Photos by Jim Coarse
Text by Richard L. Gaw

From the time Joseph R. Biden was elected as the nation’s 46th President in November of 2020, the U.S. Secret Service has been in frequent contact with Jon Martin, the general manager of the New Garden Flying Field in Toughkenamon. 

The reason is simple: To ensure the safety of the President, the Secret Service has instituted what are known as temporary flight restrictions – TFRs – that go into effect whenever Biden is at his home in Greenville, Del. The restrictions close off all air space within a 10-mile nautical mile radius of Biden’s home and forces the Flying Field to shut down completely. While they are necessary, the TFRs have often come at a moment’s notice, which has made scheduling weekend events at the Flying Field challenging. 

“It takes a year to plan a large-scale event and when you are unable to get a weekend date secured early on, it becomes very difficult to plan an event of this size,” Martin said. “I certainly understand the need to keep the skies over the area safe for the President, and we’ve done everything possible to work with the Secret Service to secure a date, but it is outside of their realm and capabilities for them to do so given the President’s schedule.”

The TFRs have also affected the scheduling of other events at the Flying Field that include the Girls on the Run 5K, Flight School flights and weekend fuel sales for pilots who enjoy flying on Saturdays and Sundays. 

Rather than cancel what has become a New Garden Flying Field tradition of air shows, Martin and his staff had a brilliant idea: Schedule them on weekday afternoons and evenings. In 2022, they hosted an air show on a Tuesday night, and this past June 25 – also on a Tuesday – the Flying Field hosted the Evening of Aviation Air Show, an electric display of aircraft demonstrations, fleets of antique cars and monster trucks, family fun activities, food and craft vendors and live music. 

The event – which was presented by Merrill, a Bank of America Company and other local businesses and corporations – drew an estimated 4,000 visitors and showcased an evening performance by the Sky Elements, the leading drone light show provider in the U.S., whose portfolio includes shows across the country for community events, sports teams, businesses, artists and major brands. 

Soon after the event,  the New Garden Flying Field dedicated a gift in the amount of $2,925 to The Mighty Writers in Avondale, from proceeds generated from the air show.

“The goal for our air shows is to be self-sufficient,” Martin said, “yet their truest value is not so much the event but to get the people out to the Flying Field to introduce them to what we do, not only in the skies but for the community.”

To learn more about the New Garden Flying Field, visit www.newgardenflying field.com.