Kent State’s aeronautics program postponed its annual Aviation Heritage Fair from fall to spring to attract alumni visitors.

The College of Technology typically hosts the Aviation Heritage Fair in September, but the event has been moved to April 21, 2012 to align with the Richard Schwabe Golf Outing and the Vision 21 Banquet, according to Tim Palcho, chief aeronautics instructor at Kent State.

“These events usually bring in alumni,” Palcho said. “That’s why it (has) been decided to align these two events with Aviation Heritage Fair.”

The event, held at the Kent State University Airport in Stow, offers students, faculty and the larger Kent community the opportunity to meet aviation professionals, view aircraft displays and experience airplane rides, among other things, Palcho said.

The Stow-Monroe Falls Kiwanis Club, which contributed to the decision to move the event, will host a pancake breakfast that morning. The College of Technology will also award its scholarships during the Aviation Heritage Fair.

“It’s a way to share our interest in aviation with the community,” said Sheila Lyons, business analyst associate for the College of Technology. “Ohio is the birthplace of aviation, so we feel the need to do this.”

The Richard Schwabe Golf Outing will be held on April 20, 2012. The college instituted the new event in honor of Richard Schwabe, a major figure in the College of Technology, Palcho said.

Schwabe, a World War II veteran, passed away in April 2011 and was a principal founder and long-standing presence of the aeronautics program at Kent State.

The Vision 21 Banquet will be held on April 21, 2012. The event honors graduates of the College of Technology who have achieved success in their professional lives, Palcho said.

Lyons said she is worried about the unpredictable rain possibilities in spring.

The weather would be most agreeable for the event in the summer but would lack student volunteers, Lyons said.

“We have a lot of help from students,” Lyons said. “If we had the event during the summer, when the weather would be most conducive, our student body isn’t in.”

Despite her concerns, Lyons said she believes the event is scheduled for the best time possible.

“We have alums that come from all over to get recognized or join us in recognizing other alums,” Lyons said. “We want to have a full weekend of events for the alums — we thought that this would be the perfect time to do it.”

Contact Rex Santus at [email protected].