Media Manager

BOISE - A light utility helicopter will land in downtown Boise Wednesday morning (March 9) for the Idaho Aviation Festival, March 10-12 at the Boise Centre on the Grove.

The Boise Police Department will close Ninth Street at its intersection with Front Street for approximately 20 minutes beginning at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, to allow the aircraft to move into the Centre.

The Schweizer 300C helicopter from Aviation Specialties of Boise and an aircraft hangar from R&M Steel of Nampa will be the centerpiece of the festival trade show. The helicopter, considered the worlds most versatile piston-powered helicopter, is commonly used for flight training, law enforcement patrol and agricultural spraying. Festival visitors will be able to sit in the aircraft cabin, which has 360-degree visibility.

More than 500 aviation enthusiasts are expected to gather for the festival, sponsored by the Idaho Transportation Departments Division of Aeronautics. The three-day event will include presentations on ballooning, pilot nutrition, new technologies and current trends within the industry. Pilot training seminars, certification credits for mechanics, the AvSwap (a chance to buy and sell aviation parts and supplies), an Aviation Career Forum for high school students and their parents, and hands-on activities for children also will be available.

Full festival registration is $99 and includes admission to all training seminars and workshops; daily registration is $49. A Thursday kick-off luncheon will feature Jared Aicher of the Eagle Flight and Alan Klapmeier, CEO of Cirrus Design; a Saturday closing banquet will highlight Retired Lt. Col. Steve Edgars experiences as a Stealth 117A pilot. Tickets to the luncheon ($17) and banquet ($35) can be purchased separately. All events are open to the public and many activities are free.

For more information on attending, exhibiting or sponsoring the festival, visit itd.idaho.gov/aero/aviationfestival , or call Becky Funston at (208) 288-0290 or (800) 345-8793.