WWII aircraft display proposed at Okeechobee airport

Posted 3/24/22

Bryant Culpepper volunteered to spearhead a project to find a World War II area plane to display at the Okeechobee airport.

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WWII aircraft display proposed at Okeechobee airport

Posted

OKEECHOBEE – A military aircraft display has been proposed for the Okeechobee County Airport.

At the March 24 meeting, former commissioner Bryant Culpepper said he has been to a lot of airports and many have static displays. He suggested the Okeechobee County Airport add a display to honor the airport’s military history.

Okeechobee County Airport & Industrial Park Manager Andrew McBean said they would like to find a historically accurate aircraft.

He said Okeechobee County Airport started as Conners Field. It was leased to the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1941 as an auxiliary training field and used by the Hendricks Army Airfield B-17 Flying Fortress training school (near Sebring) during World War II.

A B-17 is a very large aircraft and would not fit easily at the Okeechobee Airport, McBean explained. However two smaller aircraft -- the P-51 Mustang and the  P-38 Lightning -- were also used to accompany the B-17s. He said they would like to find one of those for a display at the Okeechobee County Airport.

 Culpepper volunteered to spearhead the project to find an appropriate aircraft and to seek grant funding to have it transported to and set up at the Okeechobee County Airport.

“I’m going to do the legwork and the research on it,” Culpepper offered.

Kelly Owens said the Economic Development Council has an entry way project in the works for the industrial park. “We probably want to wait until that project is completed so we can get an idea where the best spot would be for that kind of display,” she said.

Chairman Terry Burroughs said they also need to determine the cost to the county, including maintenance costs.

The commissioners gave Culpeper the green light to start working on the project.

Okeechobee, Conners Field, B-17, WW II, Mustang

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