There are many reasons why you will want to be at AOPA’s Chino Fly-In on Sept. 20, at Chino Airport in Chino, California. Here are our top 10.
1. Hours of education. Eight informative seminars, presented by 10 knowledgeable speakers: John and Martha King of King Schools teach you how to avoid unwanted adventure; maintenance expert Mike Busch talks about engine health; Kristine Hartzell of the Air Safety Institute presents“What Went Wrong: Accident Case Study Live”; Dan Dyer, owner of the San Carlos Flight Center, leads “Right Seat Workshop: Radio Communication and Air Traffic Control Demystified”; James Oates from A and E Flying Club, and Ray Stratton of Smoke Eagles Flying Club, discuss starting and managing a flying club; flight instructor and AOPA Pilot columnist Rod Machado speaks on “Thinking Small to Avoid Big Mistakes”; and John Kounis, editor of Pilot Getaways, talks about mountain flying.
2. Two world-class aviation museums on the field! The Planes of Fame Air Museum is offering AOPA members free admission for the day; stop by the AOPA Welcome Tent to claim your free pass. The museum is home to some 100 aircraft, of which 35 are flyable—several, like the Boeing P-26A Peashooter and Northrop N9M flying wing prototype, are the only flying examples of their kind.
3. Flying Tigers Aviation and another world-class facility, Yanks Air Museum, will display the museum’s Lockheed Super Constellation at the base of the Chino Tower. Enjoy a cold beer at the Hangar 24 Beer Garden, delicious “Jamaican-me-Crazy” chicken and ribs, and live entertainment and shade, Friday from 4 to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Yanks is offering specials and discounts on tours and events; stop by Yanks’ booth in the exhibit tent on Saturday for details.
4. More aircraft on static display than at any AOPA Fly-In so far this year.
5. More exhibitors on site than at any AOPA Fly-In so far this year. (If you’re starting to sense a recurring theme here—you’re right.)
6. Twelve unique food trucks on the field, serving lunch beginning at 11 a.m. With names ranging from Bacon Mania to Burger Monster, these trucks will be serving food that ranges from sushi and tacos to pizza and paninis, with a wide variety of vegetarian options. AOPA members, your lunch is free if you RSVP. For everyone else, lunch is $10; buy your lunch ticket at the AOPA Welcome Tent.
7. The inside scoop. AOPA President Mark Baker will present a Pilot Town Hall at 2:45 p.m. Sure, he’s done town halls at the other four AOPA Fly-Ins so far this year—but this one could be the biggest so far this year.
8. Attend AOPA’s first-ever event at an airport that leases property to a sod farm. That’s why the grass looks so good on the Chino Airport.
9. Cold snap! Temperatures will be lower this weekend, with a high of 88 degrees Fahrenheit and clear skies forecast for Saturday.
10. Chino is a gateway to Southern California. Check out our list of 10 things to do in the region. While it’s a great list, it only scratches the surface of all that SoCal has to offer.
Mike Collins
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