Bartlesville Airport Hosts Regional Fly-In

By Dee Duren, NewsOn6.com

BARTLESVILLE, Oklahoma -- "Ready to see Bartlesville from the air?" asked Wisconsin pilot Ted Davis just before take off.

Then it's "clear propellers," and they're off as Davis takes another group of passengers into the sky in a 1929 New Standard open-cockpit biplane.

Flying enthusiasts can see the sights or catch a ride at the 54th Annual Tulsa Regional Fly-In held Saturday in Bartlesville. Historic aircraft and the latest in light sport aircraft were be at the municipal airport Saturday.

Tulsa Regional Fly-In Held In Bartlesville

"It was fantastic," said Joan Brunner as she posed for photos by the New Standard after a short flight.

"We got up and landed beautifully. We got to see Oklahoma from the air."

Airplane rides are only one of the attractions at the fly-in. Classic, fighter and light sport planes line the field in rows as new entrants zoom overhead or come in for a landing.

Mark Holliday of Denver, Colorado brought a full-scale replica of the 1917 World War I German Fokker Dr-1 Tri-Plane flown by World War I German Ace Manfred von Richtohofen in for the event.

"This was probably the most famous World War I fighter, mostly because of Richtohofen's 80 victories, which weren't all in the tri-plane," Holliday said Saturday morning.

"It's a replica built to original factory plans with a modern engine, blades and a tail wheel," Holliday said.

Holliday said he'd been flying the plane for about 10 years. It's owned by Vintage Aero Flying Museum.

"It's fun for about 15 minutes," he said with a smile. "It's a tiring airplane to fly."

Owasso resident Daniel Goran brought his 11-year-old nephew, Cameron Hamel, to the fly-in. Goran is a student pilot who especially wanted to see the classic planes.

"But it is neat to see some of the newer technology on the experimental planes as well," he said.

The Tulsa Fly-in is hosted by three local chapters of the Experimental Aircraft Association, according to organizer Ross Adkins. There are several vendors on site to showcase some of the light sport aircraft that are introducing new pilots to the skies.