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Weather scales back annual Airport Day
St. Cloud Regional Airport's seventh annual Airport Day was forced indoors Sunday for the second time in as many years.
Cold snowy weather grounded most planes at the airport. Planned airplane rides and static aircraft displays were cancelled, but display booths and food sales went on as planned behind closed hangar doors.
Airport Day, the kickoff to SCSU's Aviation Week, is hosted by SCSU's Aviation Ambassadors and the SCSU aviation department. Kelly Vaughn, a junior, is a member of Ambassadors and president-elect of the group for next year. She said Airport Day is about having fun and educating the public.
"Most airports have airport days or aviation days to get the general public out there and aware," Vaughn said.
Current vice-president of Aviation Ambassadors Erika Lang, also a junior, said the group had worked hard to bring in a number of aircraft for static display. They coordinated with the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), she said, to do Young Eagles flights. Young Eagles allows kids ages 7 to 17 to get a free airplane ride, courtesy of EAA member pilots who donate their flight time and fuel costs.
Vaughn said Airport Day was supposed to have on display helicopters from both the Minnesota State Patrol and Army National Guard. Coborn's Inc. gave the Ambassadors permission to park Coborn's corporate jet outside, she said. Life Link, the helicopter St. Cloud residents often see flying to and from St. Cloud Hospital, would also have been on display. The weather did not allow for it, however.
"Nothing's coming out of the hangar today," Vaughn said.
The Ambassadors spend several months planning the event. Funding is their biggest hurdle, so they ask for donations from local businesses and raise money by working at Excel Energy Center in St. Paul during Minnesota Wild hockey games.
"So much work goes into it," Vaughn said. "(The weather) is really disappointing."
She said they were expecting 700 to 1,000 people to attend the event, had the weather been nice. Despite the snow and lack of planes, about 300 people still came out to the airport.
"As long as (the community) has fun," Vaughn said. "It's not for us, it's for the community."
"They did a wonderful job," said Steve Anderson, SCSU assistant professor of aviation.
Vaughn also said the Ambassadors hope to see Airport Day become a major event now that runway expansion at the St. Cloud airport is finished and the completion of a control tower only a year away. It grows every year, she said.
Lang said they were considering changing the date of Airport Day next year, in hopes of getting better weather. Last year's airport day was similarly dampened by a cold, rainy day.
"I think next year we're for sure going to try to move it to the end of Aviation Week," Lang said.
When not planning Airport Day, SCSU's Aviation Ambassadors work to promote aviation and SCSU's aviation program to the community.
"We give airport tours for groups like the Boy Scouts, and we go to high schools," Lang said.
Vaughn added that the Ambassadors go to air shows to promote SCSU's aviation department as well.
"It's pretty much just getting the public to be aware of the program and what's available," Vaughn said.
This week, Aviation Week offers daily events for students involved with the aviation program, the Aero Club and Aviation Ambassadors. Planned activities include an Aero Club dinner flight this evening, a picnic Tuesday, Del Tone Road cleanup and plane wash Wednesday and a golf outing Thursday. The week ends with a banquet Friday night.
Eric O'Link can be reached at: [email protected]
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