AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2018 - 100

DETAILS

6,500

The number of people who
attended the two-day fly-in
in Missoula, Montana.

News & Notes
MEMBERSHIP

AOPA HONORS BOB HOFF

Checking off the bucket list
A visit to Montana is on every pilot's mind
B Y D AV E H I R S C H M A N
SUNSHINE, MILD TEMPERATURES, and a neon
orange sunset capped off an extraordinary
first day during the AOPA Fly-In at Montana's
Missoula International Airport, June 15 and
16. Pilots flew about 300 airplanes to AOPA's
first fly-in of the year, located among the
northern Rockies in western Montana.
About 4,000 pilots and aviation enthusiasts attended educational seminars, and short
takeoff and landing (STOL) and water-bombing demonstrations under ideal conditions as
the fly-in opened Friday.
"Montana is a bucket-list destination for
a lot of people, and they got to experience
the best of it on Friday," said AOPA President
Mark Baker, who spoke with association
members who had come from as far away as
Maine, Florida, Arizona, and California.
A low-pressure system spinning in from
the Pacific brought a steady, cold rain to
the second day of the fly-in, and attendance
dropped to about 2,500 people with visitors
filling indoor exhibits and educational forums
to learn about topics ranging from aircraft
maintenance to backcountry flying.
The AOPA Sweepstakes Super Cub drew
more attention than usual from a crowd of
aviators who are especially well-versed in
mountain flying. The Sweepstakes Super Cub
was restored in Baker, Montana, by Roger and
Darin Meggers, and visitors took notice of the
father/son team's exceptional craftsmanship.

100 | AOPA PILOT August 2018

"They notice every detail," said Alyssa
J. Cobb, AOPA director of eMedia and the
sweepstakes project manager. She flew the
airplane on the 20.5-hour trip from Maryland
to Montana. "There's a lot of nostalgia for
Super Cubs here, and in this part of the world,
pilots know that if they win it, they could fly
it off wheels, floats, or skis."
The Sweepstakes Super Cub will be given
away in 2019.
From Missoula, Cobb planned to fly
the Sweepstakes Super Cub to McCall,
Idaho, for a mountain flying course offered
by expert instructor Lori MacNichol of
Mountain Canyon Flying. The well-traveled airplane will be at the AOPA booth at
EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin,
July 23 to 29.
Michael and Beverly Anderson of McCall,
Idaho, stayed in a tent next to their Cessna
206 Stationair Friday night. They planned
to join other pilots on a Saturday fly-out
to Seeley Lake for a Recreational Aviation
Foundation potato bake before camping again
in the evening.
"We knew there was a chance of rain
when we came, but we really didn't expect
this much of it," Beverly Anderson said.
"We're prepared to deal with it, though. We're
all in this together."
EMAIL dave.hirschman@aopa.org

A highlight of the AOPA Fly-In
weekend is the early morning pancake breakfast. About
1,500 people at the Saturday
pancake breakfast saw Idaho
aviation legend Bob Hoff
receive the prestigious Wright
Brothers Master Pilot Award for
50 years of safe flying during
a surprise presentation that his
family of four pilot generations
helped orchestrate.
"Bob gives so much to aviation and shares so much that
it's fun to see him get the welldeserved recognition," AOPA
President Mark Baker said.
"He's a special guy from a special family."
Hoff and his wife, Jane, and
their sons, James and Thomas,
run Aero Mark, the FBO at
Idaho Falls, and the family farm
and airstrip at Rainbow Ranch
(see "Put a Smile on Your Face,"
January 2018 AOPA Pilot). The
thriving FBO and family ranch
are home to a remarkable collection of historic and vintage
aircraft, including the Hoffs'
Staggerwing and Beech 18.

2018 AOPA FLY-INS
June 15-16

Missoula,
Montana (MSO)

September 14-15

Santa Fe, New
Mexico (SAF)

October 5-6

Carbondale,
Illinois (MDH)

October 26-27

Gulf Shores,
Alabama (JKA)

www.aopa.org/fly-ins
https://hangar.aopa.org/fly-in_hub http://www.aopa.org/fly-ins
AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2018

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