LouisvilleKY’s Bowman Field to hold first Aviation Heritage Festival

Louisville, KY, – -Historic Bowman Field is an aviation, architectural, and civic treasure.
To celebrate and promote this wonderful community resource, The Bowman Field Friends (BFF) will be hosting the first Bowman Field Aviation Heritage Festival this weekend, Oct. 8-9.

This event will feature rare vintage aircraft from all over the United States and will also showcase the many different aviation activities that currently operate on airport today. Highlights of the festival will include rides in an original restored Ford Tri-Motor and DC-3 aircraft, two airplanes that operated from Bowman Field during its heyday as Louisville’s primary airport.

dc plane

Bowman Field, established in 1920, has the distinction of being the longest continuously operating commercial airport in the United States. It is located approximately five miles from downtown Louisville, KY and has convenient access from I-64 via Cannon’s Lane and I-264 via Taylorsville Road. Bowman Field is situated on 426 acres adjacent to Seneca Park and nestled between 4 Louisville Neighborhoods and a country club. There are 17 buildings, with three on the National Register of historic places, including the art deco Administration Building built in 1929 designed by local architect William Arrasmith.

The Bowman Field Aviation Heritage Festival will be held in the area around the historic Administration Building and the 1929 Curtiss Flying Service Hangar, current home of Central American Airways. There will be 30-40 historical aircraft on display, vintage airplane rides, vintage cars, military vehicles, community exhibitors and historical interpretation actors. Bring the family to take them through the history of Aviation, plus let the kids make old time airplanes in the Kids Craft Corner.

“People have a great affection for airplanes and Bowman Field provides the perfect park-like setting and historical context for connecting with the beauty and wonder of flight. We are excited to create this event that makes aviation come alive here at Bowman Field by bringing together the aviation and the local community. and to share this wonderful resource and experience with a greater audience.“ said Rick Tabb, Executive Director of Bowman Field Friends.

bi-wing airplane

Hours of Festival:

Saturday, October 8
8:30am – 6pm
8:30am Yum! Brands Balloon Rally – Bring Canned Goods to end local hunger
8:45 Start of the “Bowman 4Miler Fun Run”
9am – Pancake Breakfast
Vintage Plane Tours & Rides
Food Trucks
Kids Craft Corner
AND More

Sunday, October 9
11am – 4pm
Vintage Plane Tours & Rides
Food Trucks
Kids Craft Corner
AND More

Highlights:

• Exhibitors all around airfield

• 30 + Vintage Airplanes

• Airplane Rides

• Bourbon, Craft Beer and Food Trucks

• Purnell’s “Old Folks” Sausage Pancake Breakfast (Saturday Only)

• Kids Aviation Arts & Crafts Area

Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for those 6-16 and free for kids under five.
Foundation Mission Statement:
• Bowman Field is an accurately preserved and meticulously cared for Aviation Heritage Site and is a vibrant, active public park with historic displays, activities and events, and wonderful spaces where the public can enjoy, learn, appreciate, and engage with aviation and aviation heritage.

• The Foundation is a fully funded organization with a broad base of community support, and officially sanctioned by the LRAA and the City of Louisville.
Visit: www.bowmanaviationfest.com

Bio on Rick Tabb, Executive Director of BFF:

Rick Tabb is a business consultant specializing in strategic and developmental planning years of experience working with organizations to help them grow and achieve their goals. He is a 1980 graduate of the Virginia Military Institute, and served 7 years as an armor officer in the US Army. He has been a freelance business consultant since 1992 and has worked with thousands of organizations, from Fortune 100 to very small startups. He has also been Manager of Training and Development for Brown Forman, Program Director of Leadership Louisville, and founder and owner of Workshop, the Creative Workplace from 1994-2004. His current business, Eagles Nest Executive Retreat is based in the former tower of the Historic Bowman Field Administration Building. He is working to establish a non-profit organization, Bowman Field Friends, to promote aviation and historic preservation at Bowman Field. He is a private pilot and flies his 1965 Alon Aircoupe whenever he can.