Nearly two years after Hurricane Helene left Shiflet Field under as much as 12 feet of floodwater, aircraft, classic cars and visitors will gather at the historic Marion airfield for a much happier occasion.
The 2nd Annual Shiflet Field Fly-In & Drive-In returns Oct. 17, with aircraft displays, classic cars, live music, food trucks and family activities. The free event, hosted by Carolina Aviators Network and the Guns Garin Memorial Foundation, also celebrates the recovery of an airfield that became an unexpected lifeline in the days following Helene.
Located about three miles north of downtown Marion, Shiflet Field has been open to the public since 1937, although organizers trace its beginnings as a private airstrip to 1928. Its 3,340-foot grass runway has long served private pilots and aviation enthusiasts in McDowell County.
From Flooded Airfield to Relief Hub
Hurricane Helene brought devastating flooding to Shiflet Field in September 2024. Water from the Catawba River submerged the property under 10 to 12 feet of water, damaging aircraft, hangars and other property and leaving the grass runway saturated.
But the airfield soon took on another role.
As flooding and damaged roads made it difficult to reach some Western North Carolina communities, volunteer pilots flying STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) aircraft began bringing supplies into Shiflet Field. Equipped with oversized tires that allowed them to operate on the muddy grass runway, the aircraft delivered food, drinking water, medical supplies, baby formula and communications equipment.
Volunteers on the ground unloaded the supplies for distribution to nearby communities, while members of the Shiflet Field community and volunteers from Carolina Aviators Network and the Guns Garin Memorial Foundation began the work of clearing and restoring the airfield.
Shiflet Field has since reopened, and last year's inaugural Fly-In & Drive-In drew more than 300 people and about 40 aircraft.
Planes, Classic Cars and More
This year's event expands both the aviation and automotive sides of the gathering.
Aviation attractions are expected to include warbirds, helicopters, static aircraft displays and a helicopter flight simulator.
Visitors can check out an expanded classic car showcase along with fire trucks, EMS vehicles and heavy equipment.
Live music and family activities will continue throughout the event, with a scavenger hunt, paper airplane and airplane-design contests, coloring activities and yard games. Local aviation organizations and artisan vendors will also be on hand.
And come hungry. Food vendors scheduled to participate include AeroBrew Coffee, GoGo's Cinnamon Rolls, Cousins Maine Lobster, a taco truck and slushie vendors, with additional food vendors expected.
Organizers anticipate an even larger turnout this year as the Fly-In & Drive-In continues to grow. Raffles, donations and other support raised through the event will help support the long-term sustainability of Shiflet Field and future community aviation events.
For visitors, the Fly-In offers a chance to see aircraft and classic cars up close, meet members of the local aviation community and spend an October day at a working grass airfield with nearly nine decades of public-use history.
And for Shiflet Field, it's another chapter in a much longer story: one that stretches from the early days of aviation in McDowell County through Hurricane Helene and into the airfield's future.
