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• Warbird's history keeper 6/25/08

CONTACT SCBJ John Wolcott, Editor jwolcott@scbj.com Dave Clark, Assistant Editor dclark@scbj.com

Paine Field General Aviation Day a success

By John Wolcott
SCBJ Editor

More than 2,100 visitors to the 2008 Paine Field General Aviation Day made the spring event highly successful, according to Dave Waggoner, airport director.

¿The Paine Field Fire Fighter Pancake Breakfast generated $1,900 for the Northwest Burn Foundation, the Mukilteo Chamber of Commerce¿s Taste of Mukilteo raised $2,200 for their scholarship fund and the Paine Field chapter of the Washington Pilots Association provided free flights for 230 Young Eagles, part of their annual orientation program for youths,¿ Waggoner said.

The event marked the 13th annual General Aviation Day celebration since the WPA launched it. Since 1995, tens of thousands of visitors have attended.

Each year crowds, events and displays continue to grow. The program is co-sponsored by Paine Field and the Mukilteo Chamber of Commerce.

Coinciding with Armed Forces Day, the free event also featured vintage military aircraft from the Cascade Warbirds, a formation fly-over by the Arlington-based Black Jack Squadron and aircraft from the Historic Aircraft Foundation, along with dozens of civilian general aviation planes on display.

One of the popular attractions for the crowd was attendance once again by the Tyee Triumph Club, which displayed a wide range of vintage vehicles. Nearby, another display included a variety of Paine Field¿s fire engines.

Information booths and displays were set up for Angel Flight West, Civil Air Patrol, Mukilteo Lighthouse Festival, FALLS Cooperative Preschool, Totem Council of the Girl Scouts, Key Bank, Microsoft, Purrfect Pals, Women in Aviation, Children¿s Air Corps Guild, Eastside Family Health Center, the Future of Flight & Boeing Tour facility and three flight schools at Paine Field, including Northwest Aviation Center, Northway Aviation and Regal Air.

Helicopters from Arlington¿s Phoenix Rotorcraft attracted crowds and tent displays included general aviation displays, aviation movies and a Microsoft Flight Simulator hands-on presentation.

Tours were offered of Everett Community College¿s Aviation School at Paine Field, home of a growing aviation maintenance technician training facility. Students learn to work on aircraft engines as well as learning techniques for new composite materials used in modern aviation technology. The center is due to be expanded in the near future.