By Jack Hoban
Larry Kelley remembers his first solo airplane flight. He was 14 and flying his uncle’s World War II vintage airplane in southern Alabama.
“I remember he told me not to break the airplane,” said Kelley of his first of many flights from his uncle’s private runway.
More than 50 years later, Kelley remains fascinated with WW II vintage planes, and he shares his passion and knowledge with thousands of people each year as organizer of the “Wings” segment of the Wings & Wheels festival, which will run from Oct. 3-5 at the Sussex County Airport in Georgetown. The main festival events will take place Oct. 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
He has held the volunteer role since the festival’s inception in 2008. Unknowingly, he has also helped Georgetown evolve as a hub for historical aviation buffs.
This year’s festival will feature:
- vintage WW II airplanes, including Kelley’s B-25 Bomber named Panchito
- a living history exhibit with WW II re-enactors and equipment
- performances by the US Naval Academy Parachute team
- a flour bombing competition
- plane rides around central Sussex County
- an Aviation Education Expo, aimed at introducing high school students to the array of opportunities in the aviation industry
- a Living History Program starring Lt. Col. Dick Cole, one of the last four survivors of the Doolittle Raiders , and local veteran heroes
Kelley is proud that admission to the festival is free. He noted: “Where else can you go to actually see and hear the planes that won World War II, hear the roar of the plane, smell the jet fuel . . . without spending a lot of money?”
He hopes the festival sparks in other children a love for planes, like he experienced.
A lifelong love affair
At the age of 9, Kelley had the privilege of hanging out in his uncle’s airplane mechanic shop. His uncle restored World War II aircraft and young Kelley learned about repairing engines, reading instruments and doing airplane body work.
This led to his initial flight and many others into his teens. But his love of flying would have to wait until after he built and sold a thriving medical services business. Only then was he free to pursue his passion for airplanes full time.
Today, he attends 20-25 air shows and fly-ins per year. In addition, he has flown over some of America’s biggest sporting events: The Super Bowl, The Preakness and The Indy 500, among others. His travelling shows pay for all the expenses he needs to keep his planes in pristine shape.
“A lot of these events want to include some nostalgia. That’s when we get the call,” he added.
But all his fly-overs and air shows aside, Kelley’s proudest moment was his involvement with the 70th anniversary of the flight of the Doolittle Raiders, a group of U.S. pilots who bombed Japan in response to the attack on Pearl Harbor.
It was the biggest gathering of B-25 bombers since WWII. Also at the event was Lt. Dick Cole, who was Doolittle’s co-pilot in the raid. Cole, now 99, will attend the Wings & Wheels Living History Program.
Preserving history
Exposing the public to WWII stories and artifacts is at the heart of what Kelly and Wings & Wheels do. For history buffs who are enthralled with old war wings, the Georgetown airport also features artifacts, memorabilia and more than 3,000 aviation related books. The Delaware Aviation Museum in Georgetown holds the Jeffrey L. Ethell Memorial Aviation Library, the largest aviation library in the east.
“Many people in the area don’t even know we’re here,” Kelley said.
Kelley also spent a lot of time at the airport with his own B-25 bomber, Panchito, named after the feisty Mexican rooster from the 1945 Disney animated musical “The Three Cabarellos.” Panchito handled the last combat mission flown on August 12, 1945, against Kanoya Airfield, Kyushu. The B-25 bomber will be present at Wings & Wheels.
“Those of us who are honored to own and fly these unique aircraft are only temporary custodians of these icons of our military history,” Kelley said. “We owe it to present and future generations to wisely maintain and operate these treasures as living history monuments to those veterans who turned back tyranny . . . to give us the freedoms we enjoy today.”
