New this year is the opening of the airport to some day and evening activities, including a pilot’s cook-out on Friday night and the awards banquet on Saturday night at a private hangar. The doors open to the public at approximately 9 p.m. with the cool sounds of The Rockit Band, known for its smoky performances of a wide range of popular tunes, from Rock & Roll greats to Funk and Rhythm and Blues. Cost is $3 per person, $5 per couple at the door.

On Saturday, the seaplane exhibit space at Stobie Hangar is sold out. Some new exhibits include a NASA display, which is just arriving from California, and aeronautics school Embry-Riddle University. The Fly-In crew is also expecting more than 200 amphibian and land planes to tie down at the airport. This year people are encouraged to go up and visit the unique aircraft that will be on location there. It is expected the locally-owned, world’s only DC-3 on floats will be on static display at the airport. Local police and Civil Air Patrol crews will be directing traffic at both locations. In addition to the changes at the airport, pilots and the general public can look forward to the publication of the first Moosehead Lake Seaplane Fly-In booklet. The booklet is a one-of-a- kind, unusual 32-page introduction to the Fly-In, complete with a history, biography, current events, the 2004 schedule, descriptions of participating aircraft, and program notes. The souvenir booklet will be given to each member of the Fly-In to take home with them as part of their registration packet. It will also be released for sale to the general public over that weekend. Many area businesses helped sponsor the booklet, so watch for this. A limited number are available. The 2004 Fly-In board has also determined that a portion of the proceeds to the sale of this inaugural booklet will be dedicated to the establishment of a scholarship fund to help an aspiring Greenville High School with an interest in aviation go for training.

Other new additions include a daytime awards ceremony in which spectators can watch when, throughout the day Saturday, the top pilots will receive 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place plaques in each contest category. Planes will also be on location across the cove, where the grounds have been opened to amphibian parking at the Maine Forest Service. At the pilots banquet that evening, special tributes will be given to Ed Walden and Lou Hilton, both of whom have made lifetime contributions and shown an unparalleled dedication to the traditions and future success of flying in the Moosehead Lake region. The board has worked tirelessly through the year to ready Fly-In 2004.

“It’s been a great board to work on. We’ve all been pulling in the same direction to bring along what should be a very nice Fly-In, with some significant changes. Also every board member has been strong and active and has brought with them a good deal of varied experience to the planning of this event. It doesn’t get much better than that,” said Suzanne AuClair, one of the board members. “The only thing we’re really asking for now is a couple of hours of time from a few volunteers. It would help us out tremendously if we could sign up 12 people from around the area who are willing to give two hours of time on Saturday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. It is the most tangible help we can have to deliver this intensely popular weekend – plus it really is a lot of fun. It’s pretty heady stuff being around all those planes and engines. It’s a very cool way to spend some time.”

If you and a friend can spare a couple of hours or want more information, please call any one of the board members: Telford Allen, John Pepin, Suzanne AuClair, Duane Lander or Earl Richardson. The Fly-In phone number is 534-8893. E-mail is intseaplaneflyin@hotmail.com.
"This content originally appeared as a copyrighted article in the Moosehead Messenger and is used here with permission."