By By ERIN VER BERKMOES / Niles Daily Star
NILES - A little piece of history is right here in Niles.
After many years of paying to house their 1943 Fairchild PT19 plane at different airports, Richard Martin, of Granger, Ind. and his son Jim Martin of South Bend, Ind. decided they wanted a more permanent home for their aircraft.
The Martins were looking to possibly build their own hangar for their plane but were unable to find a place.
Over the years there was talk of letting people build hangars at the Jerry Tyler Memorial Airport, in Niles.
Finally the Martins received the news they were looking for, through the work of Niles residents and city officials, the Jerry Tyler Memorial Airport would stay open and people would have the opportunity to build their own personal hangers on the property.
Currently the Martins are the only ones who have taken advantage of being able to build their own airport hanger at the Niles airport.
James Martin purchased his 1943 Fairchild PT19 in 1986, from a man at the Winamac, Ind. airport. The plane was used to train Army pilots during World War II.
Jim added, "I wanted to purchase this type of plane because it's an antique and offers a bit of history. I also like this particular plane because it has an open cockpit, which most planes nowadays don't offer."
The Fairchild PT19 was built in February 1943, and is a collector's item. Initially Jim and his friend Ed Hawthorn spent two years working on the plane before it could be flown.
They kept original silver and black color scheme of the plane and focused on the renovation of the mechanics. The plane also doesn't feature a futuristic plane engine. To get the PT19 fired up, it has to be cranked.
Over the years, the plane has been refurbished, with the help of an airplane mechanic. The most recent one took 12 years.
Despite the plane's age the Martins said they don't have too many troubles finding parts to fix the plane when needed.
This weekend the family is getting together with those friends and family as well as those who made the building of the project possible, to thank them.
There is plenty of room at the Jerry Tyler Memorial Airport for others interested in building their own hanger. For more information contact the City of Niles at (269) 683-4700.