Event At Campbell Field Drew Those Interested In WWI Aviation

Organizers of a first-ever fly-in event tell ANN a great time was had by all, as Great War Aerodrome hosted its fly-in on September 13-14 at Campbell Field (9VG), on the eastern shore of Virginia.

Great War Aerodrome -- a division of Aerodrome Adventures, LLC -- is a new company whose goal is to create venues bringing together all aspects of World War I historical interest. Owned by Robert Waring and Shelly Wells, Great War Aerodrome aims to enhance the experience of replica aircraft owners and hobbyists alike, by bringing together these various aspects of World War I historical interest.

Several World War I displays complimented the event. John Gaertner of Blue Swallow Aircraft displayed and gave a lecture on his AVRO 504 reproduction project. This project is the culmination of over 20 years of research and will result in several extremely accurate, airworthy AVRO 504 aircraft.

Gaertner, who is a former curator of the EAA Museum in Oshkosh, also gave lectures about the amazing history of the AVRO 504. Blue Swallow has the capability to build just about any aircraft or part that anyone desires.

The Aviation Institute of Maintenance from Virginia Beach brought its World War I Nieuport 24 aircraft project. The Aviation Institute of Maintenance is an FAA-approved school and has campuses in Georgia, Indiana, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Texas, Orlando and Virginia.

In 2007, they challenged their students at all of their campuses to build and fly a World War I fighter replica. The Nieuport 24 from the Virginia Beach campus is one of those projects. Students spent both days describing to interested spectators how they were using the skills learned at the Aviation Institute of Maintenance to design, fabricate, and assemble this World War I fighter. They expect to have their replica flying within the next year.

Bill and Barbara Byrd of Byrd Aviation Books were also present. The Byrds are focused on early aviation, pioneer & World War I. They have over 1000 titles in stock and a large supply of back-issue magazines.

Russell Smith Studios and the Groh Gallery of Aviation Art generously provided prints for our raffle. Russell Smith's "Winged Valor" and "Loenhardt" prints were reportedly a big hit, as were Richard Groh's WWI-themed Prismacolor Pencil prints.

Finally, Dennis Harbin of Rag Bag Aero Works gave an informative lecture on the research he has done to determine the exact formulation and colors of SPAD camouflage paint. 

Campbell Field is a public use airport located in Wierwood, VA. It has two turf runways and is perhaps best known for its "Soup on Sunday" events. The airport was established in 1933 and was formerly known as Kellam Field.

FMI: www.greatwaraerodrome.com, www.campbellfieldairport.com, www.blueswallowaircraft.com, www.aviationmaintenance.edu, www.aimschool.com/?page_id=138, www.byrdaviationbooks.com, www.russellsmithart.com/, http://stores.ebay.com/THE-GROH-GALLERY-OF-AVIATION-ART, www.ragbag.com/