Fagen Fighters WWII Museum will be holding their air show on Saturday, June 20th, 2015 at their home field Lenzen-Roe Memorial Airport in Granite Falls, Minnesota. The event has a promising lineup of more than forty WWII-era aircraft, including the crown jewels of the Fagen Fighters collection, their B-25J Mitchell “Paper Doll”, P-40 Warhawks “Aleutian Tiger” and “Desert Shark”, P-51D Mustangs “Twilight Tear” and “Sweet Revenge”, not to mention their P-38 Lightning “Ruff Stuff” amongst others.
Dubbed the Ray Fagen Memorial Airshow, the event is in part a celebration of the museum’s patriarch, Ray Fagen, a WWII D-Day veteran. WarbirdsNews recently talked with Ray’s grandson, Evan, and this is what he had to say about his late grandfather, “Ray Fagen was my grandpa and he was on the first wave at Normandy on Utah beach. He was involved with the liberation of Paris and participated in the Battle of the Bulge. He was shot on Utah beach and in the Battle of the Bulge. He also got shrapnel wounds in the Battle of the Bulge which took him out of the battle. He never talked about the war but inspired us to start the museum to honor the greatest generation and to remember there sacrifices. While he never flew during the war, he learned to fly when he got home as a civilian in a stearman under the GI bill. He flew for almost 60 years.”
The show will feature WWII-only themed subjects and in addition to the aircraft, military re-enactors along with several ground vehicles will perform mock combat situations for the crowd. According to the museum, “the commitment from the Warbird Community has been overwhelming… In addition to our own collection, we will host the Experimental Aircraft Association’s B-17G Aluminum Overcast which will be available for tours, the Commemorative Air Force Arizona Wing’s B-25J Maid in the Shade will give tours and rides before and after air show, B-25J Lady Luck will be on hand along with a PV-2 Harpoon. In the fighter group, we have P-51 Mustangs Old Crow, Petie 2nd and Sierra Sue, a Bell P-63 Kingcobra, two FM-2 Wildcats, an F4U Corsair and a Japanese Zero. We also have the CAF Sioux Falls’ Wing Stinson L-5 Sentinel liaison aircraft. Trainers will include two Stearman PT-17s, and thirteen T-6s, including the fabulous AeroShell Aerobatic Team, and the Fagen Fighters trainers including the BT-13, PT-19, PT-26 and PT-22. Several other warbird owners are still arranging schedules. Due to our very limited ramp space and our desire to accommodate all warbird participants and static displays, the airport will be closed to general aviation for the day. We are routing all general aviation traffic to Southwest Minnesota Regional Airport in Marshall, Minnesota, just 30 miles south of Granite Falls. Shuttles to and from Granite Falls will run throughout the day.”
Following the daytime air show, country music artist Craig Morgan will entertain the crowd. After Morgan’s concert, the AeroShell Team will perform their famous night time aerobatics routine, which is bound to impress the audience. All-in-all, the Ray Fagen Memorial Airshow is shaping up to be a spectacular event!
Richard Mallory Allnutt's aviation passion ignited at the 1974 Farnborough Airshow. Raised in 1970s Britain, he was immersed in WWII aviation lore. Moving to Washington DC, he frequented the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, meeting aviation legends.
After grad school, Richard worked for Lockheed-Martin but stayed devoted to aviation, volunteering at museums and honing his photography skills. In 2013, he became the founding editor of Warbirds News, now Vintage Aviation News. With around 800 articles written, he focuses on supporting grassroots aviation groups.
Richard values the connections made in the aviation community and is proud to help grow Vintage Aviation News.
Hello,
First of all, I love your musium and I am planning on attending the air show on June 20th. I have a question though. A good friend of mine has limited mobility, but would also love attend the event. Will there be anything like golf carts or the like available for rental?
Thanks.
Bob
I would like to know this also!
When does it start. What is the cost.How long will it last.Will it go on rain or shine.
Good point Wes… The website says…
“Gates open at 11 AM. Please see website and facebook for details. Admission is $20 for adults – $10 for ages 9 to 17, and free for children 8 and under.”
As for how long it lasts, we can’t say, but if it’s like most air shows, you should assume at least a couple of hours of flying with plenty of time to look around the aircraft on the ground as well. As for rain-or-shine, you will have to ask them, but considering most aircraft will be based there, there will be plenty to see regardless of the weather.
Check out their Facebook Page for up-to-date information. https://www.facebook.com/FagenFightersWwiiMuseum?fref=nf
Bob, Brandi, we are not associated with the musuem. I suggest to contact them for all your questions.
When does the first bus leave Marshall?
Will there be an air show in 2016?
How often do you have air shows?
Will there a 2017 airshow?