WACO

WACO. Historical WACO Field. Historic WACO Field was acquired in February of 1997 by the WACO Historical Society Inc. with the goal of creating a vintage flying field in the Troy community where WACO airplanes were manufactured from 1923- 1946. Local and regional businesses partnered with WACO volunteers to provide the raw materials, heavy equipment and In-Kind support to construct a grass airstrip specially designed for vintage aircraft. The field was built in just seven months. After the completion of the airstrip local, state and federal officials assisted WACO in gaining the final approval and official designation as a public/private airport. WACO Field was assigned the airport designation “1WF” by the Federal Aviation Administration., On October 10, 1997 the Annual WACO Fly-In was held on the newly constructed WACO Field. During the Fly-In a community Barn Raising was held to re-erect an 1856 post and beam barn originally located southwest of Troy on Kessler-Fredrick Road. Over 250 WACO Historical Society volunteers participated in the barn raising. (Volunteers raising one of the “bent sections” of the “WACO Barn” during the barn raising event Oct 1997.) The move and reconstruction of the “WACO Barn” as it came to be known was made possible thanks to a generous donation from the general fund of The Troy Foundation and serves a vital link to the “Barnstorming Era” of aviation., The Annual WACO Fly-In is held every year at Historic WACO Field where WACO airplanes and other vintage airplanes Fly-In for the weekend to meet with other WACO owners and enthusiasts and celebrate the legacy of the WACO Aircraft Company and the legendary airplanes that the company produced in Troy., The WACO Historical Society has been in existence since 1978 and is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves a dual purpose. Preservation of the history of the WACO Aircraft Company and the Golden Age of Flight and the Education of young people in the area of math, science, technology and history, using aviation themes as a means of enhancing student enthusiasm., Supporters are working to create a genuine “living history” 1920’s or 1930’s air strip, alive with the sound of radial engines and the colorful characters of that bygone era. Thw WACO Air Museum showcases 4 WACO airplanes, a WACO primary glider and a 1902 Wright Brothers Glider replica. Many spectacular photo murals grace the walls of the facility with additional exhibits that feature some of the thousands of rare WACO photographs from the society’s collection. WACO RC models, interactive exhibits, radial aircraft engines, vintage propellers, archive and research library and museum gift shop. The WACO Air Museum is also home of the WACO Learning Center that offers educational camps, school tours and outreach programs to all ages.