Blast from Your Past: They Still Make Balsa Wood Flyers

Remember balsa wood airplanes?  They were flimsy but tons of fun if you could get them built without breaking them!  My brother and I used to buy these at a penny candy store at the beach where we spent our Summers and fly them on the beach (softer landing zone!) in the early evening.  They were like a $1.99 back then and they’re not much more now.  The ones I grew up flying - made by Gillow’s are still made in Wakefield, Mass and are exactly the same as the ones you played with.  I found the one pictured here at a local toy store by the register.

With Summer just around the corner and the promise of more daylight playtime in the backyard before and after dinner, consider picking up a few…dozen.  That way, you don’t need to share with the kiddies (they’re hard to put down)!