Centennial Air Parade

Las Vegas residents watch the Centennial Air Parade from the top of the parking garage at the Bellagio.

One of the more unusual events marking the Las Vegas Centennial was an air parade featuring more than 20 planes, ranging from warbirds to vintage aircraft. This was the first air parade of this magnitude in the city's history, and it took place May 7, 2005 at 10 a.m. The parade route was over the Las Vegas Strip.

The Centennial Air Parade commemorated two events: the city's 100th birthday and the 85th anniversary of the first passenger flight to Las Vegas.

On May 7, 1920 Randall Henderson, a WWI pilot and barnstormer, took his place as the first person to fly into Las Vegas. Henderson was a newspaper publisher turned aviation pioneer whose flight to Vegas originated in Blythe, California.

Henderson's craft on that day was a wood-and-fabric construction WWI surplus Curtis Jenny JN-4H two-seat pilot trainer that he landed at a desert roadhouse (which later became Downtown Las Vegas) near the Los Angeles Highway (now known as the Las Vegas Strip).

Henderson quickly set up his barnstorming sideshow in a nearby field, offering rides for paying customers. One taker was a Paiute Indian chief who fainted in surprise from the dizzying heights and nearly crashed the plane. The Chief collapsed on his control stick and brought the plane diving toward earth. But the Curtis Jenny was a trainer plane with control sticks in both front and rear cockpits, so Henderson was able to accomplish some intricate maneuvering, free up the controls, and make a safe landing.

The Centennial Air Parade was planned and coordinated by Mark Hall-Patton, the administrator at Clark County's Cannon Aviation Museum at McCarran International Airport. The supporting sponsor for the event was Boyd Gaming Corporation, a leading owner and operator of 18 gaming entertainment properties including the popular Stardust Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

Back to main Virtual Scapbook page

Back to main Virtual Scapbook page