Fourth annual fly-in final update
Fourth annual fly-in set to deliver day of fun for all
Event to feature variety of
aircraft, plane/helicopter rides,
race cars, free youth flights, 'Kids Zone,' Ham Radio demos
By Rick Bondurant
GM/Curator, NCAM
Instead, they should be EXCITED!
For
you see, the cause of all that commotion won't be an enemy invasion, but rather
"friendly fire," as in the "firing-up" of aircraft
engines all across the state in support of the "North Carolina Aviation
Museum's Fourth Annual Fly-In."
By far the most important fund-raiser of the year for the non-profit
organization, the event will be conducted June 5, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., in and
around the NCAM, located adjacent to the
For
the third consecutive year, Honda Aircraft Company of
In
2009, around
75 aircraft and 1,500 visitors attended the annual get-together, which is
quickly becoming known as the "
New this year will
be tantalizing, 10-minute rides aboard rotor-wing aircraft. "We welcome
the great folks at Heli-Xpress to our NCAM family," says Volunteer Board
Chairman Bob Coyle. "We think their eye-opening helicopter rides will
provide our fly-in fans with another great option in a day filled with fun and
surprises." The flights will cost only $30 each.
Heli-Xpress is a
company based just outside of
Other attractions
slated for their initial runs at this year's fly-in include a "Kids
Zone" play area and a high-octane exhibit sponsored by the National Auto
Sport Association-Southeast Region. "We're bringing an 18-wheeler PACKED
with a variety of powerful race cars," says Regional Director Jim Pantas.
NASA-SE is a high
performance driving school and amateur racing organization that teaches people
to "drive their vehicles as fast as they want and still maintain full
control," explains Pantas. "We do this in a controlled environment on
race tracks throughout the southeast with classroom teaching, in-car
instructors and even a teen driving survival school." All NASA-SE events
are open to the public.
As for the
all-important aircraft, NCAM officials are expecting about 100 based on the
growth of the fly-in over the last four years. About 40 pilots have expressed
interest so far, but by the end of May that number should grow to at least
double the current figure. Also, many pilots decide to participate at the last
moment and therefore can't give advance notice. This was the case for about 25
of the 75 or so planes at the 2009 event. Pilots should call an NCAM staffer at
336-625-0170 to be added to the fly-in log.
A partial list of hopefuls
for 2010 currently includes: an immaculate 1944 North American SNJ-6 (T-6
"Texan") (CONFIRMED), Navy T-28 "Trojan" (with tail hook)(CONFIRMED), Beechcraft AT-11
"Kansan" and T-34 "Mentor (CONFIRMED)," Cessna L-19
"Bird Dog(CONFIRMED)," Helio Courier (CONFIRMED), Focke-Wulf 149,
as well as a variety of civilian aircraft by Cessna(CONFIRMED), Piper(CONFIRMED), Taylorcraft,
Curtiss, Aeronca, Luscombe and others.
Additionally,
there's a fair chance that the Heli-Xpress "choppers" won't be the
only ones at the June 5 event. Although official confirmation can't be given
until very late in May, National Guard officials currently have the NCAM fly-in
on their radar for the appearance of an AH-64 "Apache." "We are
waiting for officials to determine its availability based on the Guard's
military commitments to other services," says Coyle.
The Experimental
Aircraft Association "Young Eagles" will again be offering free small
plane flights to eligible-aged children with signed permission. The EAA
"Young Eagles" gave free flights to more than 190 youngsters at the
2009 fly-in. Both EAA and NCAM officials are hoping to set a state record at
this year's event!
The "Young
Eagles" program was developed to welcome youth into the world of aviation,
an exciting and vital part of the nation's future! Children will experience an
enjoyable flight that will hopefully give them new perspectives on the world,
and help them realize their potential is unlimited.
There will be a
special lounge set up in Hangar 2 for fly-in pilots where they will receive a
free gift bag and admission to the event. Their passengers will also be
admitted free. Local musician Bernie Hall is scheduled to provide some live
patriotic music in the lounge as well.
Some other early
confirmations include everything from face-painting by the "Young
Marines" to Ham Radio operators talking worldwide. For the hungry fly-in
goer Gilberts Old Fashioned Ice Cream, Farmer Civitans and Mitch's
In addition, some
other attractions on tap include: artists exhibiting a wide variety of aviation
art prints;
According to Amy
Byrd, event coordinator, special "NCAM Fly-In T-Shirts" will be
available for the first time this year at just $10 each. "We're also
setting up a hospitality tent for people to rest, watch and be out of the
sun," she adds.
Hourly raffles will
be conducted throughout the event featuring tickets from Emerald Point Wet'n
Wild and the North Carolina Zoo; a Franklin Mint 1/48-scale P-40
"Warhawk" diecast model from the Bob Moon Museum Store (value $75); a
1/48-scale Mitsubishi Isshikirikko Type 11 plastic model kit courtesy of Kit
Kringle (value $65); a padded travel golf bag and many other valuable items as
well.
Last, but certainly
not least, the fly-in fee also includes admission to one of the state's
up-and-coming historical museums. About 200 new items have been put on display
in the last 18 months, with twice that many getting ready to go on exhibit in
2011-12. The facility has also undergone a major exterior "facelift"
and nearly a complete interior redesign since mid-2008. The
No rain date was
set this year, says Byrd, however, if the event is canceled due to weather the
volunteer board would convene as soon as possible afterward and hopefully
schedule a new date for the fly-in sometime in the near future.
Finally, a
"Fly-In Volunteer Meeting" has been set for June 3 at 6 p.m. in the
Fixed Base Operator building at the
Additional
aircraft, events and vendors will be listed as they become available on the
NCAM website at www.ncairmuseum.org.
For additional information, call an NCAM staffer at 336-625-0170, Monday
through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., or Sundays from 1-5 p.m.
__________________________________
North Carolina Aviation Museum
2222-G Pilots View Road
Asheboro, NC 27205
Phone: (336) 625-0170
Fax: (336) 625-2984
