A good number of pilots and a sizable crowd of airplane enthusiasts converged on the Emporia Municipal Airport Saturday for the annual open house and fly-in.
The day started with a breakfast of pancakes and sausage, and the event drew up to 60 pilots from around the state flying planes varying from ultra-lights and open-air kit planes to single- and multi-engine Cessnas.
“The breakfast was free for the pilots,” said airport manager Don Tevis. “Tell a pilot there’s free food and he’ll go anywhere.”
Pilots were taking off and landing all day, some for quick excursions and others to show off their skills by flying in formations and buzzing the airport grounds at low altitude.
Many of the pilots are familiar with each other, and display a camaraderie that shows their devotion to flying. Mike Dann and Randy Klemp, both from Gardner, got some food and spent time discussing their planes.
“I flew in for the open house,” Dann said. “I came to meet some of the pilots, old friends, and to see some of the airplanes and just to enjoy the day.”
Dann said he comes to the open house in Emporia just about every year. His plane is a 1955 V-tail Bonanza.
Jerry Gippner flew in from Olathe to enjoy the open house. He said he has been flying “forever.”
“My dad flew during World War II and I just grew up with it,” Gippner said as the pilots stood around and joked with each other.
“Pilots are like a bunch of golfers who always golf together or guys who shoot skeet together, or whatever it is,” Dann explained. “They get to be fairly irreverent to each other. We like to give each other grief.”
Klemp, who flies a 1946 Cessna 140, has had a love of flying for as long as he can remember. He started building radio-controlled airplanes at a young age and has been flying since 1978.
“With us, it’s something that’s in the blood,” Klemp said. “For me it started when I was five, with balsa wood airplanes. I’m just thankful that I’ve had the opportunity to be able to do this.”
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