Saturday, October 11, 2008

Spirits expected to soar at Socorro's Aviation Day

Submitted to El Defensor Chieftain By Dave Finley

Flying and fun will be on tap at Socorro's Municipal Airport on Saturday, Oct. 18, as pilots and air enthusiasts from around

New Mexico come together for an "Aviation Day" celebration.

The event will feature airplane displays, information booths, a pancake breakfast, model airplane flying, and free airplane

rides for 10 lucky kids.

"We'll have a variety of airplanes from all over the state here, including new ones, vintage planes, homebuilt planes,

and maybe even a warbird," said pilot Laura Haines, aviation consultant and organizer of the event.

The Aviation Day festivities will run from 8 a.m. Until 2 p.m. at Socorro's airport, 3 miles south of town on old State Road 1, west of I-25.

Visitors will get a close-up look at numerous aircraft, have a chance to talk to pilots, learn about flight training and aviation careers, watch radio-controlled airplanes perform aerobatics, and enjoy a pancake breakfast. Admission is free.

Ten kids, ages 8-14, will get free airplane rides from flight instructor George Slad. The flights will be on a first-come, first-served basis. A parent must accompany each child to the event to grant permission for the ride.

Organizations planning to participate include the City of Socorro, New Mexico Tech, the Socorro Chile Proppers, the Civil Air Patrol, San Juan College's aviation program, New Mexico Angel Flight Wing, Eclipse Aviation, Bode Aviation, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, and Spaceport America.

Also, the Socorro animal shelter, which will hold a pet adopt-a-thon during Aviation Day.

"Socorro has a great airport, and some planned improvements are going to make it even better. This event will showcase our airport, the excitement of flight, and the value of aviation to our local economy to Socorroans and the rest of the state," Haines said.

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