Wings and Wheels to be held this weekend

The opportunity to fly in a Harvard is one of the highlights of the Wings and Wheels Fun Day. (Karen Helsdon photo)

Jeff Helsdon, Editor

Classic cars and planes will be the draw at the annual Wings and Wheels event hosted by the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association.

Slated for Saturday, Sept. 13, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the event will be at the Tillsonburg Airport. If the weather isn’t favourable, the event will be held the following day, with the word going out on Facebook and through the association website if that occurs.

Admission is by donation.

“We certainly ask for whatever you care to donate to keep the yellow birds flying,” said Terry Scott, member of the public relations committee for CHAA.

Asked why donations were chosen for admission instead of a set fee, Scott answered, “When you’re charging a set fee there is an onus on you that you need to meet a certain bar or standard. We wouldn’t want to do that in case there is bad weather. We just want to make it a fun day so people can experience the classic cars and Harvards.”

The association’s fly days, which are an opportunity to fly in a Harvard for a fee, will be part of Wings and Wheels. There will also be opportunities to purchase association hats and shirts, as well as a garage and book sale.

The event is one of the association's largest fundraisers of the year, alongside their awards banquet and monthly fly days during the warmer months.

The classic cars portion of the show is presented in conjunction with the Tillsonburg Cruisers and Bygone Iron car clubs. Last year, more than 500 classic vehicles were on display.

"That was the best turnout we had since we started doing this,” Scott said, explaining that the association holds a draw with door prizes for those who bring their vehicles.

There will also be a kids’ zone on site for the day.

Organizers are asking those who attend to come from Cranberry Line to help alleviate traffic problems on Highway 19.

For those who want to fly in a Harvard but can’t make it to Wings and Wheels, there is also a fly day on Oct. 4.