Moraine celebrates 60th annual Funday Sunday Fly-in

The 60th annual Funday Sunday Fly-in took place today at the Moraine Airpark.

This is the nation’s longest running Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) fly-in held at the same location.

“We typically get, depending on the weather, anywhere from 50 planes to a couple hundreds planes each year,” said Mike Lucas, volunteer for the EEA Chapter 48 of Dayton. “This ends up being about the first major fly-in of the area for the year so we get a good turn out.”

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The event featured experimental, vintage and regular airplanes, food and refreshments, aviation booths, rental biplane rides, FAA seminar and a parade.

During the fly-in, Patty Wagner and Roger E. Saddler were both a recipient of the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award.

This award recognizes pilots who have demonstrated professionalism, skill, and aviation expertise by maintaining operations for 50 or more years. It’s the most prestigious award presented by the FAA and the recipient will be added to the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award Roll of Honor.

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Many famous people have also flown at the Moraine Airpark in past years:

  • Arthur Godfrey, TV host
  • Gordon Jump, WQRP in Cincinnati
  • Chuck Yeager, flying ace and record setting test pilot
  • Dick Rutan, record-breaking aviator who piloted the Voyager aircraft around the world non-stop
  • Jeffrey Skilles, co-pilot to Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger who landed the United Airways flight 1549 in 2009 in the Hudson River in New York City

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