Air Fair comes to Havre City-County Airport Saturday

Food will be cooking and planes displayed and flying Saturday at the annual Air Fair at Havre City-County Airport just west of town.

Local pilot Willie Hurd said, dependant on the weather, between a dozen and 40 aircraft should be at the annual event, which starts with breakfast at 7 a. m. Saturday.

Hurd said the event originally was generally a pilots' get-together, but the North Central Hangar of the Montana Pilots Association, which sponsors the event, has tried to get the general community more involved.

That was part of the reason the local hangar recently revived the name Air Fair, which was what the fly-in was called back in the 1960s.

"The main goal is to bring public awareness to our public airport, " said Tony Dolphay of the pilot association.

The breakfast, which is $7 for all you can eat, includes pancakes, sausage, eggs, biscuits and gravy, and juice and coffee. It typically is served from 7 a. m. to about 11 a. m.

Pilots will be giving free rides to children as well, although Hurd said there is a height requirement, which includes making sure the children are tall enough to see out of the cockpit.

Other activities also will be offered, with things for the children to do, as well as a pilots' competition — air bowling.

Hurd said pilots will be throwing bowling balls out of airborne craft at barrels set up like bowling pins.

"It's kind of a fun deal to throw a ball out of an airplane, " he added.

A large part of the event is the camaraderie, including pilots talking with people about flying, and how they can become pilots.

"We've sparked a little bit of aviation interest, " Dolphay said, adding that the pilots especially try to get children interested in becoming flyers, and that the Air Fair has led to some some new pilots out on the field.

"Which is our goal, to try to keep aviation alive, " Dolphay said.