For August 19, 2022 12:58 p.m
MANSFIELD: Summer revelers can round off the 2022 season with a new annual event, Mansfield Lahm Airport Day, which will start on Saturday, August 27 from 9am to 3pm. Designed to introduce the community to the many significant updates and improvements at Mansfield Lahm. Regional Airport, the event highlights the airport as an important driver of business in the community, but also its role in bringing leisure travelers to experience the community’s many offerings. Events specially designed to spark interest in the world of aviation will excite the airport’s youngest visitors on Airport Day.
The Young Eagles program takes junior aviators, ages 8-17, on their first free ride in a small plane. Local volunteer pilots from the Experimental Aviation Association (EAA) donate their time and personal aircraft to provide these flights. Volunteer pilots demonstrate how the planes work, share and explain aeronautical charts and how they are used to map flight, and give guests a tour of the plane’s interior and instrument panel, describing the function of each feature. Then it’s time to fly as the kids experience their 15-20 minutes in the air, following the basic steps of the flight pattern. (No stunts are being performed.)
Pre-registration for Eagle Flights is required and can be scheduled online beginning August 19 at YE.org. Flights are expected to take place from noon to 2:00 p.m., depending on demand and pilot availability. If flight slots remain, they can be booked on the day of the event at 9:30am. The rain date for Eagle Flights is scheduled for Sunday, August 28th.
The 2,400-acre Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport is home to 62 aircraft, most (39) single-engine, with 10 multi-engine aircraft, four jet aircraft and eight military aircraft serving as the airport’s home. Two of the most recent improvements to the airport include a new AeroTrek Flight Academy campus and a self-service fuel tank, which now allows pilots to refuel 24 hours a day. This airport is also home to the Mansfield Aviation Club, founded in 1949, which provides scholarships and produces flight-related celebrations. The clubs were instrumental in coordinating this year’s Eagle Flights. Beyond business and personal travel, Mansfield Lahm is home to an Air National Guard base.
Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport is a general aviation airfield with an FAA-controlled tower that operates from 06:00 to 23:00, 7 days a week. The airport has demonstrated the ability to handle large commercial and military aircraft, including the USAF C-5 and the Antonov 124-100. With its proximity to Interstate I-71, US Rt 30 and State Rt. 13, Mansfield Airport is an hour’s drive from downtown Cleveland or Columbus. Its main runway is 9,001 ft x 150 ft, while the crosswind runway is 6,795 ft x 150 ft, plus overpasses.
Other airport day events include a Civil Air Patrol-staffed children’s zone with interactive bouncy and bounce houses and a Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport Business Showcase. The Air Power History Tour will also take place during the day at the airport, offering paid tours and rides in World War II aircraft. A food truck rally with 10 vendors covering all kinds of food from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
