Pumpkins will soar thousands of feet through the air behind the National Museum of the United States Air Force next Saturday, as Wright-Patterson Air Force Base hosts the 22nd annual Pumpkin Chuck. The free, family-friendly event runs from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 24 and is open to all base personnel and the general public.
According to Dayton Daily News, the event is a STEM showcase organized by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center's Engineering Directorate, a component of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC). AFLCMC manages the full life cycle of Air Force aircraft, munitions, and electronics and has roughly 30,000 military, civilian, and contractor personnel. The competition features three classes of pumpkin-launching machines, ranging from novice-friendly, human-powered Class C contraptions to the heavy-hitting Class A throwers.
How Far Can These Machines Really Throw a Pumpkin?
Class A machines are the headliners, launching 8- to 10-pound pumpkins more than 3,000 feet downrange, per the Dayton Daily News report. Class B machines are built for mid-range launches of 2-pound squashes, while Class C rigs are human-powered and designed for first-timers — teams can even sign up onsite to compete in Class C without bringing a pre-built device, the Dayton Daily News reports.
The local pedigree behind these machines runs deep. Team ETHOS, a Dayton-area pumpkin-launching squad whose members are mostly associated with Wright-Patterson AFB, set a world record in the torsion catapult class by launching a pumpkin 3,792 feet, according to Team ETHOS. Separately, the team describes The Phoenix as a rope-torsion onager based on the ancient Greek concept of torsion. The team's work uses modern materials, experimental methods, and advanced analysis.
A Field Test Disguised as a Festival
For Air Force Research Laboratory engineers, the Pumpkin Chuck doubles as a practical research opportunity. Materials engineers use the annual launch to test scaled applications of composite mechanics and data acquisition systems outside the lab, according to Wright-Patterson AFB. Sensors installed on catapult frames calculate stress, force, and projectile velocity, turning a crowd-pleasing festival into a live engineering experiment.
The launches take place along a former airfield runway beside the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. The AFLCMC Engineering Directorate marked the event's 20th anniversary in 2024 at that same airfield location, per DVIDS.
Full Schedule for Pumpkin Chuck Day
The day kicks off with food available at 11 a.m., followed by the national anthem at 11:15 a.m. and opening remarks alongside the first Class A launch at 11:20 a.m., according to the Dayton Daily News schedule. A second Class B launch follows at 11:30 a.m. Things pause around 1:30 p.m. for a cease fire, a pie-eating contest, and a machine tour, before a third Class C launch at 2 p.m.
A final cease fire and results tally happen at 3:15 p.m., with awards wrapping up the event at 3:30 p.m. Beyond the launches, organizers are offering music, food trucks, local and Combined Federal Campaign vendors, and appearances from local competitive robotics teams, the Dayton Daily News reports. Kids can try hands-on straw rocket building and flights, or head to the STEM area to learn about machine physics and calculate expected ranges and speeds.
Fundraising Ties and How to Get There
The event also serves as a public showcase for the Combined Federal Campaign. That fundraising mission sits alongside the event's entertainment offerings.
Spectators heading to the event should enter through the Spinning Road Gate at the intersection of Spinning and Airway roads, per the Dayton Daily News. Admission for the public remains free, though launcher teams pay registration fees to compete, according to an Instagram post from stem_do
. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base contributed the event photograph accompanying coverage of this year's Pumpkin Chuck.
