Lone Pine Fly-In celebrates four years with continued growth
Event showcases unique charm of Lone Pine Airport
The Inyo County Board of Supervisors received a presentation regarding the Lone Pine Backcountry FlyIn, which was based at the Lone Pine Airport and continues to grow in popularity, Anna Montgomery of Friends of the Lone Pine Airport reported.
The event was held in October and organized by the Friends of the Lone Pine Airport, which officially became non-profit organization that is dedicated to the revitalization of the Lone Pine/Death Valley Airport.
Montgomery the backcountry fly-in has served to showcase the Lone Pine Airport as an exceptional aviation destination with its unique charm, history and location in the heart of unmatched backcountry terrain with a growing and dynamic group of aviation enthusiast.
She said there has been four “tremendously successful fly-in events,” which was exemplified last year when the event was attended by Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association magazine writer Alicia Heron and chief photographer Chris Rose.
Montgomery said subsequently the Lone Pine Backcountry Fly-In was featured on the cover of the March 2023 issue with a 10-page spread about the Lone Pine Fly-In.
The magazine, she said, is circulated to more than 400,000 members of the AOPA, which is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1939 dedicated to general aviation.
The event has become such a popular event that registration filled up and there was a waiting list of more than 25 planes.
“Aviators tend to be competent, interesting people and we always get a lot of great folks,” Montgomery said. “The event is a wonderful opportunity to make new friends of the Lone Pine Death Valley airport. Some of them become skilled volunteers contributing to the greater goals of the FLPA.”
A weekend of flying and fellowship Montgomery said the weekend of flying began on Friday when the aviators start to arrive in a steady flow all afternoon from California, Nevada, Arizona, Montana and this year the event even drew two participants from Heidelberg, Germany.
“There is a tremendous vitality that descends upon the airport, with people getting gas, getting parked, setting up tents, checking in with friends, old and new,” Montgomery said. “Having all of those airplanes there together,
65 of them this year, brings the spirit of aviation to the town of Lone Pine.
Montgomery further described, “the sound of airplanes as they arrive and taxi and the cheery coughing and chugging of props turning as engines are started. The pilots lounge festooned with backcountry maps, people checking in and animated with their flights, people gathered around the Pino’s Pies food truck, it’s truly magical.”
She recounted how Friday evening included a safety briefing during which seasoned aviators laid out the plan for the following day before participants broke into groups to get further specific instructions.
“What makes our flyin so unique, among other things, is that the pilots head out all day Saturday in small groups to explore the dry lake beds, dirt strips, mining towns and spectacular scenery of the surrounding area,” she said.
Montgomery reported that during the event 2,400 gallons of fuel were sold and$1,200 in tiedown fees were collected for the county.
“FLPA collected donations as well as new enthusiast of the Lone Pine Airport, eager to volunteer at future work parties,” she said.
Montgomery noted that adjacent hotels and restaurants also had traffic from the fly-in.
“We had a lot of folks stop in from town and off the highway just to take in the scene,” she said.
Montgomery said after a successful day of great adventures, each group of planes arrived back at the airport Saturday afternoon and early evening for “one of the peak moments of the event.”
“People congregate on the terminal building lawn and the pilots lounge, music is played, stories are shared – the airport is alive and the energy is sparkling,” she said.
Montgomery said during these moments she can “feel the history of the place and the people who have come before.”
The history of aviation at the Lone Pine/Death Valley airport is rich and colorful, Montgomery noted.
The first airplane in the Owens Valley arrived in 1914. The civilian pilot training program at the airport started in 1942. It’s history also includes movie stunt pilot Paul Mantz, who was a friend and technical advisor to Amelia Earhart, and the legacy of Bob White, who arrived in 1947 and ran a vibrant backcountry aviation business with his wife, Shirley, for more than 31 years.
She said the airport continues to be busy with emergency life flights, search and rescue and California Highway Patrol operations, firefighting operations, glider pilots seeking out the legendary Sierra Wave as well as an increasing number of recreational aviators who are “making Lone Pine their destination.
The Friends of the Lone Pine Airport recently oversaw a complete overhaul of the bathrooms, which had been boarded up for years, and are working on getting the roof of the terminal building replaced, among other projects.
The group has applied for several grants to finance the exterior and interior restoration of the terminal building as well.
“There are even bigger dreams we could achieve one project at a time to create a vital airport campus, which could serve the greater community, Montgomery said, adding that she would like to see youth programs geared toward science, technology and engineering at the airport.
For more information about FLPA visit www. flpa.squarespace.com.
To assist the organization, tax-deductible donations can be made to FLPA, and mailed to PO BOX 1, Lone Pine, CA 93545.