Airport Fly-In fosters interest in aviation
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Pilot Mike Kuefler usually operates the radio to bring airplanes in and out of the airport during the annual pancake breakfast fly-in, but this year, he volunteered to help with the Young Eagles flights on Sunday.
“Taking the kids up in an airplane is the most important thing,” he said. “It’s what this event is about.”
Pilot Bud Radtke took kids through “ground school” before they went on a Young Eagles flight. The kids were instructed to never touch the propeller for safety reasons.
“A lot of the kids are apprehensive about flying when they come in,” he said. “Then they fly and a lot of them can’t wipe the grin off their faces.”
This was the third flight Lisa Costilla, 14, has taken over the years. She said she got a bit nervous when Nic Frost, 10, got to fly the airplane.
“I thought we were going to die, but we didn’t,” she said jokingly. “He did okay.”
Trevor Acevedo, 11, flew with the group of three for the first time. His smile explained what he thought of the flight as he climbed out of the airplane saying “it was cool.”
Izavel Evans, 9, knew what to expect as she got ready to fly with her group. This is her second flight.
“You get to see everything when you are up there,” she said of the flight that circles over the town and around the edge of the mountains.
Jessie Girsch, 15, volunteered to help at the event. He explained that he took a quick course in hand signaling airplanes that morning to help pilots maneuver into parking spaces at the airport. He guessed that he had brought in about 20 airplanes before he ran off to signal another one in as it landed.
Deputy Sheriff Nathan White was at the event in his uniform, mingling with the crowd. He listened to the Advanced Life Support and Emergency Rescue Team crew in front of their Pilatus air ambulance explain how they transport people to hospitals during emergencies. White is a pilot so enjoyed seeing all the airplanes. MedStar also parked their helicopter at the event.
The fly-in started at 8 a.m. and within an hour about 300 huckleberry and plain pancakes were served. Volunteer Steve Allard guessed that about 600 pancakes were served by the end of the event, which was about one per person.
“This event is becoming a tradition, and we get more people every year,” he said. “It’s the last get together of the Good Old Days weekend.”
