One of the most-anticipated fly-ins for “old school” pilots is Ranger Airfield’s Old School Fly-In and Airshow.
The fly-in, which takes place the first weekend of October, celebrated its 17th anniversary in 2024.
Although officially scheduled from Friday, Oct. 4, to Sunday, Oct. 6, some guests decided to arrive a few days early so as not to miss a moment of the festivities at Ranger Airfield (F23), about 87 nautical miles west of Dallas.
The 2024 event was hailed a success by Jared Calvert, a pilot and founder of the event and the force behind the Ranger Airfield Foundation (RAF), a non-profit that maintains the airport entirely with volunteers and donations.
“Ranger was good,” he said. “It met our expectations as it always does: A good time, beautiful aircraft, nice pilots, lots of smiles.”
What has led the annual Ranger Fly-In to be one of the most anticipated events of the season for both pilots and aviation enthusiasts?
On one hand, it is the perfect opportunity to get up close and see the maximum use of an active airfield with more than 113 years of history.
On the other hand, and as its name suggests, it allows you to see a variety of vintage or “old school” aircraft landing and taking off for much of the day, including such classics as the Boeing Stearman, Bücker, T-6 Texan, Beechcraft Staggerwing, Waco, Stinson, and Nanchang, among many others.
Ranger Airfield Foundation also flew its 1927 OX-powered Waco and 1954 Mooney Mite.
And a new record for 2024: 40 radial-powered aircraft attended the event.
The fly-in also included an air show, where pilots performed in a variety of aircraft, from two Bückers to a T-6, Stearman, Chipmunk, RV-4, and Stephen Covington in his Pitts S2S “Fury.”
“One of the things I really like about the fly-in at Ranger is how informal the air show is,” said pilot Mark Wood. “It’s just a small portion of the weekend, not the main focus. There isn’t any hype, no announcers with annoying ‘monster truck’ voices, no music. It’s just a few skilled pilots going up and having a good time in front of their peers.”
Andrea McGilvray, a renowned aerobatic pilot based at South Texas Regional Airport at Hondo (KHDO), enjoyed her first experience attending a fly-in at Ranger.
“I love all airplanes, so it’s hard to say what part in particular caught my attention,” she said. “I did get to catch up with some of my friends! The turnout looked just amazing.”
Preparing for more than 250 aircraft requires the energy of many volunteers, who are always willing to pitch in wherever they are needed, according to Calvert.
“Thank you to all the volunteers who make this weekend happen at Ranger every year,” he concluded.
For more information: RangerAirfield.org
More Photos From The Show
That is an RCAF scheme on the Stearman. 300+ were ordered as trainers and none were delivered with the cold weather equipment (canopies, heaters) they were to be delivered with thus were returned as they were deemed unsuitable for the environment. Rare but nice livery.
I love seeing these antique airplanes still flying. I will be attending next year for sure.
I wait all year for the Ranger Fly-in, and it has never been a disappointment. Meeting old friends and making new ones. It has always grown in number of planes, performance, and people. Looking forward to next year, 2025.
Awesome weekend! Thank you Jared for hosting. Looking forward to next year !
Amazing…………
Thank you GANews.