Rare Opportunity This Year
Thing are hopping out
in Washington State, as the friendliest fly-in is shaping up for
another great event. The Northwest Regional Northwest Experimental
Aircraft Association Fly-In is getting prepped for a show with
once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for the public.
The 2005 NOTAM is posted, and campers can pre-register on the www.nweaa.org
website. Those arriving by air can camp under their wings for free,
although there is a fee for using the campground. Also this year,
tickets to the 37th annual event can be purchased online.
ANN had already reported that
the Flying Heritage Collection, featuring rare World War I and
World War II planes acquired by investor and philanthropist Paul G.
Allen and restored to flying condition, will display a portion of
its aircraft at the Arlington (WA) 2005 EAA Fly-In on July 6th
-10th.
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, aviation enthusiasts will gain
unprecedented access to the entire collection. Normally, only small
groups are allowed to visit by appointment, and with a $20 fee. At
the fly-in, for no additional cost, tour buses will be leaving
every half hour from 1100 to 1430 to carry aviation enthusiasts to
the museum.
The Flying Heritage Collection's painstakingly restores its
aircraft to a level of authenticity that sets them apart from all
other aviation artifacts. The Flying Heritage Collection team
exhaustively researches and seeks out original vendors to
reconstruct materials and obsolete components. These planes are as
authentic as is possible.
"This is the first time that this collection has ever been on
display like this," said Barbara Tolbert, Northwest EAA Executive
Director.
The Flying Heritage Collection includes a Vickers-Supermarine
Ltd. Mk.VC Spitfire, built in England in 1940, Polikarpov I-16 Type
24 Rata, built in Russia in 1939, Curtiss Wright JN-4D Jenny, built
in the U.S. in 1918, North American Aviation P-51D Mustang, built
in the U.S. in 1945, Polikarpov U-2/PO-2, built in Russia in 1943,
Curtiss Wright P-40C Tomahawk, built in the U.S. in 1941, Fiesler
Fi-156-C2 Storch, built in Germany in 1943, Fiesler Fi-103/V-1
"Buzz Bomb," built in Germany in 1945, Fiesler Fi-103R Reichenburg,
built in Germany in 1945, Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat, built in the U.S.
in 1945,Boeing B-17E "Flying Fortress," built in the U.S. in 1942;
in restoration, Nakajima Ki-43-1b Hayabusa, built in Japan in
1942,and a Nakajima 16M5-52 Zero-Sen, built in Japan in 1944, in
unrestored condition.
The Fiesler Fi-103R Reichenburg, the Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat, and
the Curtiss Wright JN-4D Jenny will be on display for the entire
show.
The Arlington EAA Fly-in is the premier sport aviation event of
the west. More than 1,600 aircraft and 60,000 guests participate in
the week long festival of aerial demonstrations, hands-on
workshops, educational forums, aircraft judging and many other
aviation oriented activities.
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