Akron Fulton Airport will fill with the roar of vintage warbirds and modern fighter jets next weekend as the Props and Pistons Festival returns for its 14th year, running Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This year’s lineup includes an F-16 Viper and a P-51 Mustang doing aerial passes, alongside a car and motorcycle show, a kids’ zone and a solemn ceremony honoring fallen military veterans.
Admission runs $27.52 for adults, $22.22 for seniors and veterans, and $6.32 for children ages 6 to 17, while kids 5 and younger get in free, according to Cleveland.com. A four-pack covering two adult and two children’s tickets costs $59.32. Parking is free at 1210 Massillon Rd., with free shuttle buses equipped with handicap-accessible lifts, and a separate passenger drop-off zone is set up at 1800 Triplett Blvd., per the same report.
The event is organized by Inspire Aviation, a Wadsworth-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs Props and Pistons as its primary annual fundraiser, according to Inspire Aviation. Proceeds fund STEM education, flight scholarships and youth mentoring in partnership with Akron Public Schools, per the same source. The festival debuted in 2013, making next weekend’s gathering its 14th edition, according to Kent State University, whose aviation students and alumni regularly volunteer to help run festival logistics.
Fighter Jets and WWII Warbirds Take the Runway
In the air, festivalgoers can expect passes from an F-16 Viper, a P-51 Mustang and a Harvard IV advanced trainer, according to the outlet’s report. On the ground, static displays will include dozens of aircraft from the 1940s alongside modern military transports and helicopters — among them a C-130J Hercules tactical airlifter, a UH-60M Black Hawk utility helicopter and a CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopter…