Kent State University held its 17th annual Aviation Heritage Fair Saturday, opening the airport to the public and providing aviation education to students and community members.

The fair featured a number of aircraft on display for event-goers to tour or ride. Pilots set up information tables near their aircraft, providing spectators with a glimpse at the plane’s history, something B-25 Bomber co-pilot Martha Cangem said she feels is very important.

“Working with this kind of creation is amazing,” Cangem said. “It becomes part of your thought process, part of you.”

Cangem’s co-pilot Mike Mantoudis said their B-25 Bomber, George’s girl, earned the title “Best B-25” from the Experimental Aircraft Association.

With a wingspan of 67 ft., 6 in., the B-25 model first gained fame as the bomber used in the 1942 Doolittle Raid, an attack on Japan four months after Pearl Harbor attack.

“The greatest privilege is being asked to help with a plane like this,” said Cangem, “this plane has protected our country in its own way.”

Mantoudis said the Aviation Heritage Fair allows him and fellow aviators the opportunity to teach Kent State students and the community about the merits and history of aviation.

Aeronautics program director, Maureen McFarland said the event allows students and community members to celebrate Ohio’s legacy as the birthplace of aviation while getting an up-close look at various types of aircraft.

Celebrating aviation education, the fair displayed information about each aircraft and also provided airplane rides for the community.

“I love that this isn’t just Kent State Students,” said junior Aeronautics major Kelsey Harper, a first-time event-goer, who didn’t expect the event to have such a large turnout.

Cangem said the event allowed him and other pilots to share what they love.

“I think it’s safe to say we are all very protective of our aircrafts,” Cangem said. “We don’t just fly these planes; they are our lives.”

Contact Taylor Williams at [email protected].