The thousands of people who showed up for the Wings 4 Wishes fly-in cheered and clapped as one by one, the planes flew in and made the sandy beach their landing strip.
The excitement was palpable, but no one was more excited than Chase Walker, the 15-year-old aviation enthusiast who organized the event in conjunction with local community group OOB365.
Walker said he was surprised with how many people showed up, considering the event had been postponed.
“I’m very pleased,” he said.
“Look at all the hotel rooms,” said OOB365 member Israel Collins, pointing to the many people standing on hotel balconies along the beach. “It’s the first weekend in October, and people are at the beach.”
After the planes landed, attendees were free to roam around and look at the planes and talk with the pilots.
The event was a fundraiser for Make-A-Wish Maine, but also a celebration of the town’s aviation history. In 1927, Charles Lindburgh made an unexpected stop on the beach when the field he was scheduled to land at was fogged in.
“I think it’s fabulous,” said Karl Pepin, a pilot from Kennebunkport who flew in on his 1947 Stinson 108-1. He said he was impressed that a young person could create an event that was not only fun, but also acknowledged the town’s history and raised funds for a good cause.
“I think it’s a wonderful thing to support,” he said. “He didn’t have to ask me twice.”
Pepin said the flat, long beach made a good landing strip.
“We all want to land on the beach, you know, but you just can’t legally. This was a great opportunity to do something I’ve wanted to do since I got my license,” he said.
— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or [email protected].
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