At last year’s aviation day, two F-15’s did a fly-by for the crowd. This year will also feature a F-15 fly-by as well as several other military aircrafts. GAVIN JACKSON | DAILY KENT STATER

Credit: Jason Hall

The name has changed, but its original flavor is still intact.

The Kent State University Aviation Heritage Fair, previously Aviation Day with Flair … Taste of Stow, will be “the same aviation day (the community) is used to,” said Richard Mangrum, assistant professor of aeronautics. “It will just be more interactive, with more booths and displays.”

Isaac Nettey, senior director of academic programming for aeronautics, said the fair was initially canceled because of increases in fuel costs.

The division of aeronautics and Stow Kiwanis responded to the community and resumed organization of the fair.

The Sept. 10 fair will include family activities, face painting, live music, food, balloon launch, the traditional pancake breakfast and plenty of airplanes on the ground, in the air and available for rides.

Flight instructors will give visitors 25-minute plane rides for $20 a person. If three people can fit, they can all ride for $55.

This year is flight instructor Dawn Resek’s first time volunteering to pilot the rides.

“I’m sure there will be lots of questions (from visitors),” she said. “I’m looking forward to getting different people’s take on things while in the air.”

In addition to the aviation fair Sunday, there are plane rides available on the less crowded Saturday before the fair from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This year there are three scheduled fly-bys: One each by pairs of

F-15 and F-16 fighter jets and one by a C-130, a large military cargo plane.

There will also be static displays of civilian planes for internal viewing. Aviation program alumni will be flying in planes from all over the country.

Local planes from Youngstown will be present, as well as planes from as far as Massachusetts and Texas.

“The civil aircraft will be the newest stuff available,” Mangrum said. “People will get a chance to get up close to those.”

Nettey said the theme of the fair is “Celebrating aviation education for the community and beyond.”

Two representatives from the NASA Glenn Research Center will be dressed as the Wright Brothers to give talks about the Wright flier, a model of which will be on display.

“Ohio prides itself on being the birthplace of aviation,” Nettey said. “Aviation goes back to the founding of Kent as a normal school. It’s a very important part of Kent State’s heritage.”

Senior aeronautics major Reese Miller said the fair is not just about aviation.

“We’re a community airport,” he said. “This brings us toward the community. It shows that we are not just big, scary airplanes flying (overhead).”

The fair runs from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Kent State University Airport at 4020 Kent Road in Stow. For more information, contact the aeronautics division of the College of Technology at (330) 672-9409.

Contact College of Technology reporter Leslie Arntz at [email protected].