Ready for takeoff

More than 2,000 people are expected to attend the Sunday “Air Fair,’’ which will feature aerobatic demonstrations, fly-bys, helicopter rides, raffles, and a helicopter golf ball drop.

It won’t be nearly as big as last weekend’s Boston-Portsmouth Air Show, which drew more than 70,000 fans and featured maneuvers by the Navy’s famed Blue Angels — but organizers hope the Air Fair will raise awareness about aviation and introduce the public to the municipal airport that sits in their backyard.

“People who aren’t involved in aviation might be afraid to go to the airport and ask questions,’’ said Brendan Baldonado, a Plymouth Aero Club member who is organizing the event. “It’s good to have events like this to welcome the community and show what we do.’’

The Plymouth Aero Club members also hope the fair will inspire the next generation of pilots. Proceeds from the event will go toward the Plymouth Aero Club’s scholarship fund; every year, the club awards two $1,500 scholarships to students pursuing careers in aviation.

“Plymouth Airport does a lot of good things for the community,’’ said Baldonado. “People forget that sometimes, because we’re separated by that fence.’’

Located on South Meadow Road in West Plymouth, Plymouth Municipal Airport is an important transportation hub for the region, and is used by many local businesses and even the occasional celebrity (such as Bill Cosby and F. Lee Bailey). It’s also home to Boston Medflight helicopters, the Plymouth County Fire Plane (which is used to fight forest fires), and the Massachusetts State Police Air Wing.

In recent years, however, there’s been some tension between the airport and its neighbors. A proposal to extend the airport’s 3,351-foot and 4,349-foot runways to 5,000 feet came under fire, and plans have since been scaled back. The Plymouth Airport Advisory Group has instead recommended adding 300-foot emergency overruns to both runways, and extending the shorter one by 999 feet. The plan must still be reviewed by the Plymouth Airport Commission, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, and the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Plymouth Aero Club hopes to put that discord behind as it hosts its first air show since the last one, which was called Airport Fun Day, in 2005. The club hosted its first air show at the Plymouth airport in 1973 and has held 16 since then — usually one every other year.

For Baldonado, who joined the club a year ago, bringing back the air show was a top priority. The 25-year-old lives in West Bridgewater and works as a flight instructor at Alpha-1 Flight School, based at the airport.

He said air shows are a great way to introduce people to the world of aviation. The last show, for instance, inspired one local teen, Joshua Burchman, to pursue a career in aviation. Burchman took his first airplane ride at the club’s 2005 event, and then decided to sign up for flight lessons. Burchman then started working for Alpha-1, doing odd jobs around the office, cleaning, making coffee, and warming up aircraft during the cold winter months. He went on to earn his private pilot certificate in 2008, and in June was awarded a $1,500 scholarship from the Plymouth Aero Club. He’s now studying commercial aviation at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., according to Baldonado.

The airport, meanwhile, has an even longer history in town that goes back to 1934, when an apple orchard was cleared to make way for a grassy airfield. In 1942 the Navy purchased the Plymouth airport and used it as an satellite training airfield for pilots at the Squantum Naval Air Station in Quincy.

After World War II, the federal government no longer needed the Plymouth airport and eventually sold it to the town for $1 in 1952.

Today, the airport has two paved runways and several taxiways, and is home to more than 100 aircraft; including jets, helicopters, and numerous four- to 12-seat single- and twin-engine planes.

Various planes will be on display in the fair Sunday, including the Plymouth County “Mosquito Plane’’ and “Fire Plane,’’ Professional Airways jets, and vintage aircraft. Two aerobatic events are scheduled, at 11:30 a.m. and at 2:30 p.m. There will be a helicopter demonstration, showing off maneuvers that are used to lift cranberries out of bogs. Pilot Dan Marcotte will perform various stunts in his “Ultimate Biplane’’ — “parallel rolls, loops, and stuff like that,’’ said Baldonado.

Ryan Rotors Inc., a helicopter company based at Plymouth Airport, will hold a charity golf ball drop to raise money for the local American Legion post, which was damaged by flooding and needs to be renovated. The helicopter will fly over a mock golf course and drop hundreds of golf balls from about 20 feet in the air. Participants can purchase a ball for $5, and, depending on where their ball ends up on the course, could win a prize.

The Plymouth Aero Club will also hold a raffle, and give away prizes like flight lessons and a ride on a vintage World War II bomber. (Anyone who brings a food pantry donation to the Air Fair gets a free raffle ticket.)

This is a comeback of sorts for the Plymouth Aero Club, according to the club’s president, 77-year-old Warren “Smitty’’ Smith, who lives in Plymouth and used to work as manager of the airport. He’s been a member of the Plymouth Aero Club since 1980.

“What we’re trying to do is bring the public in and promote aviation,’’ said Smith. “In some ways we’re also trying to say, hey, we’re not bad neighbors. It’s a chance for people to meet some of the pilots.

“It should be a fun day.’’

The Air Fair will take place Sept. 5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The rain date is Sept. 6. Admission is free, but a $5 parking donation is requested. For more information, visit www.pymairport.org.

Emily Sweeney can be reached at esweeney@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @emilysweeney.