| HeraldNet - Snohomish County's online news source |
 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2010 1:14 pm |
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Local News 
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Arlington Fly-In attracts pilots and fans of aviation ARLINGTON -- Dan Buchanan can't walk, but he can fly.Climbing into the air on a large, orange hang glider, Buchanan -- who lost the use of his legs 26 years ago after his hang glider hit him in the head during landing -- seemed to pop out of nowhere over the Arlington Airport. Below him, hundreds of onlookers cheered as Buchanan descended back to Earth, shooting off pyrotechnics from his glider. "Flying is great, just the activity of it," said Buchanan, 52, who signed autographs for adults and children minutes after he landed. Buchanan's short flight was one of the many highlights Saturday at the 40th Annual Arlington Fly-In, the nation's third-largest recreational aviation event. The event, which started Wednesday, is scheduled to wrap up today after a military parade at 12:30 p.m. and an air show from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Veterans can attend the event today for free. The annual fly-in draws pilots from around the nation, even outside the country. Every summer, Bob Andrews of Powell River, B.C., packs his bags, leaves his wife and flies to Arlington in his airplane. "I look forward to it every year," said Andrews, 67, who pitched a tent in a field surrounded by vintage airplanes. "I've never brought my wife here, I don't think she's into planes as much as I am." Throughout the event, heads repeatedly tilted skyward as plane after plane zipped by. Some flew solo, tumbling through the air before resuming control and pulling up. Other groups -- such as the Arlington-based Blackjack Squadron -- flew in tight formations. Vendors sold T-shirts, photos and aviation equipment, and pilots talked shop about the latest in aircraft technology. A silver B-25 bomber gleamed in the sunlight at the end of the long runway. Ole Larsen of Bellevue sat with his wife beneath the wing of a small airplane, shaded from the Saturday afternoon sun. They watched as two F-1 Rockets performed numerous high-speed maneuvers -- such as upside-down loops and head-to-head passes -- to the tune of the U2 song "Vertigo." "This is good, it's really nice, and a beautiful day," Larsen said. Despite high gas prices faced by drivers and pilots, event organizers were expecting more than 50,000 people to show up during the five-day event. "For people looking for that local vacation, this may be something," said Barbara Tolbert, the fly-in's executive director. Chris Hartzell, 62, of Gig Harbor flies a Cessna 172. He visits the fly-in every two or three years to see recently restored airplanes. "That's why I skip every other year," he said. "There's usually something new." The fly-in also features some nonwinged vehicles. Dozens of military vehicles from the Puget Sound Military Vehicles Collectors Club lined the grass near the end of the runway. Behind the vehicles, club member David King, 52, of Snohomish and two other club members camped out in custom-made trailers. In a military-style campsite with a mesh camouflage canopy, the cooked using a grill they named "Private Weber" -- a small barbecue dropped into the top of an old, olive-green oil drum. King never served in the military, but his father is a World War II veteran who delivered mail to the front lines in Europe. "That's the main reason I have these vehicles, so people can appreciate them and honor and respect something we often take for granted," said King, who owns a Jeep, an armored car and a Harley Davidson, all World War II-era vehicles. Andrews said he's made friends at the Arlington Fly-In who he only gets to see during the annual event. At night, the pilots who camp out at the airport often hang out near the runway at the outdoor movie theater. Andrews enjoys meeting pilots from all over the country. He's made friends with some of them, even though he only gets to see them during the annual fly-in. It's a special time of year, Andrews said. "I'm just going to take it as it comes, as I usually do, and enjoy it," he said. Reporter Scott Pesznecker: 425-339-3436 or spesznecker@heraldnet.com. |
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