Open House continues to highlight Lincoln Airport, joy of flying

The Annual Lincoln Airport Open House and Barbecue drew a healthy crowd Saturday, with guests showing up throughout the day to have a bite to eat and to check out the airport and the visiting aircraft.

The event, hosted by Jerry and Liz Cain for 17 years, began as a fly-in Barbecue and meeting of the Helena Vigilante Hangar of the Montana Pilots Association but it has since become part of Jerry Cain's ongoing effort to get the community interested in supporting the Lincoln Airport.

Although curious locals had been dropping by the Fly-In barbecues for several years, Cain first hosted it as a true public open house in 2016.

"It's funny the very first year I opened it up to the community, it was surprising how many people didn't even know there was an airport here," he said. "I want the town to know there's an airport here to serve the community."

While Cain was happy with the Open House turnout this year, which was in excess of 50 people, he said there were far fewer aircraft on the flight line this year. He suspects it had something to do with the fact that many pilots hadn't returned from the Experimental Aviation Association's "Airventure Oshkosh" in Wisconsin, which ran from July 22-28. Oshkosh marked 50 years as one of the nation's largest fly-in conventions this year.

Nevertheless, Ray Aten and Bryan Douglass from the Missoula Experimental Aviation Association and Lance Seaman from the Helena EAA came to Lincoln to volunteer their time during the open house to give kids a chance to get airborne with the EAA's Young Eagles Program.

Tiana Valler has been coordinating the Young Eagle flights during the open house since 2017, when she first worked with the EAA to bring the free flights to Lincoln. The program gives kids between the ages of 8 and 17 the chance to learn about aviation during a flight in a general aviation airplane.

Valler told the BVD 18 kids took to the skies Saturday, with a couple of them even getting the chance to fly from the co-pilots seat.

"We didn't have anyone who was airsick or afraid," Valler said. "They all loved their flights."

Lincoln's Kenny Benefield was one of the Young Eagles who had the chance to take the controls during a flight, Valler said. Two years ago, Benefield was one of the kids who first inspired her to host a six-week extracurricular Yong Aviator class in early 2017. That class culminated with the first Young Eagles Flight. A Young Eagles flight is more than just a free airplane ride. It also opens the door for an EAA Student Membership that includes free online flight training, a free flight lesson and help with flight training scholarships.

"There is a really great response from the kids and families here in Lincoln for all things aviation," Valler said.

Although she didn't host her Young Aviator class last year Valler said she plans to offer a new, upgraded version of it sometime within the next year, probably next summer. She said it will be a more in-depth class where kids can learn all about flight with an eye toward preparing them to get their pilots license.

"The kids can actually prepare if they want to be pilots," she said.

Valler said Gavin Jorgensen of Lincoln also had the chance to fly Saturday, after attending the Aviation Career Exploration Academy earlier in July on a scholarship from Cain. She explained that the ACE Academy gives students a chance to learn about job opportunities in the aviation industry and said Jorgensen plans to go to Helena in the fall to study aviation mechanics.

Cain hopes programs like Young Eagles will get some of the younger generation to eventually take up flying, either with an eye toward a career or just for the enjoyment of it.

"There's going to be a pilot shortage for commercial aviation in the future. We're getting there all ready," he said. "But, we're just hoping to get people interested because it's such a fabulous recreation, if nothing else."