Prose: Richard Souza
Photography: Richard Souza, Ryan Kelly, James Woodard, Ryan Tykosh

The dust has long settled, and the autumn leaves have since decayed. Winter came and went as spring started to show the air of its grace. As the ground defrosts, so did my hibernated thoughts of a weekend in September. These well masticated and digested thoughts woke as the ground beneath my feet thawed. 

The scene is that usual place. That one spot I go when I feel the world is closing in. It’s the Golden Treasure, the Field of Dreams. It is where the wind flows past the wires and makes a sweet sound of music. The mountains have not changed, and the Pennsylvania sky is just waiting for the opportunity to display a majestic colored sunset. It’s that place where the surroundings are as much of the charm as the vintage aircraft that still inhabit the skies. 

It was the beginning of a September weekend. The regular cast were preparing for Golden Age Air Museum’s much anticipated Flying Circus Airshow. Unlike previous years, this edition had extra sprinkle on the proverbial icing. Billed as The Fokker Scourge, this event, while organized by Knights of the Sky, was hosted by GAAM and took place during the weekend of the Flying Circus Airshow. Much was talked and written about the Scourge. For the first time since the end of the Great War, three original rotary engines, mounted on replica Fokker Dr.I Triplanes, would fly together. Friday was dedicated to the Fokkers and if you were lucky enough to be there, you were able to witness what experts say was a historic event.

The multicolored Fokkers tingled the visual sensations. Those colors blended perfectly with the Sopwith Pups from Golden Age and The Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome. The 7/8 scaled Nieuports (owned by Rick Bennett and Tom Martin) gave this event a true World War One feel. Despite the ongoing preparations, the day was calm, and the field was quiet and relaxing. As the clock ticked, the sun packed its bags and began its slow descent. The real star of the show was about to emerge. The three rotary engine Fokkers took to the sky and waited patiently for the “star” to put on the performance of a lifetime. When the minute hand struck the golden hour, the Fokkers lined up wing tip to wing tip and cruised down the field. The Fokkers were a mere outline and the lighting DeMillesque. With the stroke of the sunset, mother nature made this image greater than life.

On show day, the Zulumobile found itself in an adjacent field far from its usual spot. It was seven inches from the midday sun and the crowds already had exceeded expectations. Overflow is not something a photographer desires. But this is Golden Age; crowds are not only allowed… they are welcomed. Everyone came for a much-loved Flying Circus Air Show. Cast changes and the prying eyes of the FAA made everyone apprehensive. The pre-show jitters were evident. With lawn chairs and blankets in hand, the crowds shuffled in. In costume, the cast waited patiently for their cue. With the squelch of a microphone, the curtain was raised. After a three-year hiatus… it was showtime!

I had to stop for few minutes to look around and take it all in. There was somewhat of a different vibe, like an extra amount of pixie dust in the air. The house was packed like it had never been before. On blankets, in chairs or standing, the smiling spectators knew what was coming but didn’t know what to expect. The Show is the show. It’s simple, entertaining, and fun. Neil Diamond said it best, “Well except for the names and a few other changes…if you talk about me (this place) the story is the same one”. One may want to say that the presence of a few extra Fokkers added depth to the crowd line. That would hardly be accurate. 

I am certain that some came to see the three-winged beauties, but I can assure you that old timers like Wayne and Don would be there, just as Statler and Waldorf were every time the Muppets put on their makeup. Aviation journalist A. Kevin Grantham came to Golden Age to cover the Fokker Scourge. Kevin had never seen the Flying Circus Airshow. As the last plane landed and the obligatory cast photo was taken, I looked to Kevin and asked what he thought. He responded, “Whatever the formula is, they [Golden Age] should bottle it”.

It wasn’t the Fokkers, or the Sopwiths or any one aircraft that filled the lots. The spectators came for the Pauls, the Mikes, the Andrews and the Neils. The spectators came for every one of the performers and volunteers that put this show together and pulled it off without missing a beat.

The great film director Cecil B. DeMille once told a celluloid story about a circus manager, a ring master, an aerialist, and a mysterious clown named Buttons. Paul Dougherty may not have the biblical voice of Charlton Heston but when it is all said and done, this is still, by far, The Greatest Show on Earth.