Pocono News Section

Piper Planes Touch Down in Lock Haven

Piper Planes Touch Down in Lock Haven - Wednesday, June 17, 2009 at 5:35PM EST

Reported by: Jeremy Deebel
Wednesday, Jun 17, 2009 @ 05:35pm EST
Lock Haven, Clinton County-

Piper plane enthusiasts are coming together in Lock Haven once again for the 24th annual Sentimental Journey Fly-In.

The planes are landing at Lock Haven’s William T. Piper Memorial Airport, coming home to the city where they were once built.

It’s a celebration of more than 70 years of history-in-the-making for Piper plane enthusiasts.

Lester Ostrasky, of Mechanicsburg, said, “I’ve flown all over the United States. I love to fly.”

Ostrasky was the first pilot to land at the initial fly-in 24 years ago. “He said he was super glad to see me. And I couldn’t understand why. And he made the remark that they didn’t know if anybody was going to show up,” Ostrasky recalled.

This week, plane enthusiasts young and old will check out plenty of different Piper models. Organizers expect about 400 planes to land here during the four-day event.

There’ll be all kinds of food, games, speakers, forums on aviation, and even daily airplane rides.

Ostrasky added, “I enjoy the evenings, the get-togethers with people. They have a band out here that plays the old time music, and of course I’m old time.”

It’s an event with quite a loyal following.

Sentimental Journey secretary Carmen Banfill said, “I think (it’s) the friendship, the camaraderie, their aviation background, and love of it.”

Sentimental Journey organizers say dozens of people from around the Lock Haven area have volunteered their services to ensure this event continues to be a success.

The people in charge here say they’re already making big plans for next year’s silver anniversary.

The Sentimental Journey fly-in is open to the public and runs through Saturday in Lock Haven.