WELLINGTON, KS (August 2, 2021) – It’s back on! The annual (except for last year) Wellington Municipal Airport Open House has been scheduled for September 11, sponsored again by the local Chisholm Trail Chapter #1631 of the Experimental Aviation Association.
Wellington Airport Manager Matthew Wiebe said details are still being finalized but preliminary plans include a pancake breakfast fly-in (to try out the new pancake maker), activities for kids including a bounce house (sponsored by airport resident Air Plains Services), Young Eagle introductory flights, helicopter rides, and more.
“We’re still pulling together activities and sponsors, but it promises to be another fun day for everyone who visits,” Wiebe said. “We’ll have plenty of aircraft parking as well as parking for cars, and we’ll offer aircraft fuel discounts for pilots who fly in.”
The open house has become an annual highlight for the City of Wellington, which is also celebrating its 150th anniversary. The airport (KEGT) recently underwent a runway renovation that also extended Runway 18/36 to 5,200 feet, opening it to larger aircraft that serve the local aerospace manufacturing cluster as well other businesses in the region.
The Chisholm Trail EAA chapter will offer free introductory aircraft flights for young people, ages 8 to 17, through EAA’s famed Young Eagles program. Local food vendors will also be on hand.
Air Plains Services, a world leader in general aviation engine and avionics upgrades, has been a resident of Wellington airport since the company’s founding by Mike Kelley in 1977. The airport also is home for a number of aerospace component manufacturers that not only serve the aircraft industry in nearby Wichita but companies around the world.
First platted in 1871, Wellington grew as stop on the famed Chisholm Trail used to move cattle in the late 19th century from ranches in Texas north to Kansas City. It also became a railroad hub that still operates today. Along with aerospace, Wellington’s economy is based on agriculture and is known as the Wheat Capital of the World.
Details for the open house will be announced at the airport’s website so be sure to check back. Wellington Airport (KEGT) is just north of Wellington at 441 N West Road (U.S. 81).
