Local news
58th annual Fairview Fly-In and Air Show draws pilot of Texan back
FAIRVIEW — It was high-flying fun Saturday at the 58th annual Fairview Fly-In and Air Show, billed by organizers as the world’s oldest free fly-in.
More than 100 people were on hand for the fly-in at Davey and Bessie Martens Airport, which included breakfast, lunch, Veterans Day ceremony and air show.
Philip Butcher and his SNJ-6 were one of the three planes that performed for the crowd.
“This is one of my favorite shows to go to,” Butcher said before his performance, which was the third time he’s performed at the Fairview Fly-In. “It’s the last one of the year.”
Butcher purchased his SNJ-6, more commonly known as the T-6 Texan, in October 2005 from the estate of air show great Bobby Younkin. The planes were used by the Navy to train pilots.
“Its primary focus was to teach pilots the instruments and fighter tactics,” he said.
For nearly 25 years Butcher, of Rogers, Ark., has been a professional pilot and said when the opportunity came to purchase his SNJ-6, he took it.
“Basically, I needed something to rekindle my passion for aviation,” he said. “I’d always wanted one and just made up my mind to go get it.”
Butcher has flown many types of aircraft, from a J-3 Cub to a Boeing 737. He’s logged more than 15,000 flight hours in his career, including more than 500 hours in his SNJ-6. He said he practices 40 to 50 hours for each air show and has spent more than 100 hours studying aerobatics.
Butcher’s SNJ-6 is fully aerobatics certified and is capable of pulling 5.6 positive Gs and 2.3 negative Gs at an approximate maximum speed of 230 mph.
Butcher is not the only pilot in his family. His daughter Bridjett came to the fly-in with him and also has trained in the SNJ-6.
“We do a lot of family flying,” he said, noting he’s also teaching his 13-year-old son to fly. “It’s become a family event.”
Those at the fly-in also were able to see Randy Harris’s Skybolt 300 and Bob Pezold’s Aero Vodyochody L-39 jet, as well as performances by radio-controlled airplanes at the show.
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