Airplane and car enthusiasts, rev your engines, check your vectors and grab a hot dog. The fifth annual Clovis Municipal Airport Fly-In is landing on May 9 at the Clovis airport, weather permitting.
The event will begin for the public at 9 a.m., and admission is free, according to event organizer Carlos Arias. If you have a car or plane you want to show, a safety briefing will be held at 8 a.m. There is no cost to show your car or plane, Arias said.
According to Arias, planes of all shapes and sizes have been on display in the past, ranging from PC12s to Cesna 150s. Even a Vietnam-era Cessna O-2 Skymaster, which was nicknamed “The Duck,” and “Oscar Deuce,” may make an appearance this year, Arias said.
“It’s the only one,” Arias said. “One airman here owns it. He’s a military pilot that wanted to buy his own plane, so he bought a military Warbird to have a cool plane.”
The event, Arias said, was started to promote the local airport and general aviation. Their efforts have proved successful, he said, and the airport now has a pilot’s association.
“We’ve started regaining more activity out here,” Arias said. “More people own planes here than you’d think.”
While no air show is guaranteed to happen, Arias said, the event is more of a gathering. There will also be two contests among pilots that want to participate: a flour-bombing and spot-landing contest.
“Folks will fly over and drop a small sack of flower on a target,” Arias said. “(For the spot landing contest), folks will see how close they are to landing on the runway. Everyone kind of gets together and participate in general aviation.”
Mark Myers, a frequent participant with the fly-ins, won the flour-bombing contest last year.
“You have to adjust for wind, but it’s all for fun anyhow,” Myers said. “We all like to win, but it’s all for fun and entertainment.”
Myers said the fly-ins are for everyone to come out and enjoy the airport, regardless of flying experience.
“It’s good, cheap entertainment,” Myers said. “You don’t have to be a pilot. The bottom line is the airport is owned by the public and there for the public to utilize and enjoy it.”
Since the event is entirely free to the public, Arias said it costs the airport “a substantial amount.” Last year, the airport began receiving sponsors to help fund the fly-ins.
“It (costs) a substantial amount, but every year it’s growing,” Arias said. “Usually we do it on our own, but folks are actually starting to participate.”
http://cnjonline.com/2015/04/25/airport-preps-for-annual-fly-in/