Fly-In: Battle Creek bonanza

Attendees will have an opportunity to view amazing aircraft at both the Waco Aircraft Corp. and Duncan Aviation. Waco, which constructs new biplanes from original historical plans, will serve as show central and offer tours to attendees; its final assembly bay will be the backdrop for the fly-in’s skills seminars. Owner and CEO Pete Bowers is an active AOPA member and justifiably proud of his unique manufacturing site—“the smallest aviation manufacturer in the world,” he says with a smile.

Be prepared to be blown away by the enormous state-of-the-art maintenance facility at Duncan Aviation. This mom-and-pop business, started in 1956 by Iowa farmer Donald Duncan, has grown to become the world’s largest privately owned business jet support facility. Attendees will see everything this remarkable company does, from painting to interiors and beyond. Special tours are scheduled for fly-in attendees on Friday, September 16. Wear comfortable shoes—this massive facility is worth the trek.

The lineup of 26 Cirrus aircraft at Western Michigan University on the airport is just a small indication of the innovation taking place at this unique aviation college.

2016 AOPA Fly-Ins

May 21—Michael J. Smith Field (MRH), Beaufort, North Carolina
September 20—Bremerton National Airport (PWT), Bremerton, Washington
September 17—W.K. Kellogg Airport (BTL), Battle Creek, Michigan
October 1—Ernest A. Love Field (PRC), Prescott, Arizona

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Who knew, Kalamazoo?

Unique aviation museum boasts remarkable collection

Museum to restore SBD, Wildcat

In its East Campus, the Kalamazoo Air Zoo has two restoration aircraft with unique histories—both a Douglas SBD-2 Dauntless and a Grumman FM–2 Wildcat trainer have been pulled up from the floor of Lake Michigan, 60-plus years after they crashed during training exercises off U.S. aircraft carriers in World War II. The two aircraft were covered in barnacles and smelling of their watery homes when they were towed to the Air Zoo facility for restoration.

Like the big kid that he is, Fizer put down his camera to try his hand at a fighter pilot full-motion simulator—and ended up with an upset tummy. The Kalamazoo Air Zoo is like that—it brings out the kid in you. With beautifully hand-painted, high-color murals lining its walls (28,800 square feet), the Air Zoo is a highly charged, multi-sensory atmosphere that celebrates and honors aviation throughout the years. From a Montgolfier balloon basket replica to the SR–71B Blackbird spy plane, every era in aviation is represented with many rare and unusual aircraft—a Travel Air Mystery Ship, Fairchild 24K Forwarder, Howard GH–2 Nightingale, Curtiss XP–55 Ascender, Grumman G–73 Mallard, Republic P–47D Thunderbolt…the list goes on. In addition to aircraft restorations and replicas, there are a lot of hands-on activities. There’s 360-degree full-motion simulators, a 4-D theater, indoor amusement park rides, and a 3-D space shuttle ride to the International Space Station.

AOPA will host a fly-in at nearby W.K. Kellogg Airport (BTL) on September 17, 2016.