First event of 2015 resounding success
Some 2,600 attendees and more than 300 airplanes descended on Salinas Municipal Airport in central California for the first AOPA Fly-In of the year May 16.
More than 750 people came in Friday night for a screening of the new film, Living in the Age of Airplanes, by pilot Brian J. Terwilliger. The movie was part of the inaugural Barnstormers Party.
A pancake-and-sausage breakfast awaited attendees Saturday morning and nearly 90 Rusty Pilots attended their own special breakfast, which reintroduced them to the flying world they love. Since its inception one year ago, the AOPA Rusty Pilot Program has seen more than 3,600 pilots start their journey to return to the skies.
Rusty Pilots, third class medical reform, ADS-B, and drones were on the minds of attendees, who—after enjoying a display of more than 80 exhibitor booths and aircraft, educational seminars by aviation experts, and an aerobatic demonstration by Yuichi Takagi—attended the Pilot Town Hall by AOPA President Mark Baker.
Of third class medical reform, Baker strongly voiced his frustration with government delays and stated, “I believe the president will sign it [the Pilots Bill of Rights 2] if it gets on his desk.
“It always seems like someone is trying to put us out of business,” Baker said. “Our biggest issue is getting people into aviation. But there is no place like the United States for GA.”
2015 AOPA Fly-Ins
Salinas Municipal Airport
(SNS)—May 16, 2015
Frederick Municipal Airport
(FDK)—June 6, 2015
Anoka County-Blaine Airport
(ANE)—August 22, 2015
Colorado Springs Municipal Airport
(COS)—september 26, 2015
Tullahoma Regional Airport
(THA)—October 10, 2015
By the numbers
2,665 Attendees
330 Aircraft
1,500 Lunches served
36 Display aircraft 60 Exhibitors
6 Exhibit trailers
624 Breakfasts served
763 Barnstormers Party
87 Rusty Pilots
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