Aviation Day set for this Saturday at Page Field

Aviation Day 2008 will be held Saturday, Nov. 15, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Page Field General Aviation Airport with free admission and parking. Aviation Day is hosted by the Lee County Port Authority and is held annually to increase commu- nity awareness of our airports Southwest Florida International Airport and Page Field General Aviation Airport. The event is held on the ramp on the north side of Page Field off North Airport Road, east of U.S. 41 and south of Colonial Blvd.

One of Aviation Day's featured aircraft will be the Douglas C-54E "Spirit of Freedom," sponsored by Paragon Flight Training. Visitors will be able to view a flying museum and memorial housed in the plane's interior the same type of aircraft used to transport food and supplies into Germany during the Berlin Airlift. In addition, attendees will also be able to get an up-close look at a rare and original World War II era P-51D Mustang "Red Nose" fighter plane, sponsored by Chris-Tel Construction. This P51-D began its service in 1945 at Page Field. Other attractions

will include experimental, antique and military plane exhibits, plane and helicopter rides, free children's activities and character appearances, airport police and fire department demonstrations, food and beverages and more.

This year, there's a special community focused request in special honor of the 60th Anniversary of the Berlin Airlift. For 15 months in 1 9 4 8 - 1949, the United States led a humanitarian effort to provide critical supplies to the 2 million residents of Berlin. The Berlin Airlift planes flew more than 278,000 flights and delivered 2.3 million tons of food and supplies. Come to Aviation Day 2008 and bring a non-perishable food item to help our local community. All donations will benefit The Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida whose mission is to overcome hunger in our communities through education and by working in a cooperative effort with affiliated agencies in the procurement and distribution of food, equitably and without discrimination.