The Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum, Lower Township, New Jersey, will bring a collection of historic warbirds and military aircraft to Cape May Airport for AirFest 2026, running from Sept. 3 through Sept. 6. The museum’s largest annual fundraiser will be headlined by the C-47 Placid Lassie, a 1943-built WWII combat veteran that remains airworthy more than eight decades after entering service. During D-Day, the aircraft crossed the English Channel twice while towing assault gliders carrying troops and equipment for the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division. It later took part in Operation Market Garden, the Battle of the Bulge, and Operation Varsity. Another major attraction will be the flying Messerschmitt Me 262 reproduction from the Military Aviation Museum. The aircraft represents the world’s first operational jet fighter, which entered Luftwaffe service during the final year of WWII and introduced a level of speed that piston-engine fighters of the period could not match.
AirFest will also use its aircraft lineup to tell the story of aviation in the Pacific during WWII, a particularly relevant part of the event given NAS Wildwood’s wartime role in training naval aviators for dive-bomber operations. Among the aircraft representing that history will be the TBM Avenger Doris Mae and a flying Japanese A6M Zero replica. The Zero was originally converted for the 1970 film Tora! Tora! Tora!, while the Avenger became the U.S. Navy’s standard torpedo bomber during the war. The Pacific connection will extend to the Commemorative Air Force Capital Wing’s Stinson OY-1 Sentinel Gayle Ann. The aircraft was transported aboard the escort carrier USS White Plains and subsequently flew artillery-spotting missions in support of U.S. Marine forces during the Battle of Saipan in June 1944.
Visitors will also be able to compare two aircraft whose designs served very different roles in military aviation. The Beechcraft T-34 Mentor was used to train generations of military pilots, while Japan’s Fuji Heavy Industries adapted the design into the four-seat LM-1 for communications and utility work. The Capital Wing will bring another historically appropriate aircraft to Cape May in the form of the Fairchild UC-61 Forwarder Miss Cherrie II. Displayed in U.S. Coast Guard markings, the aircraft represents a type that was used for anti-submarine patrols along the Atlantic Coast during WWII. Its presence also has a local connection, as Cape May County is officially designated as a Coast Guard Community. Two privately owned SNJ/AT-6 Texans will provide another link to the museum’s own wartime history. The SNJ was used as an advanced trainer for naval aviators, including at NAS Wildwood, preparing pilots for the frontline aircraft they would eventually fly in combat.
The lineup will extend beyond the featured warbirds, with additional aircraft expected to arrive from organizations including the Aero Club of Pennsylvania and EAA Fly-In, AtlantiCare Medevac, Cape May County Mosquito Control, and the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. A Yak-52TD, Fairchild PT-26 Cornell, and Douglas DC-3 are also among the aircraft planned to attend, although further details about their appearances are expected closer to the event. While the aircraft will form the centerpiece of AirFest, the four-day event will include much more for visitors to explore. Military vehicles, fire trucks, living-history reenactors, aviation and STEM exhibits, historical organizations, vendors, food trucks, live music, family activities, caricatures, and face painting will be part of the event. A beer and wine garden will also be available.
AirFest is primarily a ground-viewing and static-display event, allowing visitors to get close to the aircraft and meet pilots and crews. Aircraft will continue to arrive and depart from Cape May Airport during the event, so visitors may see occasional flights, arrivals, or departures, but the museum does not have scheduled aerial performances planned. AirFest 2026 will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily from Thursday, Sept. 3, through Sunday, Sept. 6. Admission is $18 for adults and $14 for children ages 3-12. NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum members, active-duty military personnel, and children age 3 and under will be admitted free. Parking is free, with shuttle service around the Cape May Airport complex available Saturday and Sunday. For more information and to support the Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum, click on this link: usnasw.org.
