The 2008 Fly-In will be August 27 to September 1, 2008, at Antique Airfield (IA27), located between Ottumwa and Albia, Iowa. The theme for 2008 is Air Mail Days, and we'll have a number of craft that flew the mail along with a re-enactment of a portion of the route from Ottumwa to Iowa City. Come join us!
If you've never been to the fly-in, here's a First Timer's Guide to the Blakesburg fly-in.
Rob Bach recently wrote an article about Blakesburg dreams in the depths of winter. Good to read on those cold rainy days: A Tale of Two Fly-Ins.
Here's the Casa Grande Cactus Fly-In 2008 trip report from Paul Berge, along with photos of 2008 Award Winners.
In addition, our Chapter and Regional Fly-ins occur across the country.
Greg Herrick's Fairchild FC-2 over Antique Airfield
Don't bother looking in the dictionary. You won't find "Fly-in" there. Where you'll find "fly-in" is in the sun of a warm summer day, and in your heart.
A fly-in is a gathering of airplanes and pilots. It's not an airshow - that's for the spectators. A fly-in is about the airplanes, and the pilots who fly them. It's a chance to renew old acquaintances - with pilots - and airplanes - who are old friends.
A fly-in is a chance to step back in time and see the airplanes that carried the mail, barnstormed the midwest, won World War II, or pioneered the airline routes. A fly-in, is. When you go to a fly-in, you see those old friends that you've flown with, or traded outrageous flying stories with - or you meet that aviation legend you read about as a kid.
If you haven't, go to a fly-in. Breath a bit of the air that the barnstormers breathed, and experience the joy of wood covered with taut fabric. Experience new-old sights, and rediscover flying.
Ric Ryburn
National Fly-ins at Blakesburg:
