by Karen Workman
Yes, there is life after fly-in breakfast season. Don’t tuck in your plane away for the winter quite yet. The Minnesota Chapter of the Ninety Nines is hosting the “Puddle Jumper Poker Run,” Saturday, September 22.
Seven airports are participating: Faribault, Owatonna, Albert Lea, Mankato, New Ulm, Hutchinson and St. Cloud, Minnesota. Entrants will fly to their choice of five participating airports, collect a card from each in a marked and sealed envelope, and conclude the run at Faribault. The best hand of Aces High wins!
The run opens at 0700. Planes can start at any airport and choose their route, but all will finish at Faribault. Upon landing at Faribault, pilots will submit their five unopened envelopes to a poker run official. The deadline for arriving at Faribault is 12:00 noon. The winning hand will be announced at 12:15 PM. Refreshments will be available, so there’s no telling how late pilots will stick around to compare stories.
The best hand will walk away with a cash prize of 25% of the proceeds. The balance of the proceeds will go to the Ninety Nines scholarship fund. Note: If you or any woman in your life needs funding for a pilot certificate or rating, ask a Ninety Nine about a scholarship application.
There is no pre-registration for this event. The $10 per hand fees will be collected at Faribault. This is a fun, VFR flight that requires a minimum of 5 miles visibility and ceilings greater than 2,000 feet AGL. The poker game is restricted to persons over 21 years of age, but the flying is open to everyone. Fill your plane with your luckiest card buddies and join the fun!
