Fly For Foundations
The Rick Mantei Charitable Fund - Ride Flights
Take flight for a cause! For a charitable donation, you too can experience the thrill of flight in a vintage WWII aircraft while giving back to the local community.
The Rick Mantei Charitable Fund brought its Fly For Foundations event to Tri-Cities Airport in Blountville, TN, to raise funds for several local groups, including The Magnolia Project, SMILE Foster Closet, and Frontier Health. The were two aircraft available to take a ride in - A Boeing-Stearman (PT-17) A75L300 Kaydet and a Fairchild (PT-19) M-62A-4 Cornell. Throughout Saturday morning, a steady stream of riders took advantage of the opportunity to experience the joy of flight in a vintage aircraft. The Rick Mantei group was kind enough to allow me access to the ramp area, where I could take a lot of photos of the two aircraft as they came and went with the lucky riders for the experience of a lifetime.
If you get the opportunity to take a ride at a Rick Mantei Charitable Funds Fly For Foundations event, it will be a ride you won’t soon forget. And the money that is raised via these rides will support local community organizations that provide people in the area with desperately needed help.
20Sep25
Friday Arrival Day
I ran by Tri-Cities Airport after work to see the aircraft that had arrived for the Fly For Foundations event on Saturday morning. On the ramp was a Boeing-Stearman (PT-17) A75L300 Kaydet and a Fairchild (PT-19) M-62A-4 Cornell. Both were securely tied down for their overnight stay.
19Sep25
Fairchild (PT-19) M-62A-4 Cornell (lett) and Boeing-Stearman (PT-17) A75L300 Kaydet on the Tri-Cities Airport ramp.
Fairchild (PT-19) M-62A-4 Cornell.
Boeing-Stearman (PT-17) A75L300 Kaydet.
Fairchild (PT-19) M-62A-4 Cornell.
Boeing-Stearman (PT-17) A75L300 Kaydet.
Fairchild (PT-19) M-62A-4 Cornell.
Boeing-Stearman (PT-17) A75L300 Kaydet.
Fairchild (PT-19) M-62A-4 Cornell.
Fairchild (PT-19) M-62A-4 Cornell.
Boeing-Stearman (PT-17) A75L300 Kaydet.
Boeing-Stearman (PT-17) A75L300 Kaydet.
Boeing-Stearman (PT-17) A75L300 Kaydet.
Fairchild (PT-19) M-62A-4 Cornell.
Fairchild (PT-19) M-62A-4 Cornell (lett) and Boeing-Stearman (PT-17) A75L300 Kaydet on the Tri-Cities Airport ramp.
Saturday Flight Day
When I arrived at Tri-Cities Airport on Saturday morning, both the Boeing-Stearman (PT-17) A75L300 Kaydet and a Fairchild (PT-19) M-62A-4 Cornell had already been busy for over an hour flying passengers. The signup list was long, but definitely worth the wait for a ride in one of these vintage aircraft.
20Sep25
Strapping in the next passenger in the Boeing-Stearman (PT-17) A75L300 Kaydet.
Pointing out the rear view mirror on the bottom of the top wing on the Boeing-Stearman (PT-17) A75L300 Kaydet.
Boeing-Stearman (PT-17) A75L300 Kaydet lining up behind an American Eagle E-175 for takeoff.
Boeing-Stearman (PT-17) A75L300 Kaydet taxis out to take off.
Another rider climbs into the front cockpit for his ride in the Boeing-Stearman (PT-17) A75L300 Kaydet.
Fairchild (PT-19) M-62A-4 Cornell taxis in after completion of its ride flight.
Fairchild (PT-19) M-62A-4 Cornell coming in to land at Tri-Cities Airport.
Fairchild (PT-19) M-62A-4 Cornell on the roll out as it lands at Tri-Cities Airport.
Rider being strapped into the Fairchild (PT-19) M-62A-4 Cornell.
Fairchild (PT-19) M-62A-4 Cornell completing another exciting ride flight.
Fairchild (PT-19) M-62A-4 Cornell landing at Tri-Cities Airport.
Boeing-Stearman (PT-17) A75L300 Kaydet taking off on another ride flight.
Boeing-Stearman (PT-17) A75L300 Kaydet taxis in after completion of its ride flight.
Boeing-Stearman (PT-17) A75L300 Kaydet taxis in.
Boeing-Stearman (PT-17) A75L300 Kaydet waiting on the ground crew to arrive.
The ground crew was busy with the rider in the Fairchild (PT-19) M-62A-4 Cornell before they would head over to the Boeing-Stearman (PT-17) A75L300 Kaydet.
Ground crew assisting a rider climb out of the front cockpit. The upper wing conveniently has hand holds available to assist with extricating yourself from the cockpit.
Another satisfied rider climbing out of the Boeing-Stearman (PT-17) A75L300 Kaydet.
Fairchild (PT-19) M-62A-4 Cornell preparing to taxi out to the runway,
Strapping in the next lucky rider in the Boeing-Stearman (PT-17) A75L300 Kaydet.
Ground crew gives the pilot the all clear signal as he powers up the PT-17.
Boeing-Stearman (PT-17) A75L300 Kaydet taxis out.
Boeing-Stearman (PT-17) A75L300 Kaydet taxis out to the runway.
Boeing-Stearman (PT-17) A75L300 Kaydet taxis out to the runway.
Boeing-Stearman (PT-17) A75L300 Kaydet on the take off roll.
Fairchild (PT-19) M-62A-4 Cornell coming in to land.
Fairchild (PT-19) M-62A-4 Cornell landing.
Fairchild (PT-19) M-62A-4 Cornell taxis up to the ramp.
Fairchild (PT-19) M-62A-4 Cornell taxis up to the ramp.
Little guy in the back of the Fairchild (PT-19) M-62A-4 Cornell likely has a big smile on his face.
Riders get to wear some leather headgear and cool aviatior glasses.
Another rider cliimbs into the Fairchild (PT-19) M-62A-4 Cornell.
Boeing-Stearman (PT-17) A75L300 Kaydet landing.
Fairchild (PT-19) M-62A-4 Cornell toxis out.
Boeing-Stearman (PT-17) A75L300 Kaydet (foreground) and Fairchild (PT-19) M-62A-4 Cornell both heading to the runway for takeoff.
Time for a break and some TLC on the Boeing-Stearman (PT-17) A75L300 Kaydet.
The pilot gives the Boeing-Stearman (PT-17) A75L300 Kaydet front cockpit a wipe down.
The next rider awaiting his turn to get into the Boeing-Stearman (PT-17) A75L300 Kaydet.
The next rider awaiting his turn to get into the Boeing-Stearman (PT-17) A75L300 Kaydet.