Saturday, June 18th brought a crowd of Museum members and curious aviation enthusiasts to Nashua, New Hampshire’s Boire Field to view some planes, talk some aviation, and partake in a barbeque lunch. An assortment of aircraft, including General Aviation, warbirds and homebuilt types were on display.

Nashua’s Boire Field was named after the city’s first World War II native killed during the war. It is an uncontrolled airfield in the southern part of the state. Saturday’s weather was cool and a bit breezy, but decent enough so that a small crowd kept pilots and exhibitors busy during the hours before lunch. There were loads of kids present; it was a great day for launching an interest in aviation inside the minds of those youngsters. They could get up close and personal with the airplanes, and many got to sit in the cockpits too. Tickets for the barbeque had sold out earlier in the week leading up to this event, but those spectators who didn’t get lunch tickets could still enter the ramp. Both the cost of the meal tickets and a donation for the admission to the ramp went towards the Museum’s programs.

The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire is located in the nearby city of Manchester. The Museum’s mission is “…to preserve New Hampshire aviation history through dynamic and hands-on exhibits and programs. We engage the public through learning opportunities in aviation science and technology. The museum offers a unique cultural experience, that inspires aviation enthusiasm in people of all ages.” “Our goal is to combine aviation preservation and educational outreach activities with social events that provide an opportunity for members to experience interesting and informative events and to share their passion for aviation history with good friends and good times.”

STEM programs for local schools are presented throughout the year, and the host city’s schools can send students to help build a Van’s Aircraft RV-12iS too. The homebuilt plane has plenty of volunteer mentors teaching students how to build an aircraft… and this program has been projected to become a yearly event – building a plane a year.

The museum is home to a collection of aircraft engines, memorabilia and a library, housed, in part, within a restored 1937 vintage art deco terminal. A large event that the Museum is sponsoring this year is a 50th reunion of Northeast Airlines employees; Northeast was a New England “hometown” airline that merged with Delta Airlines on August 1, 1972. For more information, go to: https://www.nhahs.org/images/220731_website_about_eventF.pdf

Here are a few photos and their captions showing a little bit about the day: