For the third consecutive year the owners of Piper Cherokee airplanes will be flying their aircraft into Grand Glaize airport in Mid-Missouri. Osage Beach city staff and members of the flying community are gearing up for the fly-in which is scheduled for June 16, 17 and 18. Last year over a 100 aircraft landed at Grand Glaize filled with families anxiously anticipating a weekend of fun at Tan-Tar-A Resort at the Lake of the Ozarks.

"What turns this year's event into a major aviation happening is that Phil Boyer, the President of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, will be the keynote speaker at the Saturday night banquet" said Carolyn Morris, a member of Missouri's State Aviation Advisory Committee.

"Boyer leads the largest and one of the most influential civil aviation organizations in the world with over 450,000 members representing more than two-thirds of all certificated pilots in the United States. To have Phil Boyer (pictured below) speak at an aviation event at the lake is a real coup for the Piper Cherokee owners and a decided bonus for any pilot who wants to hear what he has to say about the state of General Aviation today," she said.

While the fly-in is officially scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, many pilots are planning to extend their stay by arriving on Thursday and not departing until Monday, with some even staying longer for a family vacation. A full weekend of activities are planned beginning with a "hangar party" barbecue Friday evening hosted by the Lake of the Ozarks Chapter of the Missouri Pilots Association. Seminars focusing on aviation maintenance and safety are conducted all day Saturday and well-over 20 exhibitors will be displaying their products.

While all this is happening at Tan-Tar-A, many pilots will be spending some time at the airport looking at one another's airplanes - inspecting the new paint job or seeing their buddy's new GPS. In addition, all the Piper Cherokee aircraft are judged Saturday with category awards being presented Saturday evening at the banquet. On Sunday morning departing pilots will be treated to a continental breakfast in the terminal compliments of the Friends of Grand Glaize Airport.

"This is truly an aviation-related community happening" said Airport Manager, Phil Phillips. "We have volunteers from City Staff, the Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, pilots, and residents who just want to make sure that this event runs smoothly. This airport's location makes it an ideal destination for fly-ins. Last year we had pilots from as far away as New Jersey and the state of Washington who flew into Grand Glaize," he said.

FMI: www.CherokeeFlyIn.com