Olympic Peninsula Air Affaire, Sequim Valley Fly-in sees fair skies, big crowd

With clearer skies than last year’s event, the 2019 Olympic Peninsula Air Affaire and Sequim Valley Fly-in saw a strong turnout this past weekend, event organizer/co-founder Emily Westcott said.

The seventh Air Affaire, which began in 2013 as a joint celebration for the City of Sequim’s centennial and the airport’s 30th anniversary, drew about 3,000 visitors — about twice as many as last year’s event that was marred by smoky skies from regional forest fires.

“It went great; the weather was good … and everybody liked it,” Westcott said.

Westcott noted her highlight of this year’s event was the group of five historic planes from the Port Townsend Aero Museum. Museum director Michael Payne, staff and volunteers at the museum work with a number of high school and college students to restore aircraft. This weekend, several students flew the planes in from Port Townsend and were on hand to answer questions about the planes.

Westcott said another highlight were the helicopter rides provided by Seattle Air Taxi.

In addition to featuring dozens of aircraft from around the region, the Air Affaire included a car show, Sequim RC Aeronauts and Port Angeles’ Olympic RC Modelers’ radio-controlled model airplanes, food and music.

Last year’s forest fires brought a down year of about a dozen planes, but this year saw 40 fly-ins on Saturday alone, Westcott said.

“The field was full of planes,” she said.

Westcott said the 2020 Air Affaire is a go, set once again for the last weekend in August.

See more photos from the 2019 event online at www.sequimgazette.com.

Margie and Stan Oserbauer of Sequim get a close-up look at a 2009 RV4 owned by Rick Stoffel of Sequim at Saturday’s Olympic Peninsula Air Affaire and Sequim Valley Fly-In. Sequim Gazette photos by Michael Dashiell

With brother Axel looking on, Magnus Asmundson (in chair) gets a virtual reality tour from Leland Cox of the Olympic R/C Modelers club at Saturday’s Olympic Peninsula Air Affaire and Sequim Valley Fly-in. The Asmundsons, from Winnepeg, Manitoba (Canada), were in town visiting family.

Dale Hillibrand of Port Angeles talks with Emily Westcott, Olympic Peninsula Air Affaire and Sequim Valley Fly-in co-funder, at the Olympic Peninsula Air Affaire and Sequim Valley Fly-in on Saturday. Hillibrand had a relatively short trek of about 20 miles in his Kit Fox 4. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell

Mark Donahue of Kitsap County, far right, talks with Harrison Shinohara of the Port Townsend Aero Museum as they stand near a 1946 Cessna 140.

Lukas Cox watches as Camden Cox, 3, chases an inflated ball in the Morning Star Balloon Co.’s “bouncy balloon” at the 2019 Olympic Peninsula Air Affaire and Sequim Valley Fly-in on Aug. 24.

Olympic Peninsula Air Affaire, Sequim Valley Fly-in sees fair skies, big crowd

Lukas Cox watches as Camden Cox, 3, chases an inflated ball in the Morning Star Balloon Co.’s “bouncy balloon” at the 2019 Olympic Peninsula Air Affaire and Sequim Valley Fly-in on Aug. 24.

In formation, the Blackjacks of Arlington wow the crowd at the Olympic Peninsula Air Affaire and Sequim Valley Fly-In on Aug. 24. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell