by Mike Marturello
Published in Midwest Flyer – December 2019/January 2020 issue
The weather was supposed to be stormy, but it turned out to be sunny and warm, and a bit windy for the 17th Annual Indiana Seaplane Pilots Association Seaplane Splash-In at Pokagon State Park, Lake James, Indiana, September 21-22, 2019. There was a fairly sizable crowd and numerous boaters on the lake, but the weather kept down the number of planes; 12 of an expected 30 showed up. The event normally attracts pilots from Upper Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin.
On Sunday, we shared our aircraft with the public, but then the winds became stronger, so we limited flight operations. First, we honored Marcie Hensel for her 94th birthday with a seaplane ride. We also honored several veterans with seaplane experiences and was able to share the wonder of seaplane flight with about 30 visitors of all ages, who also received “Fun-o-Meters” provided by Wipaire. Special thanks to Allison Wheaton, Matt Perry and Ed Shumway for sharing their time and aircraft for the rides, and a special call out to Jay Tuthill, who graciously opened up his Cessna 208 Turbine Caravan for tours. Jay also flew a demo flight, and Tom Glotfelty followed suit in the afternoon in his airplane.
Special thanks to the community for coming out, and to the following people and organizations who helped make the splash-in successful: Indiana Department of Natural Resources; State Parks Administration; the staff of Pokagon State Park and its manager, Ted Bohman; Potawatomi Inn manager, Emily Burris, and staff; Terry Hallet and his staff at Tri-State Steuben County Airport (KANQ); the Lake James Association, which has been a supporter and sponsor of this event for all of the 17 years running, along with the Steuben County Visitors and Tourism Bureau; and all of the volunteers who assisted with the setup, teardown and safety of the event. We are also grateful for the exposure provided by the Herald Republican and Swick Broadcasting.
Our Saturday evening barbecue and bonfire at Randy Strebig’s grass airstrip, located on the other side of the lake, was no less spectacular with the local Land of Lakes Lions Club preparing our evening meal. Randy is president of the Indiana Seaplane Pilots Association and the Indiana Field Director for the Seaplane Pilots Association.
Randy dropped one load of skydivers into his grass strip from his seaplane flown by Allison Wheaton. Rick Rumple carried the American flag in on his jump.
Seaplanes make people smile, whether or not they are flying! The entire event is founded on “advocacy,” and I can say without a doubt that we nailed our goal 100 percent!
Until next year, stay informed about events and activities of the Indiana Seaplane Pilots Association at www.seaplanepilots.org/inspa.
