WHERE THE DONATIONS GO TABLE OF CONTENTS imsbury Airport is a public use airport yet it receives no WHERE THE DONATIONS GO 1 Slocal, state or federal funding of any kind. Not a single HISTORY OF THE SIMSBURY FLY-IN 1 one of your tax dollars has ever gone to keeping this airport EXHIBITORS/ADVERTISERS 5 open. So, how is the airport funded? From aircraft tiedown BETCHA DIDN’T KNOW 6 fees, subleasing office space and selling fuel; but even those sources are not adequate to cover operational costs. So how PORTER AND CHESTER INSTITUTE 9 do we stay financially viable? The Simsbury Fly-In and Car NOTEWORTHY AIRCRAFT 10 show is the major factor in making ends meet. Whether you SEMINARS 13 buy a t-shirt, make a donation at the gate, eat a burger or THE WHOLE PICTURE 14 volunteer your time, you’re helping preserve a vital transpor- tation link and a tremendous resource for your local commu- YOU’RE BUILDING WHAT?!?! 17 nity. All the money raised here will go towards keeping the THE DIGITAL COCKPIT 21 airport operating. SCHEDULE OF EVENTS 25 None of the Simsbury Flying Club board members SPECIAL THANKS 26 receive compensation of any kind. We do this because we EVENT MAP 29 love aviation, the Simsbury Airport and the freedom of flight. FAMILY OWNED SINCE NEW 31 We hope you get to experience some of that magic at this event today. If you have any questions, just find anyone with EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION 35 a bright yellow shirt that CROSSWORD ANSWER KEY 41 says “EVENT STAFF” and SIMSBURY FLY-IN COMMITTEE 42 we’ll be happy to help you. BETCHA DIDN’T KNOW 44 Thanks again for visiting and we hope you’ll come again CROSSWORD 47 next year! (September 15) TRIBUTE TO JOE BELLINO 48 HISTORY OF THE SIMSBURY FLY-IN BY BILL THOMAS hose of you old enough to remember the early 1980’s may recall that a postage stamp cost 22 cents, gas was $1.09 per Tgallon, and “Back To The Future” was a hit movie. What you may not recall, however, is a sunny September morning when a small group of pilots brought their airplanes to Simsbury Airport for a few hours of socializing and bragging. And so began the Simsbury Fly-In. Those first few pilots had such a good time that they decided to meet again the following year. Word spread within the local aviation community. The next year drew a somewhat larger number of airplanes. As the years unfolded, the Simsbury Fly-In grew and grew. By the late 1980’s, it could no longer be held on a casual basis, and began to require advance planning. A team was formed to organize the event. Someone suggested that the general public might enjoy see- ing the beautiful airplanes and talking with their owners, so the event was opened to spectators. That turned out to be a great decision because it supported our goal of bringing grassroots aviation to public awareness. It allowed us to show the benefits of Simsbury airport to everyone in the local community. As our growth continued over the years, several important aviation organizations asked to be involved. One of them was the Antique Aircraft Association, which encouraged the display of old - sometimes very old - aircraft. The Experimental Aircraft Association’s local Chapter 324 soon joined as a sponsor, adding a focus on homebuilt aircraft. As the years passed, the event began to attract virtually every kind of airplane. Look around you today and you will see experimental aircraft, antiques, small ex-military airplanes, helicopters, ultralights, amphibians, brand new models, and lots of factory-built airplanes. We’ve had virtually no problems with weather, but one such occasion in the mid-1990’s turned out to be a gift. The weather was too poor to allow airplanes to fly in or out. Some enterprising antique car owners showed up to display their autos. That gave the spectators something interesting to look at, and virtually saved the day. It was the beginning of the combined airplane and car show that you see now. Ever since then, the display of autos of almost every kind has been a major fea- ture of our event, and a great crowd-pleaser. (Continued next page) IMAGE CREDIT: BILL THOMAS BILL IMAGE CREDIT: simsburyflyin.com 1 HISTORY OF THE SIMSBURY FLY-IN (CONTINUED) Our event attracts old cars of discontinued brands, new exotic autos, muscle cars, hot rods, type-clubs, trucks, ambulances, antique fire engines, and former military vehicles. As you might imagine, cars and airplanes both hold appeal for do-it-yourselfers and for anyone interested in sophisticated machines. Then came 9/11/2001. In the immediate aftermath of that horrific day, all flights were banned from the skies over the US. It appeared that the Fly-In would have to be cancelled. Gradually, however, the FAA re-opened the airways. As luck would have it, the Fly-In was scheduled for one of the first days after flying was again permitted. We were able to hold the event, and were grateful for that opportunity to help re-establish our message that aviation is a safe and valuable asset for our country. Over the past decade, our event has continued to grow and prosper. We attract over 10,000 spectators annually. More than 600 beautiful airplanes and autos are on display, arriving here from all around the Northeast and locations hun- dreds of miles away. We are featured in regional and national publications. Our show is often broadcast live by local TV and FM stations. We provide free seminars by nationally renowned speakers. Our many sponsors, advertisers, and exhibi- tors from local and national businesses recognize this venue as a great place to market their products. As many as 150 volunteers assist us. Many are not otherwise associated with aviation or autos. They help because it’s a great way to spend a fall day and to further a good cause. Our show would not be possible without them. Our hats are off to our faithful volunteers, without whom we simply could not operate. Friends who recognize the major and year-long effort that goes into the organization of this event often ask why we do it. There are several answers. First and foremost, we love aviation (and cars!), and want to share that enjoyment with others. At a very practical level, this event is a primary source of revenue that keeps Simsbury Airport alive. We receive no financial backing from the Town, State or Federal Government. All of our operating expenses are covered by funds that we raise ourselves by selling fuel, renting office space in our building, fees from airplanes based here, and from the Fly-In and Car Show. The Simsbury Flying Club, which leases the property and operates the airport, is an all-volunteer organization. None of us receive salaries. All of us pitch in to help maintain the airport. It is a labor of love. We are all proud of our long history that has made this the largest event of its kind in New England. We thank you for attending. Come back next year ! GOLD SPONSOR 2 simsburyairport.com GOLD SPONSOR simsburyflyin.com 3 4 simsburyairport.com EXHIBITORS ADVERTISER INDEX 43rd Aviation Flying Club Farmington Valley Equipment Acura of Avon 30 Lee Brown Co. LLC. 43 99s Flight Design Aircraft Spruce 24 Lightspeed Aviation 46 AB Flight Fred Astaire Alfano Hyundai and Nissan 40 Martocchio Music 43 Aces Dynamic Instruments Future Flyers of Connecticut Angelo’s On Main 7 Mitchell Auto Group 11 Acura of Avon Huntington Learning Center Antonio’s 5 NBAA 6 Aero Clean Solutions Jabiru Power Solutions Ascent Aviation 12 New Country Motors Back Cover AeroAB USA Mitchell Auto Group Atlantic Fasteners 5 New England Air Museum 48 Alfano Hyundai and Nissan Army National Guard Atlantic Flyer 39 Northwest Community Bank 44 American Pie New Country Motors Beacon Mechanical 12 Panorama Flight Service 21 Aviat Husky Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome Bennett Avionics 47 Penn Yan Aero 19 Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Panorama Flight Service Berkshire Aviation Enterprises 49 Phonon 38 Berkshire Aviation Enterprises Pilots ‘N Paws Big Y Supermarkets 37 Pierce Builders Inc 13 BMI Rans Aircraft (B&B Sport Aviation) Biznuzz 28 Porter and Chester Institute 9 Cirrus Rock-N-Roll Racing BMI 43 Premier Flight Center 14 Coffee 55 Silver City Flying Club Bradley Intl Airport Inside Cover Primary Eye Care Center 22 Connecticut Corsair Simsbury Flying Club Cambridge Brew House Pub 3 Ramco 8 CTFalun Dala Association Terrafugia Canton Auto Supply 42 Rans Aircraft 47 Crowley Ford Town of Simsbury Cape Cod Fence Company 47 Sensenich Props 3 CT Aero Tech Toy Cars & Planes Capitol Light 35 Shelterlogic 27 CT Air and Space Museum TSA Classic Hotels of CT 31 Signature Flight Support 32 CT Flight Academy Valenti Auto Group Collinsville Screen Printing 47 Sikorsky Aircraft 25 CT Soaring Association Valley Energy Columbia Aircraft Sales 16 Silver City Flying Club 21 Curtisaero - Cubcrafters VFW and American Legion Connecticut Corsair 41 Simsbury Airport 18 Diamond Motorglider Weddings At Home Crowley Ford 42 Simsbury Community Television 41 Duffle Bag Inc Westfield Flight Academy Cubcrafters 14 Sullivan’s NW Hills Dealerships & O’Neill’s Chevrolet Buick 12 EAA WingZ Tees Doggie in the Window 44 FAA Wintonbury Flying Club Dynamic Auto Works 38 Sutton James 17 Ed The Tree Man 22 The European Car 44 E.N.E. Realty 43 The Simsbury Bank 42 Farmington Valley Equipment 34 Time Was Garage 44 Future Flyers of CT 7 Valenti Auto Group - Cadillac 20 Goulet Printery 36 Valenti Auto Group - Jaguar 15 Grasshelper Lawn Care 33 Valenti Auto Group - Mitsubishi 45 Holloways Appliance 44 Valenti Auto Group - VW 4 Holmes and Bahre 41 Veterans Airlift Command 23 Huntington Learning Center 26 Valley Financial Group 44 Imperial Nurseries 2 VIP Avionics 38 Interstate Aviation 13 Westfield Flight Academy 28 Wicks Aircraft 26 EVENT SPONSORS HIGHLIGHTED Windsor Federal Savings 6 Zlotnick Construction 14 simsburyflyin.com 5 BETCHA DIDN’T KNOW..