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Will Rogers and Wiley Post Fly-In, Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch
August 13, 2016, 7:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
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On Saturday, August 13, the Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch in Oologah will host the annual Will Rogers and Wiley Post Fly-In. Gates open at 7 a.m. with free admission, though donations are accepted. The event will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the two-thousand-foot grass strip adjacent to Oologah Lake. Pilots will fly the Oklahoma skies and land on the grass strip, a few yards from the home in which Will Rogers was born on November 4, 1879.
The annual fly-in commemorates the date that Will Rogers and Wiley Post died in a plane crash near Point Barrow, Alaska, on August 15, 1935. It also celebrates their dedication to the aviation industry. Pilots of antique aircraft, vintage warplanes, new and late model small aircraft, helicopters, and powered parachute planes will gather to showcase their aircraft and reminisce with fellow flyers. Visitors can get a close-up view of the planes and meet the pilots. There will also be a classic car and motorcycle show, Cherokee storytelling, activities for children, and food vendors. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.
During the past three decades, families have enjoyed the fly-in event. Among the most popular guests are Will and Wiley, who roll down the runway and up to the front gate to cheers of adults and children alike. Lester Lurk of Sainte Genevieve, Missouri, portrays Will Rogers, and Joe Bacon, pilot and Will Rogers Memorial Museum docent, portrays Wiley Post.
For the second year, the event will also include a “National Day of Remembrance” to honor pilots and passengers killed in small plane crashes in 2016. A lapel pin, featuring a portrait of Will Rogers in a flight jacket, has been designed to pay tribute to flyers. These commemorative pins will be presented to family members of deceased pilots and passengers. Names of the deceased will be honored on the Will Rogers Memorial Museums website at www.willrogers.com.
Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch, also called Dog Iron Ranch, is located at 9501 East 380 Road in Oologah. The Dog Iron Ranch Airport’s FAA identifier is OK37; CTAF: 122.9. For more information please call 918-341-0719, email pr@willrogers.com, or visit www.willrogers.com.
