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Idaho Transportation
Department
Public Affairs Office
P.O. Box 7129
Boise, ID 83707
208.334.8005
Fax: 208.334.8563
Email


Northwest Mountain Family Fly-In returns to McCall Aug. 13-15


The 18th annual Northwest Mountain Family Fly-In, scheduled for Aug. 13-15 in McCall, is designed to attract families, aviation enthusiasts and pilots. Sponsored by the Idaho Transportation Department’s (ITD) Division of Aeronautics, the weekend event features a range of activities that appeal to pilots and non-pilots alike.

“This year’s event promises to have something for the entire family,” says Frank Lester, ITD Division of Aeronautics. “McCall is a gateway to the Idaho wilderness, and the community provides an ideal destination point for pilots and their families.”

Now in its fifth year in McCall, The fly-in has adopted the theme “Idaho Wilderness: Join the Adventure,” for this year – its fifth in McCall.

An overview of event highlights includes:

  • A Saturday, Aug. 14 dinner will feature pilot Bill Johnson speaking on “Laughs and Tears from 64 Years of Planes and Flyin’,” a humorous journey from a J3 cub to a Citation, with B-17s in between. His self-proclaimed love affair with aviation began at age eight and has never waned. After serving as an Air Force pilot, Johnson went on to earn a commercial pilot’s license. His recent experiences include flying high-performance gliders and helicopters, and a free-fall sky dive from 13,500 feet to celebrate his 70th birthday.

  • Native Idahoan from Grangeville, C.W. “Butch” Welch, a.k.a. Cee Dub, will lead two Dutch oven cooking classes on Saturday. Welch’s stories and recipes come from his years in the backcountry as part of river and hunting trips, and as a conservation officer for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Welch is the host of a television cooking show and has authored several cookbooks.

  • New this year is a lineup of activities that expand into the local community. Saturday activities include mountain biking at Brundage Mountain, golf, a tour of the Tamarack resort, a walking tour of McCall, and a land/lake tour in an authentic WWII Amphibious DUKW. Activities especially for children include free airplane flights with the Experimental Aircraft Association’s (EAA) Young Eagles (for children ages 8-17), a visit from Smokey Bear, face painting, McPaws Regional Animal Shelter, learning about and looking at llamas, and the opportunity for Boy Scouts to earn their aviation merit badge.

  • Pilot safety seminars and density altitude clinics will be offered Friday and Saturday. Topics include mountain and canyon flying, pilot decision-making, canyon meteorology, using global positioning satellite tools and backcountry survival.

  • Fly-in participants also can take advantage of two Federal Aviation Administration-sponsored pilot and aircraft safety programs. Wings provides general aviation pilots the opportunity to sharpen flying skills while training with volunteer flight instructors. PACE (Pilot and Aircraft Courtesy Evaluation) is a hold-harmless program that offers an aircraft maintenance evaluation with an FAA airworthiness inspector and a courtesy flight with an FAA operations inspector.

The Family Fly-In is open to the public and fees apply for some activities. For program details and to register, visit www.familyflyin.net or call the Idaho Division of Aeronautics at (208) 334-8775 or (800) 426-4587 (toll-free in Idaho only). For lodging, call In!Idaho at (800) 844-3246 or visit www.inidaho.com .

The event is organized by the Idaho Division of Aeronautics, the FAA, the city of McCall and the McCall Area Chamber of Commerce. Other supporters include McCall Mountain/Canyon Flying Seminars and McCall Aviation.

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