Fly-in breakfast set for Saturday at city-county airport

The 2018 Air Fair is set to soar at Havre City-County Airport Saturday starting at 7 a.m.

Willie Hurd, president of the event-organizing club the North Central Hangar of the Montana Pilots’ Association, said that this year everyone can come for the annual display of aircraft, the airplane rides for kids and the breakfast, but they will also be able to see some of the improvements made at the main hangar and in progress on the tarmac.

Local and visiting pilots will have their various aircraft on display and be available to answer questions about their planes and flying. Many of these pilots donate their time, airplanes and fuel to provide free airplane rides to youth who meet the height requirements.

National Weather Service generally is forecasting a nice fall day with a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms, for the fly-in.

Hurd recommended that kids hoping for a plane ride be brought to the airport early because, as the day heats up winds could pick up, enough to make the air too turbulent for comfortable rides.

If the weather holds, some of the more adventurous pilots will participate in a late-morning competition. Hurd said they will likely do some sky bowling, with pilots, or their passenger, dropping a bowling ball from the air aiming to knock down at least one of a set of bowling pins made of metal barrels.

Work has been ongoing to refurbish the main hangar and replace some asphalt in areas of the airport and attendees will be able to see many of these improvements.

The fly-in is free for everyone, and the all-you-can-eat breakfast, served 7 to 11 a.m., will be $8 per person and free for youth 5 and younger. Bottled water and popsicles will be available to everyone.