As part of the ceremonies, 5 men were recognized for their impact on local aviation history. A permanent memorial has been built in front of the airport's main building and more names are expected to be added in future years.
Aviation recognition monument at Crossville
Memorial Airport.
Honorees this year include Ken Burnett, Cosby Harrison, W. E. (Bill) Mayberry, Curt Watson and James Whitson, Sr. Boyd Wyatt Sr. was the first recognized at last year's fly-in.
Honoree's names on
the monument.
Ken Burnett was a long time member and chairman of the Crossville Airport Committee before it was disbanded. Burnett became a licensed pilot in 1969 after serving in the Navy during WWII and Korea. Mr. Burnett was very active in Crossville and served on the Cumberland Medical Center and Highland Federal Savings and Loan boards.
Cosby Harrison was a very long time Crossville businessman who started the world recognized Trade A Plane publication that was a national classified service for pilots. Harrison had a plane, the first one in Crossville, that he crashed in 1935 and needed parts to repair it. When he had difficulty finding what he needed, it gave him the idea for the Crossville based publication that he started with his wife on their kitchen table. The explosion of interest in general aviation following WWII with a growth in military trained pilots who still wanted to fly.
W.E. Bill Mayberry, Jr. was a WWII veteran who also served in Korea. Mayberry returned to Crossville and operated Mayberry's Furniture, still open on Main Street. He was very active in the community and was elected mayor at age 28, was active in the Chamber of Commerce and many other local boards. His son James currently serves as Crossville Mayor. Mayberry a licensed pilot and spent 40 years on the Airport Committee.
Curt Watson was a local football standout who went on to be a standout for the UT Vols, played two seasons in the NFL. He then joined the Navy, went to flight school and before his military career was over spent 4 years flying with the world famous Blue Angels. After leaving the Navy Watson continued flying for FedEx. Watson's father, another Crossville mayor Dr. James Watson was also a pilot and Watson and his sister Trish both got the flying bug at the Crossville airport. Watson helped his alma mater CCHS get a jet mascot painted with Blue Angel colors.
James E. Whitson Sr. became the fixed base operator for the Crossville airport in 1960 and he served the local airport for 30+ years. The airport is now known as Whitson Field in his honor. It is estimated that he taught 1000 people to fly, He had well over 15,000 hours of flight time. Whitson had a touch and could bring planes other thought beyond hope back to the sky.
Crossville Mayor James Mayberry, his brother William
Mayberry and former Blue Angel Curt Watson.
Watson and the Mayberry brother's dad were 2 of those
recognized in a morning ceremony.
Dave Kirk at the podium handed out the awards. On the
right are members of the Whitson Family.
The crowd was large, the weather was great and everyone enjoyed looking at the plans and watching the takeoffs and landings.
WWII bomber, a B-25, lands at the fly-in
B-25 attracts a crowd of admirers.
WWII F4U Corsair. The wings fold because the
plane was used on aircraft carriers.
The business end of the F4U Corsair fighter plane
A group of Corvettes was also on display
There was a line waiting to take an airplane ride
around Crossville
Military Transport plane
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