The City of East Wenatchee’s aviation heritage was forever etched in history when the first non-stop flight from Japan to the U.S. was accomplished in 1931
Clyde “Upside Down” Pangborn, a famous barnstorming pilot from Bridgeport, WA, and Hugh Hernson flew the Miss Veedol from Misawa, Japan and belly-landed the Bellanca Skyrocket monoplane without any landing gear above what is now East Wenatchee
Today, a strong sister city relationship between Misawa, Japan, and the Wenatchee area is celebrated in both communities.
East Wenatchee hosts the Pangborn Festival of Flight on June 20th to celebrate the remarkable flight at Pangborn Memorial Airport.
The free Father’s Day weekend event on the airport tarmac will feature displays of modern and vintage aircraft, family-friendly activities, local food vendors, live music, helicopter rides, and living history flight experiences in a B-25 Mitchell bomber for a fee. CLICK FOR DETAILS
B-25 Mitchell Bomber Image: Erickson Aircraft CollectionB-25 Mitchell Bomber Image: Erickson Aircraft Collection
The B-25 Mitchell features a folding wing design and served in every theater of World War II. Many remained in service across four decades after the war ended. The aircraft is part of the Erickson Aircraft Collection, based in Madras, OR.
The Festival of Flight is 9am to 2pm at Pangborn Airport To reach the airport, travel east on Grant Road from downtown East Wenatchee. Parking is available at the event entrance. and if full, at two other parking lots just up the road. Parking is also available at the main airport terminal.
3rd Annual Aviation Day In Yakima, Washington
The 3rd Annual Aviation Day brought the sights, the sounds, the planes, and aviation enthusiasts to the Yakima Airport, Fly YKM, on Saturday, June 3rd, 2026! Check out photos from the event!
Gallery Credit: tsm/Timmy!
AloJapan.com