Organizers Expected to Plan for 2005 Event 

Continuing rain at the Dinwiddie County Airport (PTB) and a forecast dominated by the approaching Hurricane Ivan has prompted of the Virginia Council of EAA Chapters to cancel the 2004 Virginia State EAA Fly-In (VAEAA) this weekend (September 18-19) at Dinwiddie County Airport (PTB). This is the second year in a row a hurricane adversely affected the event. Last year, Hurricane Isabel severely curtailed VAEAA’s planned activities and, having learned some hard lessons, fly-in officials decided to pull the plug rather than try to run a potentially unsafe, substandard event. 

Despite projections that Ivan would move further west than originally forecast, officials needed to make their decision today based not only on the weather for the weekend, but for Thursday and Friday for the extensive site set-up time required. Field conditions are poor, and Ivan’s remnants are forecast to be there on Friday and Saturday.

"It wasn’t just the weekend weather we had to look at, but Thursday and Friday as well," said Dee Whittington, head of the fly-in’s public relations and marketing efforts. "We’d have to get ready Thursday and especially Friday, and if it’s raining and blowing, you just can’t set up in that kind of weather. It’s a terrible thing, just terrible."

Virginia also experienced record precipitation in June and July, Whittington said, saturating the grounds throughout most of the summer.

Hoping lightning won’t strike thrice, the Council fully expects to plan for a 2005 Virginia State Fly-in at PTB, probably during the same weekend.

In a statement, the Council thanked the Board and Delegates to the Virginia Council of EAA Chapters, Inc, who spent hundreds of hours and many dollars planning the 2004 fly-in. In addition, the Council extends a heartfelt thanks to the many volunteers who signed up on the web site and were ready to make the fly-in a super success.

The Council also thanks all the vendors, forum presenters, and sponsors whose contributions were instrumental in bringing this major East Coast aviation event close to reality.

FMI: www.vaeaa.org