Impressive collection of aircraft at Palo Alto Airport Day

The Beech Boys formation demo team flew during Palo Alto Airport Day. (All Photos by Hayman Tam)

Visiting airport open houses is always a fun way to spend the day and show support for your local airport and businesses. I also like the surprise element since you never really know what planes — or people — you will see at these events.

Apparently Darth Vader is regretting leaving his TIE fighter unattended as he walks past a BT-13 Valiant warbird on the display apron.

The ones I’ve attended so far this year have been in rural communities, so I was curious to see Airport Day at Palo Alto Airport (KPAO) in California Sept. 28, 2025. Would the demographics of this affluent tech money region make a difference?

My question was answered quickly in the shapely form of a Piaggio P.180 Avanti, an Italian aircraft worth more than $1 million.

Don’t call this Piaggio P.180 a canard design, it is a three-lifting-surface configuration. The P.180 is certified to reach speeds of up to 400 KTAS, making it one of the fastest civilian turboprop aircraft in the world.

Surprisingly not many were paying attention to the Italian bird, drawn instead to the American classics.

A diverse lineup of aircraft greeted visitors at Palo Alto Airport Day.

There were no less than four warbirds on hand: A T-6 Texan, a BT-13 Valiant, a U.S. Navy T-34 Mentor, and a beautifully restored Huey operated by the Vietnam veterans group Huey Vets. The warbirds had lots of folks lined up to get a closer look.

The Beechcraft T-34 Mentor military trainer was derived from the Model 35 Bonanza. More than 2,300 would be delivered over a 21-year production run.

The crew of EMU309 retreat the flag after a day of static display at Palo Alto Airport Day. The original UH-1 Huey being honored (#68-16309) served from late 1969 to early 1972 and endured 28 months of combat.

A rugged Kodiak 100 also had visitors waiting to peek into the spacious cabin.

The burly Kodiak 100 combines STOL performance and high payload for operations from remote and unimproved airfields. The cabin can seat nine passengers plus pilot.

The assortment of aircraft was quite eclectic, ranging from a teardrop-shaped Cavalon Gyroplane to an aerobatic competition ready XtremeAir XA42.

A futuristic German-built AutoGyro Cavalon gyroplane. Designed for touring with a six-hour endurance, a nicely equipped one will range from $150,000 to $230,000.

A German-built ExtremeAir XA42 aerobatic aircraft, designed for Unlimited Category aerobatics. Capable of +/- 10Gs with a roll rate of 450°/sec, approximately 60 have been produced so far.

Elsewhere on the ramp, a sleek Velocity XL-RG kitplane was offset by a delicate Aircam floatplane.

A canard-pusher Velocity XL-RG (Extra Large-Retractable Gear) kitplane. The canard configuration makes the aircraft aerodynamically stable and nearly impossible to stall.

The Lockwood AirCam was originally designed in 1993 for National Geographic to use as a stable, slow, and safe aerial photography platform for missions over the rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

There were also some vintage airplanes, including a 1953 Cessna 180.

A 1953 Cessna 180 Skywagon, AKA “The Pickup Truck of the Air.”

In a throwback to the trainers of the 1930s, this Cessna 152 wears a bright yellow livery. Back in the day, yellow was used to make training aircraft stand out against the sky, ground, and water, reducing the chance of accidents and improving the odds of a successful recovery if the plane went down.

A 1976 Rockwell 114 Commander on display. First flown in 1970, close to 1,500 of the 112/114 family were produced.

An American Champion Super Decathlon, a certified aerobatic trainer aircraft widely used for basic/intermediate competitions. This plane is rated for +6/-5G loads along with fuel and oil systems designed for inverted flight.

The local Civil Air Patrol unit was also on hand with one of its 182T Skylanes.

Civil Air Patrol Cessna 182T aircraft like this one are used for cadet orientation flights and to support training exercises that prepare Air Force pilots to intercept slow-moving aircraft.

KPAO is large enough that the event did not disrupt normal traffic operations except for a scheduled flight performance by the Northern California Beech Boys formation demonstration team.

This mixed formation of Bonanza and RVs made up half of the Beech Boys that performed during Palo Alto Airport Day.

The team was made up of two formations of four. Of the eight aircraft, three were Beechcraft, with RVs and a sole Grumman American Tiger filling the ranks.

I always say “There is no plane that can’t look prettier with tip tanks.” Case in point, this Beechcraft A33 Debonair that performed as part of the Beech Boys.

The departing Huey was a highlight for the folks who stayed until the end, lifting off and orbiting the venue several times before heading home to Hayward.

EMU 309, a fully restored Vietnam veteran Bell UH-1H Huey, makes a low fly-over before heading home. This is a flying tribute honoring an original Huey that served with the 135th Assault Helicopter Company (“Experimental Military Unit”).

A large collection of business booths complemented the selection of food trucks.

This future helicopter pilot tries out the Scorpion 1 displayed at the Hilller Aviation Museum booth. The Scorpion 1 helicopter kit was first offered for sale in 1967 at a base price of $6,300 (without the engine).

This was a good event, with an impressive collection of aircraft on display.

For more information: PaloAltoAirport.org

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