Discover Englewood 2023
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1491872
Up, Up and Away attracts hundreds in Englewood By Elaine Allen-Emrich A va Andelin, 2, touched the knobs and switches on the old Cessna Sky Hawk 172 on a Saturday morning as part of her visit to the Buchan Fly-In with her great- grandmother Esther Horton. "This is actually my first time volunteering at the Fly-In," said Horton, a longtime Englewood resident. Horton took a break from helping at the Lemon Bay Historical Society information table when her great- granddaughter headed to the Cessna, which serves as a training plane for a flight school in Venice. "She's going to rearrange everything in that airplane," Ava's mother Addison said, joking. "She really likes it in there." Hundreds poured into Buchan Airport, 1390 Old Englewood Road, Englewood, to watch planes land and take off, perform aerial acrobatics in the sky and create smoke trails at the Buchan Fly-in. The annual event is designed to introduce pilots from around the state to Englewood, to draw local residents to the community's airport, and to raise funds for scholarships awarded to area students who seek careers in aviation. On the big day, vintage aircraft are on the ground and in the air, practically everywhere you look. The fly-in attracts many pilots — some from 100 miles away. "I liked seeing the plane that blew smoke by us and then he went up in the air in the plane," Maya Neskovski said. Maya is a 7-year-old Taylor Ranch Elementary School student who lives near Englewood's grassy airfield. "It's fun to see all of these planes." Maya's brother, Lucas, 10, liked watching the planes take off. "This is our first time coming here to the Fly-In," he said. "We don't live far from here, so we get to see planes land and take off every day." While many watched the planes, others enjoyed a slice of quiche under a tent catered by The French Artisan. It's just as much a part of the Fly-In as the Boeing Stearman or Beech Staggerwing on display. Sandy Taylor and Chuck Richardson spent the morning meeting and talking to pilots from all over the country. "I like going to fly-ins," Richardson said. "I went to one in Naples and got to fly in a Ford aircraft sponsored by the U.S. Navy." The pair from Canada had a good time checking out the variety of aircraft at the show. "I just love this show -- this is something," Richardson said. "It's fantastic. It has vintage planes, experimental ones and many other types. I enjoy meeting real pilots. I like to fly, but the pilots are the ones with the real stories, so many great stories." 'So many great stories' as planes, fl yers tell the tales Maya Neskovski, 7, and her brother Lucas, 10, live near the Buchan Airport and enjoyed their fi rst Buchan Fly-in. Left, Ava Andelin, 2, checks out the controls of the Cessna airplane at the Buchan Fly-In. Sandy Taylor of Canada poses with an old U.S. Navy plane. PHOTOS BY ELAINE ALLENEMRICH Discover Englewood 2023 16