OROVILLE – The 11th annual Oroville Airport Fly-In Day is landing Saturday when more than 100 aircraft, 100 vehicles and 30 vendors including six food trucks taxi in for the event.
“We anticipate this year’s event will be as big if not bigger than last year. There’s going to be tons of aircraft of all types: helicopters, gyrocopters, biplanes, high wings and low wings, ultralights, amphibious, twin-engine, single-engine, jets and a couple of North American Texan T-6 World War II trainer panes,” said Gonzalo “Pee Wee” Curiel, event director. “There’s going to be lots of cars of all types too from exotics to old school drag cars, hot hods and lowriders and some vintage trailers from the 1950s that will be kinda neat to see.”
The event, which runs from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 100 Airport Parkway is free and open to the public. Parking is also free. Entrance to the event will be held on the south ramp of the airport with an entrance off Larkin Road/Airport Parkway. There will be signs directing traffic.
Participation in the Show and Shine Car Show is also free to anyone who wants to bring their car, motorcycle, truck or trailer. No pre-registration is required.
“Just show up,” said Curiel. “The airplane guys like to see the cars and the car guys like to see the planes, and the public likes to see it all. We expect to have 65 to 85 vehicles this year.”
Held at the beginning of July in years past, Curiel moved the event to May 11 this year because temperatures reached well over 100 degrees at the 2023 event. Despite the heat, attendance last year reached about 1,500 and Curiel expects attendance this year will be even higher.
“It’s become something people really look forward to and enjoy every year,” said Curiel. “They tell their friends about it and bring their friends to it so we expect it to be well attended again this year.”
The day will kick off with a fundraising pancake breakfast from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. hosted by Las Plumas/Oroville Alliance Band. At 10 a.m. local vocalist Emma Garrahy will perform the National Anthem.
Aircraft from as far south as the Bay Area to as far north as Oregon will be flying in and out throughout the day.
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“It’s a fly-in, not really an air show,” said Curiel. “This means that as the planes land and while they are here people can walk right up to them, see them up close and talk to the pilots. There will also be some fly overs with low passes which is pretty exciting for the crowd ”
Among the planes coming to the event will be two North American Texan T-6 World War II trainer panes out of Lincoln. Rides in these two-seater vintage planes will be available to the public on a first-come, first served basis for a “reasonable price,” said Curiel.
“The flights in these planes will go from the airport to Lake Oroville, up the south fork of the Feather River, over Table Mountain and over the city before returning to the airport,” said Curiel. “It’s about a 20-minute ride.”
Curiel organizes and promotes the event himself, but credits the “support and generosity of many local businesses and the Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 112” for making the fly in possible.
“I do it because the aviation community has been good to me, the whole Oroville community has been good to me,” he said. “This is just my way of giving back. I just want the community to come out and enjoy themselves.”
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