Forest Fires Threaten Annual Fly-In

Smoke-generated IFR didn't keep visitors from the annual event at Hood River.

Friday, September 16, 2022 at 08:44 AM ET

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An estimated 2,000 visitors attended this year's event, which is a major fundraiser for the Western Antique Airplane and Automobile Museum at Ken Jernstedt Airfield / Hood River Airport (4S2). [Courtesy: Farron Brougher]

Key Takeaways:

The Western Antique Airplane and Automobile Museum (WAAAM) annual fly-in successfully drew 200 aircraft and 2,000 attendees to Hood River Airport, overcoming challenges like wildfire smoke that prompted many to drive in.
Serving as a major fundraiser for WAAAM, the event showcased the museum's extensive collection of over 325 operational vintage aircraft and automobiles, including crowd favorites like the Ford Tri-Motor.
The fly-in carries on the legacy of the historic Evergreen Field's antique aviation events, fostering a vibrant community for vintage aircraft owners and enthusiasts.
Proceeds from the event contribute to WAAAM's ongoing expansion, highlighting its importance in preserving aviation and automotive history.

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One of the challenges of flying a vintage aircraft is that, by modern standards, they are a little light on instrumentation that allow the pilot to safely traverse visual obscuration brought on by clouds or smoke—but that didn’t stop visitors from attending the annual Western Antique Airplane and Automobile Museum (WAAM) annual fly-in held the weekend after Labor Day at Ken Jernstedt Airfield / Hood River Airport (4S2).

“We’ve had fly-ins impacted by adverse weather before,” says WAAAM’s director Stephanie Hatch. “If people can’t fly in, they drive in. This year we had 200 airplanes, which is a pretty good number. They represented a good variety, we had the older style biplanes and antiques that are near and dear to everyone like the Stearman to modern aircraft fly in.”