History
Some History of the Ky. Sport Aviation Weekend at Rough River Fly-in
By Tom Hubbuch, Chapter 110
7/30/2024
The 2024 Ky. Sport Aviation Weekend at Rough River, to be held over the weekend of Sept 13, 14, 15 will be the 50th Annual Fly-in.
Many attendees of the “Rough River Fly-in” do not know of the origins and background of our annual event. In this day and age, it is not unusual to have several choices of events on any given weekend to fly to and attend. There are pancake breakfasts, public days at airports, fly-ins and airshows in abundance. In earlier days, there were not so many opportunities, and this history gives some perspective of how our Ky. EAA Sport Aviation Weekend at Rough River came to be, and how it survived for 50 years.
EAA Ch 110 in Louisville had an “historian” or “librarian” who kept much of the written documentation of the Chapter. I am grateful to Tom Mitchell for his collections. Most of this historical information was gleaned from Chapter 110 meeting minutes, newsletters and some actual minutes of the Rough River Fly-in committees that he collected, and some came from various persons’ accounts.
The earliest information found comes from the Feb 1977 Fly-in Committee minutes which talk about a previous fly-in. Information from documents of later years indicate that the first Fly-in was held in 1974. Some advertising fliers and information through the years suggest that the first fly-in was not 1974, but most evidence leads to 1974 as the initial one, and has continued in various forms since then.
That Feb 1977 meeting was held at Rough River Park and was attended by 14 persons representing EAA Chapters in Louisville, Frankfort, Somerset, Owensboro, all in Ky. and Hendersonville, Tn., Westmoreland, Tn., Nashville, Tn., plus reps. from the Ky. State Parks, Rough River Park and the Ky. Division of Aeronautics.
Paul Cox of Louisville took on the job of securing a guest speaker. He suggested Tom Poberezny, but if not available, then Paul Poberezny.
Committees were formed and Chairpersons named: Aircraft Parking (Carl Bach), Security (Sam Rhodey), Registration (Charlotte Byrd), Awards (E.J. Schickli), Banquet (J.W. Young), Program and Activities (Paul Cox) and Administrative (Glenn Bumpous).
Activities considered included helicopter rides, glider displays, parachute activity, aircraft displays and fly-bys and training sessions.
This all suggests that the Fly-in was being modeled after the EAA International Fly-in and Convention, and was perhaps striving to be one of the larger Regional Fly-ins.
No info. found for 1975 and 1976.
The 1977 Fly-in was held on May 13 – 15.
In a follow-up meeting in June 1977 there was discussion of the question of whether the Fly-in should be continued on an annual basis and at what scale.
In July 1977, plans were being made for the next Fly-in to be held in May 1978. A positive note was that the Dept of Parks planned to hold a fly-in with or without EAA participation. A con was that a potentially serious accident occurred at the May 1977 fly-in. Long time Chapter 110 member Rodney Wise, not a member then, saw the incident, and described it. A Piper Cherokee or Arrow was taking off, maybe too heavy, used a lot of runway, barely lifted off, wobbling, drifted off to the side of the runway. A woman was driving a golf cart, possibly in the opposite direction of the airplane along the runway, saw the airplane coming, “passed out” and fell to the ground. Apparently this was a near-miss. No one was hurt – the woman was OK. There was concern that the event was not well prepared for. There were concerns that the event may have already “outgrown” the facility (evidently the May 1977 Fly-in was well attended), and there were questions of the ability of the lodge to cooperate and handle the event.
Some “competition” came from the KAA (Ky Aviation Association?) which held a fly-in on Oct. 1 & 2, 1977. Bad weather limited the attendance to 4 aircraft flying in and approx. 30 persons.
Further planning occurred in Feb 1978 to hold the next fly-in on May 12 – 14. The State agreed to run registration, provide drivers for vehicles, provide a breakfast on the flight line, pay liability insurance, provide two cottages and free food for workers, guarantee hassle-free camping spaces for fly-in campers, and provide accommodation for a guest speaker and spouse. EAA Chapter 110 would be responsible for parking, activities, forums, security and the guest speaker. Apparently, the State really wanted to have a Fly-in! In fact, the State was prepared to go ahead with or without the EAA Chapters involvement.
The Chapters were concerned about accidents, poor crowd control and pilots giving rides without regard to the traffic pattern.
Some reps from Ch 110 went to Frankfort to meet with State Rep Jay Young and Dick Coward of the FAA. It was agreed that the State would provide constantly circulating buses to convey people to the far side of the runway. Other decisions were that Bob Livingston would be the MC, and Senator Sullivan from Henderson would speak.
Finally, the 1978 Fly-in was held on May 12 -14, and, after all that planning, was all but rained out! However, 70 people attended, the Sat evening banquet was better than ever, and reps from the Wicks Organ Co and FAA were in attendance.
For the next few years there were discussions of who would participate, how the costs were to be shared.
No info. found for 1979 – 1982 RR Fly-ins.
There is mention of a Rough River State Park Seaplane Fly-in held on Oct 15 -17, 1982.
Three Chapters had been involved to date; Louisville (Ch 110), Frankfort (Ch 169) and Somerset, and had accumulated $1000. It was decided to donate the money to the EAA Museum, $500 on behalf of Chapter 110 and $500 from Ch 169. Somerset had become inactive, so no donation was attributed to them.
Somehow, the Sept 16 – 18, 1983 RR Fly-in conflicted with the Bowman Air Fair in Louisville.
The Sept 15 – 16, 1984 Fly-in was well attended, with many homebuilts and antiques. Cab Utley and Steve Scherffius flew aerobatic routines.
A KR 1-1/2 with a Corvair engine conversion was spotted at the 1985 Fly-in. It was owned by Floyd Neff, who was a member of the E’town Chapter (or Vine Grove?).
No info for 1986.
The 1987 Ch 110 Newsletter indicated that the 1987 Fly-in was the best attended ever with an estimate of about 200 airplanes and ultralights on the field at one time or another. Perfect weather did not hurt. Dick Fultz of Ch 110 won the Tri-Park Rally in his Rallye and Doc Dixon, also of Ch 110 won the spot landing and balloon bust in his Tri-Champ.
The State pulled out of the Sport Aviation Weekend of Sept 22 – 23, 1990 due to liability concerns, but many of the previous attendees made it their weekend. The following is a write-up in the Ch 110 Newsletter by Dick Fultz:
– Sport Aviation Weekend – For the last fifteen or more years, the state of Kentucky has sponsored an event in the fall that many from Ky and other states have looked forward to in much the same way we look forward to Oshkosh. Sport Aviation Weekend (SAW) has been a weekend gathering of flyers and non-flyers alike, to simply enjoy and share their love of flying, home-building, flying competition, aircraft displays, and even a mini-airshow. While each person had their own specific interests, everyone enjoyed the camaraderie so unique to the aviation community.
Earlier this year, everyone with a room reservation for SAW received a letter from the state informing them that due to liability concerns, they were canceling their sponsorship. This meant that there would be no air show, spot-landing contests, balloon burst, bombing contests, Tri-Park Rally, and the associated awards and prizes customarily given by the state.
Many EAAers that had room reservations met at RR anyway, determined not to let the beautiful fall weather and “our weekend” pass. There was at one point, 50+ airplanes on the ground or flying in the vicinity of the airport. (In years past, it was not uncommon to see 200 or more crowding that beautiful little airport.) As usual, there were a lot of stories and aircraft rides swapped.
A social hour was provided by the park as well as a cookout on Sat evening with some excellent food served in the cool evening air under a canopy of canvas and blue sky. Later, Bob Braunbeck was kind enough to share his slideshow and tape on his 16 years of flying for Cousteau aboard the Calypso. This, punctuated with his wit and considerable knowledge of geography and aviation, tickled the fancy and funny bone of everyone.
There is underway an effort to keep SAW alive through non-state sponsorship. Recently a group of interested aviators met to organize the 1991 SAW, and a commitment has been made to RR State Park for Sept 27-29, 1991. Rooms have been held for those interested in this event. The plans are just being formulated and our chapter will be called upon to assist in the planning and execution of some area of this next SAW. Plans call for a cookout, FAA safety meeting, various seminars of general interest to pilots, social gatherings, a very interesting speaker, a banquet, lots of hangar flying, the renewal of friendships from the previous SAW, and hopefully meeting lots of new people from across the region.
The success of this event will depend upon the number of volunteers available and the early involvement of many organizations to be responsible for an area of the fly-in activities. This is a wonderful family event that everyone enjoys with lots of activities available for the children and non-flyers in the family.
Interested parties or officers of other EAA Chapters are asked to contact Charley Lynn during evening hours at 502-458-abcd. Lets pitch in on this one, gang.
The Fly-in was held on Sept 27 – 29, 1991. Ch 110 Newsletter Editor Charlie Gokey wrote an article describing it:
– SAW at RR was very successful in large part due to three days of made to order weather. It was held for the first time without state sponsorship over the last weekend in Sept.
Approx 200 aircraft from ultra-lights to warbirds made their appearance during the weekend. Saturday saw about 150 aircraft parked on the field. Activities included forums on wood construction by Charlie Gokey, composite constructions by CK Dixon and Willie Curtis, aircraft engines by Paul Cox, and safety by FAA Accident Prevention Specialist (and Ch 110 member) Bruce Edsten. A preflight contest was conducted by Bruce Skaggs. A fly market with a number of goodies was provided for those who wanted to sell excess aviation related items. One of the nicer items sold was a portable LORAN. (a real steal of a price). Finally, a Sat banquet was attended by approx 100 persons.
SAW chairman and MC Charlie Lynn presented plaques to the oldest licensed pilot present and to the pilot who had flown the longest distance to the fly-in. Bruce Skaggs presented a plaque to the preflight contest winner. (Your editor failed to note the names of all the various winners…sorry.) The aircraft judging chairman, Paul Cox presented plaques for “outstanding aircraft”. There was no attempt to categorize aircraft for the awards and all, including modern factory built aircraft, were eligible. Plaques were awarded to: Steve Hill (Christen Eagle), John Bullens (Stinson Voyager), Phil Cashmer (Piper Clipper), Jim & Patty Hornback (Kitfox), Jim Prell (C-172), Jerry VanGrunsen (RV-4), Jim Wright and Steve Givens (Culver Cadet), Tom Barnes (Mini Max), Dave Carpenter (Swift), and Mitch and Sally Kaye (Great Lakes).
At the evening banquet, a very interesting slide program on Ky aviation Pioneer Matthew Sellers, was given by aviation historian Ed Peck. There were door prizes donated by Wicks Aircraft, Loehle Aviation and by Berry Bannon. Our sincere thanks to all those of the various chapters that helped make the weekend a success, and especially to Glen Bumpous and the others of the Dept. of State Parks that made this fun weekend possible. (by C. Gokey)
The Ch 110 Newsletter described the Sept 25 – 27, 1992 Fly-in:
– SAW was held at RR the last weekend in Sept. Fri was a beautiful start with a number of EAAers from several chapters arriving to set up and kick off our second year of EAA sponsorship of this traditional fall weekend. There were a lot of planes on the ground by nightfall, and it was a good thing. By the next morning, it was raining with low, ragged ceilings and reduced visibility. Fri night found most everyone gathered for a social hour in one of the new meeting rooms at the lodge. After everyone had a chance to meet old friends and new ones, we were treated to a double-barreled treat with Tim Stiver’s country humor and then a more technical presentation on GPS and LORAN by Mike Jones from Aircraft Specialists at Clark county Airport. The Fri evening program was great! With the nearly continuous rain on Sat, the fly-market was closed almost before it opened, and forums were held at the lodge and attracted good crowds considering the weather kept Sat arrivals at zilch. There were a lot of bull sessions on the flight line with only a couple of short weather checking flights launched. Our speaker for Sat night flew over about 1730 but could not get low enough to see the airport. He went to OWB and landed and rented a car. Mr. Mark Twombly, the Editor in Chief for AOPA’s PILOT magazine, was our guest speaker and arrived in time for a bit of socializing before the dinner. He gave a talk during which he reminded us of our obligation to introduce others to the sport, fun and business of aviation. His theme seemed so appropriate because of what our chapter has been talking about, namely the importance of introducing new people, young people to aviation. As Mr. Twombly put it, “for the pure joy of flying”. There were a large number of door prizes for the give away and we had quite a long evening, but a good one. Sunday bloomed as we hoped it would, with sound of airplanes taking to the air to dry out their water-laden wings. Airplane noise was in order for the remainder of the day. There were attempts at forums on Sun, but the sheer joy of flying kept most people busy. The fly market was closed early due to very little merchandise being left for sale. Flying continued for several hours into the late afternoon. As usual, the gang at RR, Pete, Tom, Glen, Jay and all the other workers from the state were extremely helpful and accommodating. Considering the bad weather on Sat, enough revenue was gained on Sun that our costs were met and a little left over for next year. That is planned for the last weekend in Sept in 1993. Mark your calendars now. I already have a room reservation, do you?
Sept 24 -26, 1993 Fly-in review, from Ch 110 Newsletter:
– SAW may have taken on a new meaning such as Soggy and Wet. As most everyone knows, our annual pilgrimage to Rough River was again very wet. As usual, the regulars were there and considering the weather, we again had a pretty good turnout. The weather, however, did keep a lot of people away that might have flown in for one day or even a few hours. Some flying took place on Sunday, but the weather did not cooperate long enough to recover the expenses. Fortunately, we had enough of a kitty to cover them. Friday evening, Steve Cox gave a very interesting and humorous presentation about his career thus far in the aviation business. He had a slide show of some of his training and the aircraft he flew in the Air Force and later as an airline pilot. Everyone seemed to enjoy his lighthearted jabs of humor at himself and pilots in general, regarding their opinion of themselves and their self-inflicted “hero” status. I really enjoyed this type of presentation by someone that we all know and on a subject that we all love. Mom and Dad Cox were present of course and I feel sure are justifiably proud of both of their sons, even though the other one is only a doctor.
Saturday, some forums were held during the day but not much flying. Saturday evening everyone enjoyed a social hour before dinner then we were treated to a humorous albeit short presentation by Billy Thompson from Jackson, Mississippi. Billy is known by several of the local chapter members. He flies a Ford powered Mustang II and has a knack for relating experiences in a humorous way. We had a number of door prizes to give away and several aircraft awards, but since we had more awards than we had airplanes, due to the weather, some other creative use for the awards will surface perhaps.
I always enjoy this weekend even if the weather is bad since it is a time to get away and do nothing but airplane stuff. This year found a longer runway, expanded hard surface parking area and a very nice new facility on the airport with restrooms, a lounge area and showers. This is a beautiful park and now very easily accessed by nearly most GA airplanes. Oh well, there’s always next year.
Sept 23 – 25, 1994. Article from Ch 110 Newsletter:
Sport Aviation Weekend is a wet one… Again
“Singing in the Rain” may be a better name for sport aviation weekend, said Charlie Lynn, one of the organizers. Yes, it happened again. The main feature for this year sport aviation weekend at Rough River, the end of September, was the rain. It seems like the rain has been a big part of this weekend for four out of the past five years. If you happened to fly in a few days early, Saturday was a great day for flying as long as you stayed right in the vicinity of the Rough River airport. The only problem was that the weather was bad everywhere else in Kentucky, so flying to Rough River was out of the question for most folks. Approximately 20 airplanes did fly in for the weekend which is a few more than made it for last year’s rainy sport aviation weekend. A lot of other folks traded their wings for wheels and made their way by automobile.
Even with the limited flying conditions and the small number of airplanes on the flight line, this was a good weekend for the participants. With the workshops, the aircraft judging, the banquet, the happy hours, the presentations, and the opportunities to spend time sharing advice with experimental aircraft enthusiasts from around the state, there was plenty to do in spite of the rain. The workshops on construction techniques were well attended. This year’s workshops focused on providing participants with actual hands on experience and building with wood, aluminum, and fiberglass. The primary presenters include chapter members Mike Delaney (fiberglass) and Bruce Skaggs (aluminum). The other presenters were Michael Loehle (woodworking) from Loehle aviation in Tennessee, and Mrs. Colby Farmer, who is building a Long-Eze with her husband in Elizabethtown.
This year’s banquet featured United Airlines pilot Steve Cox, who entertained with tales of flying F-4s with the Kentucky Air National Guard and flying the friendly skies internationally with United. All in all, it was a good weekend for sport aviation in Kentucky in spite of the rain.
Sept 22 – 24, 1995, from Ch 110 Newsletter:
– Good weather and lots of airplanes on hand for sport aviation weekend.
People burned incense, consulted gurus, paid off faith healers, and bribed weather service employees in an attempt to ensure good weather for this year’s sport aviation weekend. Well, it worked. After three consecutive years of wet sport aviation weekend we finally had one with three days of blue skies.
The 18th(?) annual gathering of Kentucky’s EAA chapters and sport aviation enthusiasts brought well over 100 airplanes to Rough River Dam State Park over the weekend of September 22 – 24. Folks came in from Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Texas, Michigan, Indiana, Tennessee, Ohio and Illinois. Aircraft included a collection of Mustang IIs, several RVs, a Long-Eze, an Avid Flyer, a Volmer Amphibian, a couple of Stinsons, a couple of Kitfoxes and a gyrocopter. Also on the field were several Lake Amphibians, Piper Cubs, Taylorcraft, Aeronca Chiefs, Luscombes, Piper Tri-Pacers, and Ercoupes. Mix in a Stearman, a Waco, a Hatz, a Decathlon and a Citabria for good measure. Even a few war birds made it in this year, a T-6 Texan, an F4U Corsair and a Bamboo Bomber. Add to this the collection of Cessnas, Cherokees, Grummans and you have several rows of airplanes stretching almost the length of the runway. For those who are not familiar with sport aviation weekend at Rough River this is grass roots aviation at its best. It is a weekend Fly-in at a resort park featuring all kinds of airplanes and all kinds of aviation activity. It is a weekend for looking at airplanes, showing off airplanes and paying homage to airplanes. A weekend for telling stores about flying, learning more about flying, and yes, even doing a bit of flying. Friday evening featured a presentation by Laura Benson on the benefits of instrument training. This was followed by the evening’s entertainment, “Looking cool on the ramp, a humorous look at pilot fashions”, was a spoof of fashion shows presented by Cardinal Wings flight school assisted by chapter 110 members. Featured outfits included ensembles for Warbird jockeys, amphib pilots, home builders, aerobatic junkies and the infamous student pilot. Models from the chapter included Mike Delaney, CK Dixon, Dick Fultz, Jim Burrell, and Pegge Soucy.
The Saturday evening banquet was one of the largest ever and featured retired air force general Pat Haloran sharing his experiences in the SR-71 Blackbird. Haloran, an active EAA member in Colorado Springs, flew into Rough River in his Mustang II.
Some of the highlights this year were the forums, the aircraft vendors, and the unofficial and unannounced crosswind landing contest held on Saturday morning.
One of the special forums this year was the right seat ground school offered by Cardinal Wings owner/instructor Laura Benson for spouses, friends and relatives that frequently accompany pilots in the right seat of small airplanes.
Other forums included metal construction presented by Ralph Pawlak, engines by Paul Cox, wiring your aircraft by Earl Schroeder, and meteorology by Cardinal Wings instructor Gary Kramer.
Mike and Sandy Loehle’s Loehle Aviation replica Spad XIII drew a lot of attention both on the ground and in the air.
Larry Beckley, a new distributor for Quad City Challengers and operating out of the Scottsville Airport brought a couple of the Challengers down for demonstration rides.
Dale and Sonja Mundy of M&K Aviation were there with their trailer of parts. Dutch and Mary Jane Eback of VM enterprises came down from Belleville, Michigan with a trailer load of hats, pins, patches and other goodies. And the Elizabethtown EAA chapter brought in their stand to provide flight line coffee, doughnuts, brats and burgers.
CAP cadets were also on hand again this year to help with parking and security. We deeply appreciate the help they continue to give us each year.
Sept 13 -15, 1996; Good weather, a good turn-out and good times were reported.
Sept 12 – 14, 1997; Mike (Bear) Cooper took over as the Fly-in Chairman. Berry Bannon said 150 aircraft attended, with 135 on the ground at one count. From the Ch 110 Newsletter:
– 20th (ed: 23rd) sport aviation weekend a huge success
We all got collectively lucky again, and had three days of near perfect weather for the annual whoop-de-do at Rough River. In the last issue, we reminded all and sundry to get out and get there, and evidently a bunch of you did just that!
While there was no actual official count, best estimates are that just over 200 aircraft participated at one time or another throughout the event. At one point on Saturday afternoon, there were about 150 machines on the ground at the same time! The Saturday night dinner was well-attended too, with 115 aviation enthusiasts tying on the feed bag.
With all the really great airplanes that show up, it’s always tough to award the best in this class or that class. A whole bushel of trophies were handed out anyway, with the judges’ decisions being final! There’s no doubt that I know what I like, but judging aircraft has to be a thankless task, because there will always be somebody who thinks you make a truly chucklehead choice! Lots of thanks go out to the truly courageous folks who served as this year’s judges!
I guess there’s one area where the judges have it easy and that’s funding the oldest aircraft. Hey, oldest is oldest! What can you say? This year the honors went to a 1937 Aeronca Chief. Dang! That’s older than me, even.
In any case, if you missed it, you missed a really good one. Hopefully, we can do as well next year. Hats off to our ol’ buddy Mike Cooper for tackling the organization of this year’s effort! By Bruce Edsten.
The Fly-in was held on Sept 11 – 13, 1998, Sept 10 – 12, 1999, and Sept 15 – 17, 2000.
The Sept 15 – 16, 2001 Fly-in was initially led by new Chairman, Carroll Smiley. Apparently, his tenure was short-lived, and Charlie Lynn took the reins again.
A new leader was being sought for the Fly-in of Sept 13 – 15, 2002. Seems that Mike Cooper came back into the picture for a couple years. There is evidence that Berry Bannon was assuming more responsibility of organizing, too.
Sept 12 – 14, 2003. From Ch 110 Newsletter:
– Rough River is a Big Success (includes several pictures, Stolp Starlett, Velocity, GlaStar w/ floats, Red/White/Blue GlaStar)
That is not to say it was a huge success! Unfortunately, the weather guessers were talking about some nasty weather for Sunday, so a lot of folks packed up and headed home Saturday afternoon, which did detract from the attendance at the banquet that evening. Ultimately, the weather did not go anywhere near as sour as predicted, so Sunday was a decent day, both for coming to the event or heading home. Before the mass exodus, the parking area had filled up pretty well, with all kinds of different machines, from your basic Wichita Wonders through some pretty exotic homebuilts. I never did get a real accurate report on how many aircraft actually showed up but I did hear an estimate over 100. Not bad for what was supposed to be lousy weather! Up around the hard surface at the north end it looked a little bit like a GlaStar convention, and to a certain extent, it was! Actually, the GlaStar folks are talking about making Rough River their big event for the year. If the GlaStar people like this whole thing enough, we could end up getting crowded out! There’s a bunch of these things going together all around the country, so maybe Rough will just be a regional thing for them. As it was, the machines that were there had come from several different states. Well, there’s always next year! And, speaking of next year, there’s some talk about putting Wings Weekend in with the Fly-in. With all the advertising, we could end up with a real crowd!
Sept 10 – 12, 2004. Berry Bannon headed up the event. From the Ch 110 minutes:
– Berry Bannon reported that the turnout for the fly-in and banquet was good. There was a large showing of RVs and GlaStars. There were door prizes for everyone that attended the banquet. He now knows more about organizing the event and hopes to be better prepared for next year.
Sept 9 – 11, 2005. From Ch 110 meeting minutes:
– Rough River – Held last weekend, Berry reported that it was a good time. Approx. 100 aircraft flew in, which was below expectations, possibly due to hazy weather and the recent high fuel costs. Sixty-six attended the banquet, featuring Rosie the Riveter, enacted by Angela Barkley, a Bowman flight instructor. He reported that the event wound up about $70.00 short of meeting expenses. Planning for next year has begun.
Sept 8 – 10, 2006. Berry Bannon was leading the event, with assistance from Tom Hubbuch. From Ch 110 minutes:
– Rough River Ky. Sport Aviation Weekend
Berry Bannon reported a successful weekend, with good local weather and about 150 aircraft attending, including a military Apache helicopter. Several Chapter members visited the fly-in, but Berry good-naturedly lambasted some others who “should have been there”. Berry said that financially the Fly-in “broke even”.
Sept 7 – 9, 2007. From Ch 110 minutes:
Berry reported that tough weather held visiting aircraft to five or six on Friday, and about 35 on Saturday. However, the dinner banquet was well attended by about 45 persons. Our Chapter airline trivia expert, Robert Wilmoth put the crowd to a test just prior to dinner, with a slide show and challenging questionnaire to fill out related to airline and military aircraft. It was so tough that we think that he had to grade on a curve just to get a passing grade to name a winner! Ralph Waldrop, a WW2 B-26 bomber pilot made a presentation, telling about his training, the aircraft and some of his experiences. Then, Bob Allen related some humorous stories from his 30 something years as an airline pilot. Just about everyone received a door prize, and the raffle winners were drawn. It was agreed by many that this banquet was one of the best in recent memory. The next Rough River Fly-in is scheduled for Sept. 12, 13, 14, 2008.
Sept 12 – 14, 2008. From Ch 110 minutes:
Berry reported that weather related to Hurricane Ike resulted in a low turnout of aircraft, but about 25 to 30 attended the banquet. He said the event lost about $100, but most of the liquor purchased this year will offset some costs next year. The Chapter voted to reimburse Berry the $100, which came out of his pocket. Berry asked members to look for a compact freezer to use for ice cream on the flight line next year. The 35th annual fly-in will be Sept. 18 – 20, 2009.
A question was asked if Rough River has tie-downs for overnight stays. Berry said there are about a dozen on the tarmac, and more in the grass.
Sept 18 – 20, 2009. From Ch 110 minutes:
Berry reported that the event was a success, despite bad weather to the south and east. There were about 50 – 60 aircraft that flew in, and about 50 persons attended the banquet, where Mike Loehle was the guest speaker. Financially, the event was about $26.00 in the black.
Sept 10 – 12, 2010. Berry Bannon said the Lodge was sold out. The Vine Grove Chapter set up their grills for the Saturday lunch crowd. Berry also announced that this would be the last Fly-in that he would chair. He is looking for his replacement.
In Jan 2011 Ch 110 Secretary Tom Hubbuch sent this letter to all Ky EAA Chapters:
Fellow Ky. EAAers and Aviation Enthusiasts:
Our long-running (36 years without a miss) Kentucky EAA Sport Aviation Weekend at Rough River State Park is in need of a new leader.
For the past seven or eight years Berry Bannon of Louisville Chapter 110 has successfully spearheaded the event held each September, but has decided that it is time to pass the baton. Berry was talked into running the show one more time in 2010, but insists that he is now retired from the job.
In the past, the fly-in has been led by one Ky. EAA Chapter for a few years, then handed off to another for a few more, and now it is again time for new representation.
As Secretary of Chapter 110, I have been asked by Berry and the Chapter to write this note to advise all the Ky. Chapters of Berry’s decision and to encourage another Chapter to pick up the ball and make a run. I am sending this to all the e-mail addresses that I could find of related Chapter officers and interested persons.
In most years the fly-in has been held during the second weekend of September. Typically early arrivals show up on Friday, with a social get-together that evening. Saturday is generally the most active, with aircraft coming and going all day. When weather is good, Vine Grove Chapter #657 provides lunch from their grills. A Social Hour and Awards Banquet with a guest speaker follows later that evening. By early Sunday afternoon most everyone has departed and the airport is back to normal.
Overall, following this formula has produced successful fly-ins that have been well received. However, new leadership may choose to continue in this vein, or make improvements with fresh new thinking. Nothing is cast in stone.
Attendance varies, usually dependent on the weather, and aircraft showing up range from ultralights, to powered parachutes, simple and complex homebuilts to factory aircraft of many kinds. The GlaStar group has been a regular recently, and other type-clubs have made efforts to attend the fly-in, also. Steve Marcozzi, of the Ky. Dept. of Aviation, has put a lot of effort into getting the word out to the Ky. airports, and is interested in growing this event. The Rough River staff has been very cooperative and supportive of our needs.
The gist of this message is that without new leadership, this historic Fly-in may not continue to be held. It needs a new leader, soon. Please, present this opportunity to your Chapter and consider running the show for a few years.
Be assured that Berry and fellow Chapter 110 members are willing to assist and offer their years of experience to a new chairman.
Berry is obligated, by early spring, to confirm with the Park that the Fly-in will be held on the weekend of Sept. 9-11, 2011. So, please respond to me or Berry, yea, nay or maybe, by the middle of February.
If questions, contact Berry Bannon. . . . .
Sept 9 – 11, 2011. The current era began with Norm Houglan of Vine Grove Chapter 657 taking the lead. Tom Hubbuch of Louisville Chapter 110 continued assisting the event. From Ch 110 minutes:
Norman Houglan, this year’s fly-in chairman and president of the Vine Grove Chapter, reported that the event went well, had adequate help from Ch 110 and 657, and had good attendance, with 30-40 aircraft flying in. The Friday social hour had about 26 people, who enjoyed the Bluegrass music in the next room. Sat. weather was fairly good, and the banquet was attended well enough to pay expenses. He will send the RR committee members’ financial statements, and reported that the fly-in was able to remain in the black, netting about $230. Sept. 14, 2012 is next years planned date. The PPC group who was to present the speaker had to leave RR early due to weather, but did send him a summary report of their summer travels.
Sept 14 – 16, 2012. From Ch 110 minutes, planning included:
Tom Hubbuch said the fly-in is coming together, with a Friday night social gathering, a spot landing contest and poker run on Sat., and the banquet Sat. evening. The featured speaker will be Keith Mountain who will talk about the Ky. Volunteer Aviators. Raffles include one for a Bendix/King AV8OR GPS, a Sporty’s Instrument Rating Course, and an aviation art wall hanging. Another features a Waco Ride for two, and a Split-the-Pot drawing. Advance banquet and raffle tickets were sold before and after the meeting.
And,
Tom Hubbuch said the fly-in was a success. All activities for Friday night and Sat were held as planned. All 56 seats were filled at the banquet. Chapter 110 member Bill Lanman won $65.00 from the 50/50 drawing. Initial reports from Norm Houglan indicate that around $600 – $700 was cleared after expenses.
Sept 13 – 15, 2013. From Ch 110 minutes:
. . . The banquet had 65 attending, about 70 aircraft were counted on Sat., and the weather was excellent. It is thought that better advertising would result in even better attendance. Next year, the fly-in will be held on the 3rd weekend of Sept instead of the traditional 2nd weekend, since a wedding has secured all of the Park’s facilities.
Sept 19 – 21, 2014. From Ch 110 minutes:
Tom Hubbuch reported that the fly-in was successful. Weather was nice overall, a bit windy, but mostly down the runway. About 54 persons attended the banquet. All won at least one door prize. Chapter member Howard Edwards won $160 in the poker run, and donated half to Ch 110, and half to the Vine Grove Chapter. Chapter member Gary Graham won the Waco ride. Initial accounting shows that expenses, which were increased by the Park this year, may have exceeded income by about $175, which will be covered by the fly-in savings account. The fly-in will return to its traditional 2nd weekend of Sept next year, i.e., Sept 11-13, 2015. It is hoped that other local fly-ins will be aware of this and try to avoid conflicts.
Sept 11 – 13, 2015. From Ch 110 minutes:
Tom Hubbuch reported that the Saturday day attendance was low due to poor weather, but 64 persons attended the banquet. Preliminary reports are that the fly-in netted around $350 to put into the fly-in savings, which may allow additional activities next year. Next year’s 42nd annual fly-in will be Sept 9 – 11, 2016.
Jan 2016: The long-time Fly-in Webmaster, Carroll Smiley, previously of Franklin, Ky, gave up the job when he moved to Colorado. Jim Lasch, of Louisville, agreed to take over the duties.
Sept 9 – 11, 2016. From Ch 110 minutes:
Tom Hubbuch reported that the fly-in netted $102.94, which was better than originally expected
Sept 8 – 10, 2017. From Ch 110 minutes:
Tom Hubbuch gave a summary of the fly-in:
The weather was perfect, sunny, high of 75. Airplanes began arriving on Fri, and the staff set up to offer raffle tickets and flight-line badges. Rick Spurling, Dick Booher and their crew produced a first-class cook-out and social get-together at the RV campers and tent that evening. More arrivals came on Sat, totaling about 75 aircraft through the day. Lunch from the grill was served by a new local restaurant, The Wilderness Cafe, which was first-class. A spot landing contest was held, which proved challenging due to gusty wind. The poker run and 50/50 pot ran through the day. Many gathered for dinner at the Lodge restaurant, choosing from the menu or buffet. After dinner, door prizes were awarded, and the raffle, spot landing and poker run winners were determined and announced. Many stayed around for a social evening. The winners of the events were:
Grand Raffle (8 prize winners drawn)-
1- DC Pro-X headset from Wicks Aircraft, Josh Gilberts
2- Eagle Nest rental from Rick Tabb, Berry Bannon
3- Flight Bag from Sporty’s, Gerry Lynn
4- Flight Review DVD from Sporty’s, Josh Gilberts
5- $25 Gift Cert from Aircraft Spruce, Gary Graham
6- $25 Gift Cert from Aircraft Spruce, Teresa Scherffius
7- $35 Gift Cert from Wag Aero, Bob Waggoner
8- Basket of Booze, from Judy Houglan (winner restricted to those present), Ken Jordan
Poker Run-
There were two co-winners this time due to a rule misunderstanding – Rick Spurling and Bob Waggoner, who split $150.
50/50 Split the Pot- The winner was Allen McDavitt, who pocketed $111.
Waco Tour for Two from Steve Koch of Classic Biplane Tours- The winner was Mike Lowell.
Spot Landing- The competition was close, and Brandon Schulz of Vine Grove was announced as the winner. He became the proud holder of the new traveling trophy built by Bob Waggoner.
All who attended the fly-in, either for a day or the weekend, seemed to have a good time seeing old friends and meeting new ones.
The date for the fly-in next year is Sept 7, 8, 9, 2018
Sept 7 – 9, 2018. From Ch 110 minutes:
Tom Hubbuch reported that the fly-in weather was poor, and only four aircraft flew in. Attendees understood this, and had a good time nonetheless. The Spot Landing Contest was not held. About 20 persons attended the awards gathering, which, due to a tornado watch in the area, was held in an unused meeting room that the Lodge allowed us to use. Everyone received about three door prizes, the 50/50 raffle paid Rick Mills $103, the virtual Poker Run paid Tom Hubbuch $120, Timothy Crivits won the Waco Flight, and Wanda Jo Crivits won the Sporty’s Scanner Radio. The fly-in was able to pocket about $28 after expenses were paid. Plans are being made to hold a follow-up fly-in and Spot Landing Contest at Rough River, possibly in Nov.
Sept 13 – 15, 2019. From Ch 110 minutes:
Tom Hubbuch presented an ANR headset, donated by Wick’s Aircraft, to the 1st winner drawn for one of the Grand Prizes, George Baumler. He could barely contain his excitement. Also, the finances of the Fly-in were reviewed; income was $1935.00, expenses were $1332.03, resulting in a net gain of $602.97. He said the fly-in had excellent weather and attendance. 51 persons attended the Friday evening cook-out. It was contended by some that the winner of the Spot Landing contest should have been Bob Waggoner, and he was given a plaque made up by Gary Katz as a consolation prize. Thanks to all who supported our KY EAA Sport Aviation Weekend.
Sept 11 – 13, 2020. From Ch 110 minutes:
The full event was cancelled due to the Covid pandemic. However, a downsized,
informal fly-in was held on Sat., Sept 12. An estimated 30 aircraft were flown in, and a spot landing contest was won by Bob Waggoner.
Sept 10 – 12, 2021. From Ch 110 minutes:
The fly-in was successful considering the Covid restrictions related to the Lodge and Restaurant. About 30 aircraft were flown in. The lunch grill seemed to be well
supported by the attendees. The winner of the ANR headset was Glenn Hubbuch, and the winner of the Sporty’s Flight bag was Jim Lasch, both of Ch 110. Participation in the Spot Landing Contest was limited due to high winds, but Bob Waggenor of Ch 110 took home the trophy.
Sept 9 – 11, 2022. From Ch 110 minutes:
Tom Hubbuch explained that the planned date or 9/9-11/22 had to be postponed to a one day event on Sunday, 9/18 due to forecast bad weather. Arrivals should start around mid-morning, raffle tickets, etc. will be sold, a food concession will be available for lunch, the spot landing contest will occur early/mid-afternoon, winners will be drawn/presented mid/late afternoon. Tickets for the raffles, etc. were sold at the back of the room. Thanks to Jim Lasch and John Bruns for their assistance.
AND:
Summary of 2022 48th Annual Ky Sport Aviation Weekend at Rough River
9/20/22
As the planned event date of Sept 9-11 approached, the weather forecasts were predicting rain and storms through that weekend. The decision was made on Wed, Sept 14 to postpone the fly-in to Sunday, Sept 18. As it turned out, the original weekend did not develop the poor weather as predicted, but, it still was not ideal for those flying in.
The “rain date” Sunday gave us perfect weather, and about 20 aircraft were flown in for the day and several folks drove in, resulting in about 40 persons attending.
Surprisingly, several aviators arrived Saturday and camped with their aircraft that night, which reportedly was a perfect camping night.
Those attending dined at the Lodge restaurant or across the street at the Lake View restaurant. Both served a real nice buffet or lunch.
The early part of the day was mostly spent visiting fellow aviators and friends and comparing notes on aircraft.
Unfortunately, the winds picked up and were a bit gusty, so there were only two entries for the Spot Landing contest, and those two decided to make the contest one of trying to land before the first taxi-way turn-off when they returned to Bowman.
At mid-afternoon, about 20 persons participated in the Raffle drawings. The PJ2 handheld radio, donated by Sporty’s was won by Dave Derrick, the RayTalk headset, donated by Wick’s Aircraft was won by Beth King, the Original Flightbag, donated by Sporty’s was won by Kacy Thompson and the $25 WagAero Gift Certificate was won by Sha Allen.
George Baumler won $95 from the 50/50 drawing. And, lucky Kacy Thompson won the Waco Flight for Two donated by Steve Koch.
Finally, drawings were held for various door prizes until everyone present took home a handy item.
The event wrapped up about 4:30 PM CST, which allowed enough time for folks to get back and get ready for the week.
It was later reported that the one-of-a kind, traveling Spot Landing Trophy went to Gary Katz, who made the first turn-off at Bowman. Bob Waggoner tried, but no cigar.
Mark your calendars for September 8 – 10, 2023 for the 49th version of the fly-in.
The Fly-in Committee thanks all who supported the event.
Norman Hoaglan
Tom Hubbuch
Rick Mills
Sept 8 – 10, 2023. From Chapter 110 minutes:
Tom Hubbuch reported that the Rough River Fly-in was a success. Low clouds kept the airplane count to around 30-40. Vine Grove did a great job on the lunch grills. The Spot Landing was won by Rick Trimble of Tenn., with a distance of 24 ft., and he was awarded the traveling trophy. The Social gathering was attended by about 40 persons. Tom Hubbuch won $109 in the Split-the-Pot drawing, Beth King won $105 in the Poker Run and the Waco Tour was won by Bill Pierce of Leitchfield. The five Grand Raffle prizes were: Sporty’s PJ2+ radio won by Rob Lasher, Sporty’s PJ2 radio won by John Bruns, Flight Simulator controls won by Beth King, WagAero $25 gift certificate won by Jeff Laughrey (of Tenn?) and the Metal Model Biplane was won by Greg Travis (of Bloomington). The Trivia contest was won by the Scud Runners, paid $60, and second place was Airhead Aviators, who won $40.
The next Fly-in is planned for Sept 13 – 15, 2024, which will be the 50th Annual Ky Sport Aviation Weekend at Rough River.