BLAINE, MN – On Friday and Saturday, August 21-22, hundreds of aviation and aircraft enthusiasts will be flying in, and then out, of the Anoka County-Blaine Airport as part of the annual, Midwest region, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) fly-in.
“It’s an honor to have Anoka County-Blaine Airport chosen for this year’s AOPA fly-in venue,” says Jeff Hamiel, Executive Director/CEO of the Metropolitan Airports Commission. “We’re looking forward to hosting aircraft owners and pilots from all around the region.”
“I’ve got a personal affinity for the place, but it’s also a great location for this event in its own right,” said AOPA President Mark Baker, who learned to fly at Anoka County while a student at the University of Minnesota in the late 1970s, and currently owns a hangar there.
Neighbors of the airport can expect the majority of the landings to occur between noon and 8 p.m. Friday and 7 and 10 a.m. Saturday. The majority of attendees will then takeoff after 4 p.m. Saturday. The event is open to non-members, including members of the public who are interested in learning more about piloting, aircraft ownership and General Aviation. There will be aircraft and vendor exhibits, seminars and an ice cream social.
No aerobatics are planned.
To learn more about this event, go to http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2015/August/Pilot/flyin_insert.
About Anoka County-Blaine Airport Anoka County-Blaine Airport (ANE) is located in Blaine, Minnesota. It is one of six general aviation airports owned by the Metropolitan Airports Commission located throughout the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The airport is home to 407 based aircraft and supports more than 68,000 operations. It is home to the Golden Wings Museum and several fixed-base operators. The 1800-acre airport has also undergone a series of recent improvements, including:
• Extending and widening Runway 9-27 to 5,000′ x 100′
• Lengthening the adjoining taxiway
• Installing an instrument landing system with approach lighting and runway identifier lights
• Developing a new building area anchored by a fixed-based operator with an executive terminal and an 80,000 square-foot hangar
