Father and Son Soar over Geneseo Airshow

GENESEO- A father and son aerobatics team made waves on Friday as they flew their two plane flight routine above a pre-show crowd at the Geneseo Warplane Museum.

Andrew and Eric Boyd are carrying forward a Boyd flying tradition of father and son flying teams. Andrew has flown Geneseo’s airshows with his father Tim, 82, for 15 years, and now proudly flies alongside his son Eric. Eric, 21, now plays his father’s old part in the show, spiraling slowly around the lead plane, flying low over spectators. According to Andrew, Eric’s uncanny skill in the cockpit has made him an expert show flier long before most pilots would even begin aerobatics training.

“First you have to train for solo flight, then solo aerobatics,” explained Andrew Boyd. “Then you train for formation flight, and then formation aerobatics. By then, most guys have 2,000 flight hours clocked. Eric, on the other hand, only has only 500 hours.”

The Boyds fly identical Pitts S-2B biplanes with 540 cubic-inch engines. Andrew trains fliers near his home at the Smith Falls-Montegue Airport near Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Friday’s performance sets a high bar for them as they prepare for Saturday’s airshow. They are set to fly at 2:40pm at the Geneseo Warplanes Museum, and again at the same time on Sunday.