Road trip: It’s New Year’s Day

A few waste no time testing their resolve. Instead of celebrating late into the night on New Year’s Eve, they pick a destination to ring in the new year aviation-style. One New Year’s Day destination—Nappanee, Indiana—may be calling your name.

Every January 1, pilots eager to celebrate the new year flock to Nappanee Municipal Airport in northern Indiana, where they are greeted by smiling marshalers who help them park on a snowy ramp next to a heated hangar sheltering a festive midwestern brunch. Held for more than 20 years, the “Hangar Over” fly-in is hosted by EAA Chapter 938 and set against a backdrop of Air Tractor AT-802 agplanes that serve the many farms in the area. You may be a cold bird when you arrive, but you’ll depart with a warm contentment fueled by a full stomach and aviation camaraderie. Unfortunately, the fly-in is on hiatus during the pandemic, but it will return in 2022.

Any time of the year, Nappanee is also a convenient location to embark on Elkhart County’s Heritage Trail, a scenic winding loop that takes visitors to welcoming midwestern communities, rural landscapes, and popular local attractions. Fun fact: The county is home to more than 20,000 Amish, a culture that eschews modern technology and embraces tradition and simplicity. The Heritage Trail includes the towns of Nappanee (visit The Barns at Nappanee and enjoy guided tours of Amish Acres Historic Farmstead to learn the whys and ways of the Amish), Elkhart (road warriors will enjoy the RV museum), and Goshen (wander aimlessly among the treasures on display at the Goshen Antique Mall). Each town has its own airport—Elkhart has two—which enables a general aviation pilot to make an aerial loop of the Heritage Trail.

visitelkhartcounty.com

kollin.stagnito@aopa.org