Super weekend: Fly-in Saturday at Friday Harbor Airport, part of port’s 60th anniversary | July 24

Friday Harbor Airport’s Fly-In and Open House is July 24, beginning at 8 a.m. The event is part of the Friday Harbor Port District’s 60th anniversary. It’s also the airport’s 25th year under port ownership and management.

July 23, 2010 3:27 pm
Naval Air Station Whidbey Island search and rescue air crewmen are hoisted into an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter during jump qualifications at Campbell Lake in Anacortes.
Naval Air Station Whidbey Island search and rescue air crewmen are hoisted into an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter during jump qualifications at Campbell Lake in Anacortes.

Friday Harbor Airport’s Fly-In and Open House is July 24, beginning at 8 a.m.

The event is part of the Friday Harbor Port District’s 60th anniversary. It’s also the airport’s 25th year under port ownership and management.

The day starts at 8 a.m. with a two-hour pancake breakfast at the Experimental Aircraft Association hangar.

At 11 a.m., the Blackjack Squadron will do a flyover and arrival.

At noon, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island will do a search and rescue demonstration.

At 1 p.m., the Henry James Blues Band fires up at Island Air’s hangar.

At 3 p.m., there will be a paper airplane contest for children of all ages.

Midday fare includes fish tacos and bratwurst in front of the airport tower.

Pilots have the option of two FAA seminars (10 a.m. and 2 p.m.) at Westwind Aviation.

All-day events include classic aircraft, aviation videos, a working flight simulator, model airplane displays, and an Experimental Aviation Association exhibit. Aviation authors and organizations will be on hand.

Fans of classic aircraft will see a 1929 Travel Air biplane, a 1940s-era Howard DGA15P, an early 1940s DH82 Tiger Moth, a 1942 Piper J-5, a 1951 De Havilland HDC-1 Chipmunk, a Great Lakes biplane, a Hatz home-built, a twin-engine ultralight AirCam, and others.

Airport manager David Ryan is encouraging pilots from around the Northwest, as well as island residents and visitors, to participate in the celebration of the airport’s 25th birthday.

The only way for visitors to spend money will be food and memorabilia. Everything else is free, including admission, entertainment, parking and shuttle.

Friday Harbor Airport is one of the busiest airports in Washington state, with more than 12,000 airline passengers each year, as well as visits from thousands of private aircraft.

It’s also an important economic engine for San Juan Island. According to the Washington state Department of Transportation’s current airport impact report, Friday Harbor Airport’s tenants, employees and visitors contribute millions of dollars to the local economy each year.