Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
PILOT AARON Ruotsala, of Ironwood, lands the plane during the Gogebic-Iron County Airport's fly-in "Airport Day" on Saturday. Along for the ride were Jayme Harma, 10, and Greg Ramme, both of Ironwood. In addition to plan rides, the "Airport Day" featured food, a remote control model aircraft exhibit and other attractions.
IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP - Clear blue skies and temperatures in the 60s were the setting for the fly-in "Airport Day" held at the Gogebic-Iron County Airport in Ironwood Township on Saturday.
Airport manager Mike Harma said the event is held with hopes of attracting more individuals to the world of flying.
The airport was a fly-in destination for at least six pilots who volunteered to offer rides for attendees.
Pilots came from various places throughout the region, including Manitowish Waters, Wis., Kimball, Wis., and Rhinelander, Wis.
"There's only one commercial pilot here who is getting paid, the rest of them are just volunteers on the field," Harma said. "So it's a really nice event."
The day started at 7 a.m. with a pancake breakfast sponsored by the Iron County 4-H club.
Air Choice One, the airport's service provider, left its plane on display from 7:30 to 9:30, a.m. and a remote control model exhibit was featured in one of the hangars.
Face painting was also available and lunch was served with help from the Iron County Memorial Building Restoration Committee.
Harma said the free event has been going on for more than 10 years.
Throughout the day, airplane rides for adults and kids were featured, with Bill Lauer, of Lauer Aviation, offering adult rides for $20 per person, and the Experimental Aircraft Association's Young Eagles program gave free rides to children ages 8-17.
"What they're hoping is these kids someday down the road decide to be a pilot because they came to a day like today and they learned about airplanes," Harma said of the Young Eagles, adding more than 1.8 million free flights have been given since the Eagles began in 1992.
The Young Eagles is a program designed to give youth the opportunity to fly in a general aviation airplane.
More than 180,000 pilots, who volunteer their time and aircrafts to make flights possible, are members of the EAA, of Oshkosh, Wis.
For more information on the Young Eagles, visit youngeagles.org and to learn more about Lauer Aviation, visit laueraviationllc.com.
