Danish Aviators, the oldest pilot association in the world, was founded on the 18th August 1917. Around the birth date we normally have a picnic in a forest, but this year it was decided to have a fly-in instead of, and on the island of Samsø that lies approx. in the middle of Denmark. The event was open to everyone, not only the members of our association.
When John and I headed for Samsø, we flew by a couple of puffy clouds near Holbæk:
The visibility was very good, with few small clouds here and there:
We took off early – to avoid “traffic jams”, but there were already a number of aircraft in the air, on their way to Samsø.
We had 25 knots headwind, and a flight that would normally take half an hour, became almost an hour long:
On Samsø, aircrafts were landing one after one. We parked my Aeroprakt, and went around to say hello.
All were welcome, and about 50-60 different aircraft landed on the island.
Klaus Olsen was playing in the background – he later sang for us:
F-16 came by as a part of the program:
It was nice to meet many old friends there, among others – Peter and Anita:
Karsten Frost, our General Secretary, welcomed all members and guests to the event:
We had a very nice meal: lasagna and salad, followed by ice-cream with fruit, and coffee:
Six T-17 did a beautiful flying display for us. When on the ground, the pilots answered questions and showed their aircraft:
SAR helicopter opened its doors for public. I also went in – to see the equipment, and to hear about their missions:
On the photo below, one of the two Defenders that fly for the Danish Air Force Home Guard. I once went to a lecture where the crew from one of those Defenders told us about the sophisticated equipment they use onboard in order to complete their special tasks.
It was a wonderful day, with so many interesting aircraft, kind people, good food, and the spirit of aviation! Many thanks to Rune Balle, manager of the Samsø airfield, and his team, for helping us organising it! We all agreed to make it a tradition and meet there again next year.
Eventually John and I decided it was time to fly back home:
In Holbæk, my home flying club, John helped with the practical stuff:
With fly-ins, there is always a chance of bad weather, and it’s a bit risky to set up a big event. We were happy the weather was with us on this occasion, and the Danish Aviators’ fly-in was such a success.