The sky was sunny and the air was warm as a select few members congregated at the Colchester Advance Auto Parts parking lot in anticipation of the days entertainment.
In fact there were only three cars including your intrepid trip leader. But a good time was had by all none the less. The route provided a good balance between enjoying the scenic and historic countryside of the eastern edge of Connecticut and the timely conveyance of the Interstate.
The destination is very well hidden behind a small lakeside community in east-central Massachusetts. As you travel down the access road you think to yourself, there is no way that I’m going to find a major vintage aircraft & automobile facility back here, but you’d be wrong.
You emerge into a large open area with a very large round stone barn built into a hillside that acts as the primary aircraft hanger also containing the racing car collection. Several smaller barns house the substantial vintage automobile collection. I won’t go into detail on the rarity and value of the resident collection, but you can get an idea from the photographs.
The facility is open to the public only 3 weekends per year; Father’s Day weekend for the “Wheels & Wings” event, August 21st & 22nd “Race of the Century” where they pit several successive eras of antique aircraft against period automobiles and finally, October 9th & 10th “Battle for the Airfield – WWII Reenactment.
The Collings Foundation owns and operates a fleet of vintage warbirds that you can see at airshows all over the country. They also house a collection of aircraft and notable vintage road and racing automobiles at their headquarters (sorry, none of their BIG planes are here). If you would like to learn more, please visit the Foundation’s website at www.collingsfoundation.org/cf_OpenHouseEvents10.htm.
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