by Dave Weiman
Published in Midwest Flyer Magazine August/September 2023 Digital Issue
Experienced and inexperienced pilots alike participated in this year’s “Flour Bombing Contest,” June 3, 2023, at Milwaukee Lawrence J Timmerman Airport (KMWC) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In fact, flight instructors at Spring City Aviation, located at the airport, encouraged their students to give it a try as well.
Never having competed in the event, I – and a few other pilots flying larger aircraft – took a backseat to smaller aircraft, such as Cessna 150s, 152s, 172s, Piper Cubs, a RANS homebuilt and the like. For this competition, slower meant better, as did the ability to see below the aircraft. Low-wing aircraft were especially challenged.
Milwaukee County, which owns and operates Timmerman Airport and Milwaukee General Mitchell International Airport (KMKE), provided a grand prize of $200.00 and free food and refreshments for participants. The prize money added to the fun, but it was the fun and challenge of the competition that lured pilots from within and outside the Milwaukee metro. This contest, as well as Milwaukee’s “spot landing contest” to be held Saturday, September 9, was hosted by Spring City Aviation to promote safety and the airport.
Participants arrived at Timmerman by 10:00 a.m. for a mandatory safety briefing. The contest got underway shortly thereafter.
Each contestant was given two attempts to drop a small bag of flour on the target below, or as close as possible, unless their bag fell well outside the target area, like ours did. Our daughter, Stacy, accompanied me this year and dropped the bag when I gave her the go-ahead. Once the bag hit the ground, it of course broke open, but each bag was marked with the aircraft N number, so the winners could be identified.
The active runway, 4L, was used for takeoffs and landings, while we made our runs over the grass runway, 4R. Depending on inbound and departing traffic, we generally flew a lefthand pattern. The tower allowed three aircraft to be in the pattern at any one time, and the judges’ decisions were final.
Officials requested that we fly at 900 feet MSL, or approximately 150 ft AGL, and no slower than 60 kts.
Pilots then taxied out in assigned groups of three to avoid congestion on the taxiway, but procedurally, there were no shortcuts. Pilots were asked to do their normal preflight checks and runups before taxiing.
When it was your turn, you contacted Timmerman Ground and informed the controller you were participating in the contest and ready to taxi to the designated runway.
According to Milwaukee County Airport officials, ignoring drag, flying at 150 feet, your bag of flour would take about 3 seconds to hit the ground. So, you drop it 3 seconds before you overfly the target, assuming you fly at around 90 kts. If you fly slower, the tendency to undershoot the target will increase, so you should drop it slightly later. The prevailing wind is a consideration, but does not significantly change the outcome.
One tip, though, is to make sure the bag of flour is relatively tight, so that the falling shape is as close to a smooth sphere as it can be, which keeps it from spinning away from going straight down. Airport officials provided the bags of flour, so all we had to do was write our aircraft N number on them.
The airport remained open during the competition, and participants got excellent cooperation from the tower. Transient aircraft were given the right-of-way, so as not to disrupt normal airport operations.
The results were as follows:
1st Place: Todd Niles and Max Behrens of Milwaukee, Wis. – 26 feet from center.
2nd Place: Josh Woodard and Ayden Whitney of Racine, Wis. – 35 feet from center.
3rd Place: Andy Kanehl and Ron M of Waukesha, Wis. – 38 feet from center.
To watch previous flour bombing and spot landing contest videos, go to: https://www.facebook.com/TimmermanAirport/videos/
Many thanks to Milwaukee County Airport officials for sponsoring both the flour bombing contest, and the upcoming “spot landing contest,” to be held Saturday, September 9, 2023, beginning at 10:00 a.m.; the FAA Air Traffic Controllers for helping to keep them safe events; and Spring City Aviation for hosting the contests.
