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May 17, 2008 7:20 pm US/Central
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WWII Airshow Marks Minnesota's 150th Birthday
ST. PAUL (WCCO) ―
Minnesota continued its week-long 150th birthday celebration with a rare fly-over of World War II aircraft. Over 25 vintage airplanes, including the rare Lockheed P-38 Lightning, formed over the State Capitol.
"It's a rush. I mean, I really love watching these aircraft fly over," said 16-year-old Tucker Goodwin, a cadet with the Commemorative Air Force (CAF).
The CAF is a preservation nonprofit organization that restores and flies vintage military aircraft.
Goodwin came along to the Capitol Saturday with a Marine Corps parachute rigger who served in the late 1950s. Gary Stinar is an operations officer with the CAF.
"I feel like if I'm down here, I would rather be up there," Stinar said, as he and Goodwin craned their necks to see the planes.
They were keeping a special eye out for the B-25 bomber, one of the planes the CAF helps restore.
The event was prelude of the unveiling of the Minnesota Statehood Commemoration postage stamp. The stamp shows a photograph taken by a Winona photographer of the Mississippi River.
"These aircraft, they are very hard to find. They are extremely expensive to upkeep. They really take a lot of work, and I have a lot of respect for the guys that do this stuff," Goodwin said.
Goodwin cleans the parts, gives tours and every so often sneaks in a ride. His heart isn't with flying the aircraft, it's with designing. Tucker wants to aeronautical engineer.
"He's kind of a rare breed because we don't get too many 16-year-olds that are eager enough to come over to our hangar and spend the time with a bunch of old guys working on airplanes," laughed Stinar.
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