Press Release

STOW-BOXBOROUGH, MASS. – - Minute Man Air Field will hold an open house on Saturday, July 11^th to celebrate 40 years of service to the greater Stow-Boxborough region.  Minute Man is dedicated to providing service to the regional Economy, the local Community and the immediate Environment thru its support of local businesses, safety programs, educational and community outreach and environmental stewardship.   Located off Boxboro Road in both Stow and Boxborough, the celebration will run from 9 am to 3 pm and will include free airplane rides for children age 8 – 17 in the morning provided by the EAA Chapter 196 ‘Young Eagles’ program and free birthday cake and ice cream starting at noon.  Colorful hot-air balloons will launch early in the morning and late in the afternoon, weather permitting.  Throughout the day there will be radio controlled aircraft flight demonstrations and displays of unique aircraft for all to enjoy.  Airport tenants and organizations that use the airport will open their doors and be on hand to explain the role they play in providing vital aviation services to the public.  The airport will provide tours of its facilities, including its most recent safety improvements. Additionally, it will display its future safety plans as well as historic photos that capture the personality of the airport.  Also of note, the New England Air and Space Museum will have a display on the walls of Nancy’s Air Field Café throughout the month of July.

Started as a 1700’ grass landing strip known as Erikson Field in 1963 by local pilots, the airport was purchased by Paul McPherson in 1966.  Paul and his son, Don, paved the extended 2000’ runway, added a parallel taxiway, tie-downs for 50 planes and constructed the Operations Building.  The airfield was re-opened as Minute Man Air Field on July 1, 1969.  Over the decades as the region grew, so did the airport.  Hangars were built, a second ‘cross-wind’ runway was constructed, aircraft parking aprons were added, and 100 acres of open space was added to the field’s land inventory to provide a buffer from encroaching new homes.  Minute Man now has a 2800’ paved-lighted-instrumented runway and a 1600’ gravel-visual runway and is proud to be known as “Your 24 hour, All-Weather, Public Use Airport”.  The airfield is home to 60 based aircraft including 3 helicopters stored in four hangars and on tie-downs along the taxi-ways and aprons.  In addition to Nancy’s Air Field Café, reputed as a fly and drive destination for fine food and friendly service, the airport is home to several businesses including, Aircraft Services of New England, LLC (aircraft maintenance), TJ Aviation Flight Academy (flight training and aircraft rentals), Harvard Helicopters, LLC (flight training, site seeing, and photography),  Enflight (aviation software), Really Painting (home painting and cleaning), and CSD Corporation (equipment and services to the printing industry).  The airfield is also used by local businesses such as Raytheon, Netezza, and QC Avionix.  Minuteman serves as the point of origination for numerous Angel Flights each month and its local EAA chapter hosts Young Eagle Flight Rallies on the second Saturday of each month.  It is used by Med Flight of Boston for both night vision training and as a pick-up point and was the only airport in New England opened for use by FEMA during 9/11.  Minuteman also serves as a tourist destination for apple pickers, golfers and tourists and as a gateway for folks visiting families and friends throughout the region.

Approximately 130 acres associated with Minute Man, once slated to be yet another subdivision, have been preserved as open space and converted back to both farming and rare shrub-scrub-grassland habitats providing homes for all kinds of wild life including, Blue Birds, Tree and Barn Swallows, Killdeer, Whippoorwills, Bobolinks, deer, coyotes, fox, muskrats, snakes and turtles.

All are welcome on July 11^th to come and have a little fun, learn about the role Minute Man plays in providing service to the regional Economy, the local Community, and Environment and have some birthday cake and ice cream with us!