Includes Fly-Around

The Israel Association of General Aviation, the IAGA, is organizing the Israel Fly-In 2004; in which the Association will host a delegation of pilots and airplanes in a fly-over around Israel, from May 13 through May 17.
Participating will be dozens of light planes, and guests from abroad, among them pilots from Greece, Germany, Belgium, and the U.S. - who will fly in from and land at Haifa airport.
During their visit in Israel, the guests will fly their planes in the skies of Israel, accompanied by Israeli planes flown by IAGA pilots. They will compete in air navigation competitions, and will take trips around the Golan Heights, the Galilee, Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, and the Negev. The visit is being held with the blessing of the Israel Airports Authority, the Civil Flight Administration, the Israel Air Force, and the Israel Tourism Ministry.
Because of the unique nature of the visit, and because of the importance of such a visit at these times, your correspondents are invited to cover the events of the Israel Fly-In.
Following is an updated timetable of the events of the visit:

• Thursday May 13, 2004 

Beginning 15:00 Landing of guest planes at Haifa airport
20:00 Festive dinner, Nof Hotel, Haifa

• Friday May 14, 2004 

Beginning 08:00 Briefing towards navigation competition and airplanes takeoff for Pik landing field, Golan Heights Briefing and takeoff from Haifa airport
Beginning 10:00 Landing of planes at Pik airfield, Golan Heights
11:00 Leave for bus tour around the Sea of Galilee
Beginning 15:00 Briefing in advance of navigating competition to Masada. Planes take off for flight to Masada from Pik airfield along the Jordan Valley
17:00 Planes land at Masada airfield. Reception and welcome, with the participation of Tamar Regional Council chairman

• Saturday May 15, 2004 

08:00 Guests depart for guided tour of Masada and the Dead Sea region
Beginning 12:00 IAGA members land at Masada airfield. IAGA members take children of the region up in their planes.
15:00 Briefing in advance of competition. Planes take off for competition in navigating in the skies of the Negev, navigating and landing at Sde Dov
21:00 Night tour of Old City of Jaffa

• Sunday May 16, 2004

20:30 Festive dinner to celebrate end of fly-over, Metropolitan Hotel, Tel Aviv

• Monday May 17, 2004 

09:00 Guests leave, flying their planes back home to their home countries 

(Correspondent Dave Bender contributed to this report from Jerusalem)

FMI: nitsani@tourism.gov.il