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Yankee Homecoming 2019 Plum Island – New England’s Cradle of Aviation

July 28, 2019 @ 10:00 am - 11:30 am

The Great Marsh in Newbury was the site of New England’s first flying field where, in 1910, W. Starling Burgess built a hangar and wooden runway where the dunes meet the marsh, near the current location of Parking Lot #2 in the Parker River NWR. The planes were brought there by boat; numerous test flights occurred and crowds visited the airfield to watch. Learn about Burgess, his colleagues, and the intrepid pilots who worked here from April to August 1910 to perfect their aircraft and their skills. Hear about the current Plum Island Airport’s use for civil defense, pilot training, commerce and recreation. In 1971, the Little family donated the historic Spencer-Peirce-Little farm, which includes the airport, to the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, now Historic New England. The airport now operates under the name Plum Island Aerodrome, Inc., which leases from HNE.

Ted Russell is a professional genealogist after retiring from a 36-year engineering career at GE Aviation. He is co-founder and past president of Plum Island Community Airfield, a grassroots group that saved the airport from closing in 2001 and operated it until 2005. In 2002, he led a team of local volunteers that founded the Burgess Aviation Museum at the airport. He was previously on the board of the Massachusetts Aviation Historical Society and was a commissioner of the Essex National Heritage Commission. Ted holds degrees from Harvard University and the University of Illinois.

Spaces in the refuge’s 85-seat auditorium will be filled on a first come, first served basis. This free program is co-sponsored by the Friends of Parker River NWR and the Parker River NWR. NO preregistration for this program.

Details

Date:
July 28, 2019
Time:
10:00 am - 11:30 am

Venue

Parker River NWR Headquarters/Visitor Center
6 Plum Island Turnpike
Newburyport, 01950 United States
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