AOPA Fly-In: Maritime Magic

About halfway between New York and Boston, you’ll find a destination with deep maritime roots and more to see and do than you can fit into a single weekend visit. You’ll probably want to visit Groton, Connecticut—the site of AOPA’s third Fly-In of 2017, October 6 and 7—more than once. Local pilots, aviation service providers, and other members of the Groton New London Airport community hope it becomes a habit.

The last surviving wooden whaleship in the world is moored just down the road at Mystic Seaport. The first nuclear-powered submarine in the world can be toured at the Submarine Force Museum, on the grounds of the U.S. Navy’s first submarine base. Mystic Aquarium is among the region’s top family destinations for fun and learning, offering rare opportunities for close encounters with seals, penguins, and whales.

For landlubbers in the group, there are two world-class resort casinos nearby, restaurants, shopping, and 18 holes of golf at a public course that dates to 1898.

“There’s so many things to do around here,” said Franz Edson, a local pilot who has flown out of Groton for 15 years. Edson retired from Electric Boat three years ago, and has since worked to build a disparate group of local pilots and aviation service providers into a community. He began by organizing an open hangar party, a cookout with a tent, and tours of the T-hangars. People got to know each other, and Edson soon got to thinking about inviting fellow AOPA pilots to visit and find out firsthand what the airport, and the region, have to offer.

AOPA Fly-Ins this year feature two days of fun and learning. Friday seminars at the AOPA Fly-In at Groton, presented by Columbia Aircraft Sales, include an in-depth look at overwater and mountain flying, an IFR refresher, a guide to incorporating nonpilot companions into your aviation adventures, and a hands-on seminar on owner-guided maintenance. The all-day Friday workshops are $105 for AOPA members, $155 for nonmembers, and $75 for spouses.

Saturday activities include free seminars, dozens of exhibits and display aircraft, and a Pilot Town Hall with AOPA President Mark Baker. There’s so much more to an AOPA Fly-In; see what the aviation community is buzzing about (www.aopa.org/kgon17).