Rare and iconic World War II aircraft will grace the skies above the Spanish Fork Airport in September for the city’s annual military vehicle event.
The Wings and Wheels Airshow is planned to be bigger than ever this year with aviation performances, historic warbirds, classic cars, World War II military vehicles, autocross races and more.
Wings and Wheels started about a decade ago to help connect residents to the small airport, airport manager Christian Davis said.
“Over the course of the last three years, in conjunction with the city and growth of the airport, we’ve really ramped up the event to be a full-on air show with really neat aerobatic events, historic and one-of-a-kind World War II aircraft, neat car shows, cars racing down our taxiway, and vendors. It’s a really fun, full-color air show,” Davis said.
Aircraft included in the lineup this year includes the PB4Y-2 Privateer, a long-range Navy patrol bomber that is the last of its kind to still fly; the PBY Catalina, a World War II flying boat that is credited with sinking a German U-Boat; and a B-17 Flying Fortress, a larger aircraft that helped win the war and is one of only a handful that are still flying out of thousands that were built.
“Overall, just really neat, almost incomprehensible historical connections to the aircraft we have coming to the event,” Davis said, calling the aircraft lineup “exceptional.”
In addition to the aircraft, the event will have a display of vintage vehicles, including an M18 Hellcat tank and multiple WWII jeeps with owners who will be dressed up in historical uniforms. Attendees can also pay for a ride on the B-17 “Ye Olde Pub,” B-25 “Maid in the Shade,” C-47 “Old Number 30,” and SNB-5 “SoNoran Beauty.”
The Spanish Fork airport team attends a yearly convention called the International Council of Air Shows, where it connects with aerobatic performers and aircraft owners in the “tight-knit” air show and aviation community, Davis said. The Wings and Wheels event helps bring historical education to Spanish Fork and honors the history of America and its veterans, he added.
The event also aims to raise awareness for the services the small airport offers, as it “touches a lot of different aspects of the community,” Davis said.
Even though it isn’t a commercial airport people can fly out of, the Spanish Fork Airport is utilized by many business aircraft, is a “top destination” for flight training schools in Utah Valley and is home to two Helitack crews that aid in wildfire fighting. In fact, the state helicopters at the airport were one of the first to respond to the blaze in Buckley Draw Canyon in Provo earlier this week, Davis said.
Wings and Wheels will be on Saturday, Sept. 27, starting at 9 a.m. at the Spanish Fork airport, 2050 N. 300 West.