In this edition of Sketchbook, Hernz Laguerre Jr. takes us to Red Stewart Airfield in Waynesville, Ohio, where the sky becomes a canvas for breathtaking aerial artistry.
Pilots like Emerson Stewart, whose grandfather founded the airfield in 1946, carry on a legacy of flight using vintage planes to perform skywriting—a technique where smoke trails form shapes and patterns midair. This blend of physics, precision, and creativity turns flight into visual storytelling.
Every Labor Day weekend, the airfield hosts an airshow that draws crowds to witness loops, rolls, and choreographed routines from seasoned pilots like Robert Tico Lacerda and Brett Hunter. For them, flying isn’t just transportation—it’s performance art meant to inspire awe and spark dreams in future aviators.
Despite the evolution of aircraft and techniques, the heart of Red Stewart remains unchanged: passionate people, classic planes, and the endless possibilities of the open sky.
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