Hundreds celebrate Barnstormer’s Day Fly-in and Drive-in at Galt Airport in Wonder Lake

WONDER LAKE – People took a step back in time Saturday at Barnstormer's Day Fly-in and Drive-in at Galt Airport in Wonder Lake.

Nearly 500 people came out to the event, hosted by the Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 932, to see vintage cars and airplanes.

"This is kind of neat because it has a nostalgic touch to it; it brings back aviation from yesteryear," EAA Chapter 932 President and McHenry resident Arnie Quast said. "A lot of these airplanes date back to the '30s and '40s, when barnstorming was a big event."

Barnstorming was a popular event in small towns, Quast said, where the community would gather to watch pilots take off in their airplanes and perform aeronautical stunts.

The EAA Chapter 932 holds this event annually at Galt Airport to share with other residents the chapter’s enthusiasm for flying, Quast said.

Tom DeMaeyer of Round Lake came to the event to show off his 1948 Navion L-17 aircraft. The airplane was used in the U.S. Air Force as a utility airplane, he said.

“I get a lot of attention when we pull this airplane in anywhere we go,” DeMaeyer said.

The plane can seat up to five people, and it sits at 36 feet wide and 32 feet long, DeMaeyer said. It can fly for about eight hours.

As he stood on the runway, DeMaeyer helped children climb on the plane and sit inside.

“Bringing aviation to the kids is a great joy,” DeMaeyer said. “I just love doing it.”

The Corrao family lives just down the road from the airport, and Saturday was their first time coming to the Barnstormer’s event. Alicia and Darin Corrao stood on the runway with their 9-year-old son, Kyle, and 11-year-old son, Trevor, to watch the airplanes take off.

“The closer the better,” Darin Corrao said. “You really see how these planes back then flew as compared to today.”

Darin Corrao said he also enjoyed the vintage cars. The event featured a pancake breakfast, car show and crafts, in addition to the airplanes, which some people took a ride in.

Galt Airport manager Justin Cleland said the airport has been hosting the event for about five years.

“Everybody gets a little exposure to our aviation world and sees our planes out here and sees what we do,” Cleland said. “It’s awesome for all of us to be able to share the airport for a day.”