Mansfield Lahm Airport Day offers closer look at aviation past & present

MANSFIELD — Sue Horner sat at a picnic table and watched a black helicopter land on the other side of the chain link fence.

Years ago, as a single mom, she brought her children to Mansfield Lahm Airport for a free show.

“There used to be a parking lot here,” she said. “I didn’t have much money, so I’d just bring them here.

They had fun — something to do. We’d watch the airplanes land.”

She smiled as her 12-year-old grandson rushed toward the chopper for his second ride during Mansfield Lahm Airport Day.

“If it makes him happy, it makes me happy,” she said.

Saturday’s celebration of flight offered several area residents the chance to experience flying for the first time, including Horner’s grandson, Brennen Wilson.

“It was really fun. I could see the Valero from there,” he said. “Whenever we went up, it kind of tickled my stomach a little bit.”

Kids between the ages of 8 and 17 were eligible for free airplane rides from the Young Eagles Program.

The program is funded and operated by volunteers from the Experimental Aircraft Association with the mission of introducing kids to the world of aviation.

Scott Sooy and his son drove all the way from Lorain County so Michael, 15, could catch a ride.

Michael is an air show aficionado who hopes to become either a commercial or military pilot.

“It think it’s cool because young people like him can experience this,” Scott said. “A lot of kids can’t afford to be on a commercial flight, so this is a good opportunity.”

Tyler Downing, an airframe power plant mechanic from northeastern Ohio, said an early childhood flight solidified his career goals.

Downing attended Mansfield Lahm Airport Day with other volunteers from the Liberty Aviation Museum in Port Clinton.

The group offered paid 15-minute flights on a historic 1928 Ford Tri-Motor. Volunteers say it’s one of the few models still in operation.

“I grew up around the museum, so to actually be a part of it and help out with it now, it’s special,” Downing said. “Especially this airplane, this is the first aircraft ride I can remember.”

Ford’s innovative all-metal passenger plane was the model of choice for Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT), a short-lived venture that offered coast-to-coast travel from New York to Los Angeles in just two days.

“It was a combination of rail and aircraft. The inaugural flight took place on July 7, 1929,” said David Pienta, a docent at the museum. “On that flight, one of the passengers of note was Amelia Earhart.”

According to the National Air and Space Museum, the “tin goose” was the largest civil aircraft in America at the time.

Pienta said Ford Trimotors had a lasting impact on the aviation industry, convincing the public that airplanes could be a safe means to travel.

Mike Shea, another museum volunteer, said the Ford offers spectators a chance to see how far the world of aviation has come.

“Everything’s moving too fast nowadays,” he said. “We’ve got to get back to our roots and find out how it all started.”