Barnstormers drop into Brainerd

There are two types of people on the planet: the ones who look up when an airplane flies over and the ones who don’t.

The days are gone when a kid could ride a bike to the local airport and try to exchange airplane washing services for a ride in an airplane. Local airports scream “go away” what with their participation in the “security show,” signs, barbed wire, and locked gates designed to prove that a security threat that’s not really a threat has been eliminated.

The American Barnstormers Tour, which landed in Brainerd, Minn., over the weekend and will be there until Tuesday, is probably fighting a losing battle trying to rekindle the days when pilots would drop down into the fields of America and satisfy the curiosity of the locals.

But it’s still pretty cool to see a reminder that there was a period when the magic of flight excited people.

The Barnstormers arrive in Eau Claire, Wis., on Thursday.

Archive: What’s it like to fly? Fewer people want to find out (NewsCut)