Central Minnesota airplane enthusiasts were treated to a rare sight at the Brainerd Regional Airport beginning yesterday.

The American Barnstormers Tour is currently traveling through the midwest, bringing with it 15 vintage and replica airplanes from the 1920s through the 1940s.

Steve “Spook” Roth is one of these enthusiasts. He flies a rare old plane called a Fairchild 22, built in 1935. He bought it several years ago and has since fully restored it.

Roth says flying with the other pilots from city to city, and seeing them all around him in flight, is one of the best parts of the tour.

A small handful of the planes are even used take tour-goers on open-cockpit flights. These are arranged on a first-come, first-served basis every day beginning at 1p.m.

The pilots don vintage flight gear and are experts on both aviation history and mechanics. They spend the days of the tour educating patrons.

If you’re interested in catching the tour while it’s still in the area, you can – it runs through 6 p.m. on Tuesday before heading out to Eau Claire.

If you can’t, check out this video of WJON (shot by Pete Nyblom) talking with a few of the pilots this weekend.

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