Dreams take flight at Castle Air Museum’s Open Cockpit Day

Every year of his young life – several times a year, in fact – 11-year-old Ike Cooper and his family have made the trip from Modesto to the Castle Air Museum. He needs a regular fix for his history habit, World War II being his specialty.

Sunday was different. This time, the Coopers came without Ike’s father, who recently died of cancer. And Ike and his 8-year-old brother, Owen, for the first time ventured beyond the static treasures on display during Castle’s twice-yearly Open Cockpit Day for a short, $40 helicopter ride.

“I always wanted to see the world from the air!” Ike gushed with excitement after bounding from the whirlybird.

The outdoor museum on Sunday was crawling with people crawling in and out of vintage aircraft, when permitted. Others peered inside from viewing stands built by local high school students. Still others worked on model airplanes, feasted on carnival-type food and “rode” in an aircraft simulation module.

“I like to see the little kids and their excitement,” said John de Jong of Merced, a former Modesto Flight Center instructor who spends his retirement volunteering in the museum’s restoration wing. That’s the group responsible for rebuilding the 63 aircraft on display at the unique museum.

“We’ve got some good men restoring these airplanes, just for the satisfaction,” said Bill Hiller, 94, a member of the museum’s executive board. Before retiring way back in 1966, Hiller spent three years with the Navy in World War II and 18 additional years with the Air Force.

Castle Air Museum boasts a presidential plane used by presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, five vice presidents and five first ladies, and the popular Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird spy plane.

Some relics literally arrive in pieces in a cardboard box, said Joe Pruzzo, the museum’s chief executive officer. “All I can say is we’re blessed,” he said.

Airplane aficionados returned the love in droves. About 3,000 showed up – a typical crowd for Open Cockpit Day, held only on the Sundays of Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends.

“This is a jewel that many people don’t realize,” said Eddie Macha of Merced, whose family members in attendance Sunday spanned three generations. “It’s part of our culture.”

Jack Daniel of Winton said, “We drive by every day. This is a world-class museum, and it’s a way to be with my grandkids.”

About 30 percent of attendees travel from other countries, Pruzzo said, while a majority are from the Valley and Bay Area.

Angelo Lopez, 19, recently obtained a pilot’s license at a Fresno airport service, where he saw an Open Cockpit Day flier. He persuaded several members of his extended family to make the drive to Atwater to bask in rich aviation history. Among them were his father, Ignacio, a former aircraft mechanic who is thinking about following his son’s example and pursuing a license himself.

Ike, the young history buff from Modesto, shares that dream. Since he was a toddler, said his aunt, Melissa Holden, Ike “was in love. Every airplane we saw, he had to stop and stare,” she said.

The parents in that group sprung for copter rides Sunday for Ike and Owen and his two cousins.

“His father passed away last year,” Michelle Cooper said. “Now we have a different philosophy: ‘Enjoy life. Live it while you can.’”

This story was originally published September 6, 2015 at 5:45 PM with the headline "Dreams take flight at Castle Air Museum’s Open Cockpit Day."