Airplane lovers looking for a new event to attend this summer can now mark their calendars for “The Gathering of Warbirds and Legends.” This inaugural event, scheduled to take place August 1-4 in Topeka, Kansas, is expected to become an annual gathering where historical airplanes, still in airworthy condition, will be on display.
While “The Gathering of Warbirds and Legends” will not have a traditional airshow component, several large formation flights are in the works, featuring as many as 52 airplanes flying over the show grounds. There will also be warbird rides for war vets and a significant number of airplanes built in the 1930s and 1940s on display. Some one-of-a-kind airplanes and several Douglas DC-3, Beech 18 and North American B-25, P-51, T-28 and T-6 airplanes are already scheduled to attend. Plans are also in the works for a military Lockheed Constellation to be open to the public for tours.
Warbird owners wanting to participate in the show can apply for a slot, and only a limited number of airplanes of each type will be awarded a position. The show organizers have promised to keep a “very reasonably priced admission structure” and any proceeds from the event will be returned to the owners of the airplanes on display to offset the cost of operation. The concept of the show is loosely based on an event called “The Last Time” in which nearly 30 DC-3s and C-47s gathered in Rock Falls, Illinois, three years ago.
