While with Curtiss in Buffalo, N.Y., Mack said he was making $160 per week, working overtime, sometimes 72 hours a week.
"In two weeks, I went out and bought a new Mercury," Mack said.
Growing up in Hagerstown, Mack recalled a monoplane crash at the old fairgrounds off Mulberry Street.
"I never did see what happened to the (pilot) ... my dad didn't want me to see it," he said. "He dragged me away real quick."
That curiosity was something fly-in organizers hoped to instill among young people, who have the opportunity to take a free flight as part of events at the airport.
The annual fly-in and reunion is designed to bring together former Fairchild employees, members of the aviation community and the general public with an interest in aviation and its extensive local history.
Tom Riford, president and chief executive officer of the Hagerstown-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the legacy of Fairchild Aircraft, once an employer of more than 10,000 people in Washington County, is substantial.
"It meant a lot to this community," Riford said. "When Fairchild closed, it was very tough for all of Western Maryland."
Riford touted efforts by members of the Hagerstown Aviation Museum and other supporters to build a permanent facility to display Fairchild-produced planes, "instead of one weekend a year."
Since last year's fly-in, four planes have been donated to the museum and now is the largest collection of aircraft in Maryland without a permanent home.
Riford said state officials are "very interested" in the project as efforts to raise money for a site near Citicorp are moving forward.
More information about the Hagerstown Aviation Museum is available at www.hagerstownaviationmuseum.org.
If you go
What: Hagerstown Fly-In and Fairchild Family Reunion
When: Today, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Hagerstown Aircraft Services at Hagerstown Regional Airport
ยท More information about the Hagerstown Aviation Museum is available at www.hagerstownaviationmuseum.org.
