Kansas Associate Vice President (AVP) Troy Hamm reports on the Northeast Kansas Blue Sky Squadron of Berryton, Kansas. The club’s annual Big Bird Fly took place on September 18, 2016.
Forty-five pilots from across the Midwest enjoyed a great day of flying and fellowship. Nearly 100 spectators watched the beautiful airplanes and the great flying.
John Dalton has been the contest director (CD) for the gathering for a decade and, as usual, the event ran perfectly. John’s 1/5-scale Navy SNB-5 was one highlight of the event. Built from Nick Ziroli Plans throughout a three-year period, it is modeled after the Navy SNB-5 that’s on display at the Combat Air Museum in Topeka, Kansas. The 114-inch wingspan twin engine is gorgeous both on the ground and in the air.
Kansas Blue Sky Squadron’s Big Bird Fly.
Wyoming AVP Josh Nelson and I had the opportunity to attend the Flying Cowboys Annual Fly-In in Sheridan, Wyoming. Many pilots have attended this event for years, but this was my first time and I joined roughly 50 others from a five-state area. Parking was two deep and it was standing room only along the flightline that was filled from one end to the other with a variety of airplanes.
This event is known far and wide for the incredible prime rib dinner the club serves on Saturday night and it surpassed my expectations.
Thanks to John Steir, Flying Cowboys president, and to all who made this event such a memorable time. A big thanks to Daisy Straight, Karen Steir, and the prime rib crew. It is no wonder people return again and again. I will be one, and I’m sure Josh Nelson will be because he won the Aeroworks Extra raffle prize.
Steve Blayney, president of the Grand Island Modelers in Nebraska, sent along some notes about his club’s annual Warbirds Over the Platte event.
One highlight of Warbirds Over the Platte was Dave Kelly’s 1/6-scale B-17E. This impressive aircraft has a truly grand history. Its origin goes back to England and builder Richard Rawle, who built it from the same plans he used to build several others as movie models for the The Memphis Belle. It has a 17-foot wingspan, is pulled by four Zenoah G-45 engines, and weighs 120 pounds. Dave is an accomplished pilot who put on a great show for everyone.
This is the fifth year of the Warbirds Over the Platte event. Approximately 40 pilots and 100 airplanes were in attendance this year. There are too many people to thank, but suffice to say that we could not get a project like this into the air safely and efficiently without their help.
