Aviation pioneer Wilbur Wright once said that the desire to fly is “an idea handed down to us by our ancestors who, in their grueling travels across trackless lands in prehistoric times, looked enviously on the birds soaring freely through space, at full speed, above all obstacles, on the infinite highway of the air.”

Visitors to the First Annual Oktoberbest Soaring Expo got a taste of that freedom on a crisp autumn afternoon at the Wurtsboro Airport on Sunday, October 17.

The event and competition had originally been scheduled for Saturday, but was delayed a day due to unfavorable weather conditions.

“Safety is the biggest factor,” said Daniel Zelek, Wurtsboro Airport owner. “You can’t predict the weather when you plan something months ahead of time, but it worked out pretty well.”

Experienced pilots did not compete on Sunday, but they did perform solo flights, demonstrated how gliders worked and even took some guests for ride alongs.

Guests who took to the skies flew at around 1,500 and 2,000 feet, although experienced pilots can fly much higher. they were treated to stunning views of the fall foliage and surrounding landscape as they glided over the Wurtsboro Ridge State Forest.

Fred Harding, President of the Mamakating Local Development Corporation, referred to the airport as a jewel for the town and a major tourist draw.

“Our role, in accordance with the comprehensive plan, is to help create economic sustainability for the town through development of our tourist industry,” Harding said. “We have the Bashakill, which is eco-tourism, and we believe [the Wurtsboro Airport] is equally important for creating tourism for the town and bringing people who can also visit all of the other businesses in Wurtsboro.”

The Wurtsboro Airport originally opened in 1927, making it one of the oldest continuously operated gliding airports in the United States.

Zelek, who is originally from Poland but has been flying gliders in Wurtsboro for around 15 years, purchased the property in February, 2021.

“I’ve been flying since I was a kid,” Zelek said. “Because it was not a great time [in Poland] during the communist government I decided to immigrate to America.”

Zelek said he watched the airport disintegrate over the years and wanted to do something about it. For a time in 2019, the Town of Mamakating had discussed purchasing the Airport from former owner Shalom Lamm.

“I was waiting to see if someone else was going to buy it but no one was willing,” Zelek said. “I liked the airport, so we thought we would try to preserve it.”

Now Zelek hopes this new chapter for the Wurtsboro Airport will see it continue to grow and carry on its history. He said they’ve purchased new planes and gliders for public flying and education.

“We’re going to continue doing this and hopefully we’ll have a lot of public support,” Zelek said.