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The Beechcraft Heritage Museum recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of its annual Beech Party, a tradition which started as an informal fly-in for Beechcraft enthusiasts in the area.

Fascination with Walter Beech’s eye catching Staggerwing planes is what began the club that would one day lead to the forming of the Beechcraft Heritage Museum

The Staggerwing aircraft is a five -passenger biplane on which the upper wing is positioned behind the lower wing – as opposed to wings that are stacked directly on top of each other or positioned with positive stagger, in which the upper wing is positioned forward.

By the 1960s, the Staggerwing had risen in popularity and gained much admiration from aviation enthusiasts around the world. It was this love for the aircraft that ultimately led a group of men to fly their planes into Tullahoma to reunite and share their passion for the plane. As the years progressed, the Staggerwing Club fly-in became an annual event that grabbed more and more attention from Beechcraft lovers around the world.

The men of the Staggerwing Club created Staggerwing Museum Foundation in 1973, and aviator Louise Thaden, a woman who had once competed in race with Amelia Earhart, who had given a speech at the 1973 Beech Party, donated her gear, trophies and even her pilot’s license signed by airplane inventor Orville Wright.

As the years progressed, museum trustee Alton Cianchette wanted to see more Beechcraft models, not just the Model 17, in the museum. He, and many other museum members, pushed to have the second generation of Beechcraft, the twin engine Model 18, installed. Other models soon followed and, in 2007, the Staggerwing Museum became the Beechcraft Heritage Museum to reflect the change.

Due to Cianchette’s efforts, the Beechcraft Heritage Museum now houses more than 35 aircraft in three hangars, one of which is named for him.

This year’s Beech Party featured at least eight Staggerwing planes, numerous Bonanza planes and even one of the four Starship aircrafts to still fly in the world.

Notably, Julie Clark, 75-year-old retired American aerobatic air show aviator pilot flew in for the weekend.

To find out more about the Beechcraft Heritage Museum and annual Beech Party, visit https://beechcrafthm.org/.