The National Stearman Fly-In at Galesburg and the hundred biplanes that turn an Illinois cornfield into the greatest open-cockpit reunion on Earth

Every September, Galesburg Municipal Airport (GBG) in western Illinois transforms into the Stearman capital of the world. Between 100 and 150 Boeing Stearman biplanes converge on this small farming town of 30,000 for the National Stearman Fly-In, the largest gathering of these iconic World War II trainers anywhere on the planet. Nothing else in aviation comes close.

What Is the National Stearman Fly-In?

The National Stearman Fly-In is a week-long gathering of Stearman owners, pilots, and enthusiasts held annually in Galesburg, Illinois. Unlike a traditional airshow, there is no admission gate, no grandstand, and no announcer. It functions more like a family reunion that happens to involve airplanes. Pilots fly in from across the country — some in open cockpits with nothing but a sectional chart and goggles — and park wingtip to wingtip on every available inch of grass alongside the runway, ramp, and taxiways.

The Stearman community is tight-knit. Many of these pilots see each other at Sun ’n Fun over the winter, wave to one another on summer ferry flights across the plains, and then come home to Galesburg every fall.

Wait — Boeing Made a Biplane?

Yes. The Stearman Model 75 was built by the thousands during World War II as a primary trainer. The Army designated it the PT-17. The Navy called it the N2S. Everyone who has ever flown one just calls it “the Stearman.”

Boeing purchased the Stearman Aircraft Company in Wichita in 1934, making every one of these biplanes technically a Boeing product. The remarkable part: you can own a Boeing for less than the price of a new pickup truck.

What the Flight Line Looks Like

The flight line at Galesburg is a living museum. Every airplane has a story.

One bright yellow Stearman with a polished aluminum cowling belongs to a retired airline captain from Minnesota. He bought it as a basket case sitting in a barn with birds nesting in the front cockpit. He spent 11 years rebuilding it, hand-painting every inspection marking. It now looks like it just rolled off the line in Wichita.

Parked beside it, a Navy blue N2S carries original military markings from 1944. The owner tracked down the aircraft’s actual training records and identified the cadets who soloed in it. One went on to fly Corsairs in the Pacific. Another washed out and became a mechanic — and that mechanic’s grandson attended the fly-in, standing next to the airplane his grandfather trained in more than eight decades later.

What Flying a Stearman at Galesburg Is Like

The mornings are unforgettable. Illinois fog settles low over the cornfields, and the top wings of parked Stearmans poke up through the mist. Around seven o’clock, owners pull covers and stow tie-down chains. Someone primes a Continental W-670 and hits the starter. That first cough and bark of a radial engine in cool morning air sets off a chain reaction — one engine starts, then the next, then three more. Within ten minutes, a deep, throaty wall of sound rolls across the field. It vibrates in your sternum.

Daily formation flights are a highlight. Fifteen Stearmans in loose trail formation at 500 feet, round engines humming, yellow wings catching the sun. People in town stop their cars to watch. Local farmers lean on their fences.

The 450-Horsepower Stearman Experience

Some owners have replaced the original Continental engine with a Pratt & Whitney R-685 — the same engine found in the T-6 Texan. These “450 Stearmans” pack 450 horsepower into an airframe designed for 220. The result is absurd performance: pattern altitude before crossing the departure end of the runway, and a deep baritone growl that the Continental cannot match.

From the open cockpit at altitude, the shadow of the biplane races across rows of corn below while the wind pulls tears from your eyes.

More Than Airplanes: The Community Around the Fly-In

A complete community infrastructure springs up for the week. The local Elks Lodge hosts a pancake breakfast every morning, where pilots walk in smelling like avgas with oil on their hands and fit right in. Half the pilots camp under the wings of their Stearmans in a designated area on the airport grounds.

Volunteers are the backbone of the event. One woman has worked the registration tent for 18 years without ever sitting in a cockpit. She lives three blocks from the airport, fell in love with Stearmans as a girl watching them land over her backyard, and now knows every pilot by name, their airplane’s paint scheme, and their coffee preference.

Aerobatics and the Judging Competition

Afternoon flying often includes aerobatics — loops, rolls, and hammerheads in an airplane originally designed to be gentle enough for a 19-year-old Army cadet to solo. With a Pratt & Whitney up front and strong wings, a Stearman in experienced hands is remarkably capable.

The judging competition awards titles including Grand Champion Stearman, Best Military Restoration, Best Custom, and Best in Show. The craftsmanship on display is museum quality — one PT-17 featured hand-stitched leather cockpit panels, a replated instrument panel, and every gauge rebuilt to factory original specifications, representing 4,000 hours of restoration work completed in a garage in Ohio.

Notably, past Grand Champion winners have included bone-stock, unmodified, original Continental-powered Stearmans in standard Army yellow. No fancy paint, no chrome, no engine swap — just an honest, correct, as-delivered-in-1943 trainer. Sometimes the most beautiful restoration is the one that changes nothing.

Hangar Talk and the Stories That Come With It

Evening sessions are unofficial and unscheduled: fifty pilots in lawn chairs between rows of biplanes as the sun drops below the Illinois horizon, passing cold drinks and trading stories. Tales range from flying through narrow mountain passes in 30-knot crosswinds to accidentally landing at the wrong airport because all the grass strips in Kansas look the same from a Stearman’s front seat.

One pilot, 87 years old, has flown the same Stearman airframe for 68 years since soloing it in 1958. He rebuilt the engine twice, recovered the wings three times, and replaced the landing gear once after a ground loop he attributes to a gopher hole. When asked if he would ever sell it, his answer was simple: “That airplane taught me to fly. I am going to fly it until one of us cannot anymore.”

How to Attend the National Stearman Fly-In

The fly-in takes place each September at Galesburg Municipal Airport (GBG) in western Illinois. The runway accommodates anything in general aviation, and ground volunteers help arriving pilots find parking. Admission is free for those who drive in. The experience is unhurried — wander the flight line, talk to owners, learn about fabric repair techniques and engine modifications, eat a pork chop sandwich from the food tent, and lie in the grass watching Stearmans land all day.

For more information, contact the Galesburg Stearman Fly-In Association.

Key Takeaways

• The National Stearman Fly-In at Galesburg, Illinois is the largest annual gathering of Boeing Stearman biplanes in the world, drawing 100–150 aircraft each September.
• The Stearman Model 75 (PT-17/N2S) was Boeing’s WWII primary trainer, and flyable examples remain affordable enough to own on a modest budget.
• The event is free to attend, with no formal airshow structure — it operates as a community reunion centered on open-cockpit flying, restoration craftsmanship, and shared history.
• 450-horsepower Pratt & Whitney engine swaps have created a high-performance subset of Stearmans with dramatically increased climb and speed.
• Some attending pilots have flown the same airframes for more than six decades, representing an unbroken link to the aircraft’s wartime origins.