of the morning few planes flew
in, but around noon we were blessed with a visit
from a private jet, that made a huge impression
on our guests! Imagine, jets landing in Houlton,
Maine. My favorite moment of the day wasn’t
the planes or the music, but the 90 year old man
with tears in his eyes who was walking through the
historical exhibit reminiscing about his memories
of the Air Base.
The really great thing was that we totally
underestimated the excitement and involvement
that the project would generate. Apparently if you
put planes, helicopters, cars and food together,
getting volunteers to help is not a problem. From
the very beginning the day has revolved around
Border Patrol, Customs and Border Protection,
Forestry Service, Northern Maine Motor Society,
Houlton Rotary, Civil Air Patrol, the Aroostook
County Historical Art Museum of Houlton, and
local pilots invested in the event’s success.
We were so encouraged by the first year’s attendance
that we took HY\