Jim Savage sent compliation video slideshows of the 2017 Back to Blakesburg Fly-In.

Russell Williams posted this video of arriving at Blakesburg 2017 in formation with Addison Pemberton's Speedmail.

Sparky Barnes Sargent wrote an article on this year's fly-in that's featured in GA News. Click for the article.

Photo by Jonathan and Julia Apfelbaum

Antique Airfield has returned to a more bucolic state now that the 2017 AAA/APM Fly-in is over.

While not a comprehensive report (that will be published in the next issue of the Antique Airfield Runway) we can report some preliminary results for the event:

1. We had absolutely perfect weather for the event.
2. A preliminary count shows 353 aircraft from at least 34 states in attendance. That should go up some when the count is justified.
3. The variety of aircraft was outstanding this year - perhaps the best it’s been in a few years.
4. We had members & guests in attendance from all over the US & Canada, as well as visitors from Switzerland & England.
5. Fuel sales were up, with over 3100 gals pumped by the crew of Classic Aviation from Pella, IA.
6. There was flying every day from dawn till dusk.
7. The Grand Champion Antique was Ryan Lihs’ 1929 Pitcairn PA-6 from Sioux City, IA (we’ll have a complete list and pictures of the award winners posted soon).

Antique Airfield at the height of the 2017 AAA/APM Invitational Fly-in (Dave Swartz photo)

Perhaps the fly-in can be summed up best, via a quote from a fly-in attendee.... "The food. The access to aircraft. The Fly-market. The weather. The volunteers. The registration people. The ban on golf carts and electric scooters. The vendors (or lack of). Man, you got everything right!"

Of course it would be impossible for the AAA/APM Invitational Fly-in to happen without our loyal and growing cadre of volunteers that help do everything from ATC, to trash collection (we’ll have a complete list and photos of our volunteers posted soon)

Keep watching this page and our Facebook pagefor more reports, reviews, pictures and videos from the 2017 AAA/APM Invitational Fly-in.

And mark your calendars for Aug 29th through Sept 3rd, 2018, when we’ll once again host the 2018 AAA/APM Invitational Fly-in at Antique Airfield near Blakesburg, IA!

Brent Taylor

Grand Champion Antique, Ryan Lihs’ 1929 Pitcairn PA-6 from Sioux City, IA (Jack Fleetwood photo)

Pre-registration for the fly-in is now closed, but never fear, if you didn't make the pre-registration deadline for the 2017 AAA/APM Fly-in you can still register at the event. We're looking forward to seeing you!

	Chris Buerk's 2009 Wittman Tailwind from New Hampshire		Mark Baker's 1944 Howard DGA-15P from Maryland (Tom Gehman photo)
	Glenn McGowan's 1946 Piper J-3 from Illinois		Kreg Anderson's 1946 Aeronca 7AC from Minnesota
	Mark Robertson’s 2014 Pietenpol Aircamper from Iowa (G.R Dennis Price photo)		Dave Allen’s 1934 Waco YKC from Colorado (Gilles Auliard photo)

Time does fly, and it’s now two days before the start of the AAA/APM Invitational Fly-in.

The volunteers, directors & staff here at the AAA/APM, have accomplished much this summer in preparation of the event, and we hope to see those efforts pay off over the next week.

With a record amount of display aircraft pre-registrations (150+) and airplanes from as far away as South Carolina already on the field, we expect an outstanding turnout!

Our annual mowing party, the last big effort to get the field ready, went over a two day period (last Fri & Sat) and the airport looks Great !! However it was so busy that we got very few pictures of all the volunteers at work.

While we are talking about the airport, please note: though the grounds appears nice and green, due to a long extended drought throughout the summer Wapello county (where Antique Airfield is located) is under a burn ban. Ergo, there will be no open fires anywhere on the airport (they are already prohibited anywhere on the flight line). Please plan accordingly.

Don Parks taking a call during the mowing party.

Mike Townsley getting the APM’s Great Lakes ready to display.

APM President Steve Adkisson installing new doors on the Ground Loop Inn

Some of the crew at lunch

Jim Ashley’s Stearman from South Carolina bedded down for the night

As you can imagine, internet access at Antique Airfield is a little tough to come by, and is limited both in speed and capacity. To complicate matters further, our internet provider has placed a limit on the amount of data we can consume. This limit is sufficient for the day-to-day operation of Antique Airfield. Unfortunately, we will be charged overage fees when hundreds of our friends connect during the fly-in. So, rather than turn off WiFi entirely, we have elected to offer 2 hours of guest wireless internet access per 24 hours, for free. If you need more, we have 2 packages available for purchase in the office, for a nominal fee:

• $2.00 One full day of internet access (24 hours from when you first connect)
• $7.00 Wireless internet access for the duration of the Fly-In

Having to charge for internet access isn’t any fun. But there’s good news! In addition to the many other projects completed this year, we have also installed new wireless equipment! We have expanded coverage and added 5Ghz support. We've done a lot of work to make WiFi at Antique Airfield work well, but WiFi performance will vary depending on how many people connect, so please be patient if you encounter a momentary overload.

Coverage now extends around the Ground Loop Inn, the office, in and around the Mike Gretz Library of Flight, and to the North and to the East of Hangar 1. Some may even find it works over quite a bit of the field, too!

The AAA/APM Invitational Fly-in starts a week from today, but we already have our 1st arrival! Lyman Hatz in his wife Judy's 1941 Piper Cub from Wisconsin.

There are just a few days left to pre-register for the 2017 AAA/APM Fly-in, Back to Blakesburg and Back to Basics. You can register online or use the paper form. Here are the latest registrants!

	Mike Barg's (flown by Shane Vande Voort) 1941 Meyers OTW from New Mexico (Dave Miller photo)		Mark Flounders’ 1948 Piper PA-15 from Missouri
	Gary Granfors' 1953 Piper PA-22 from Minnesota		David Gubert's 2014 Great Lakes 2T-1A-2 from Michigan (G.R. Dennis Price photo)
	Jeff Moore's 2000 Hatz LB-1 from Indiana (G.R. Dennis Price photo)		Hank Galpin's 2017 Bucker Jungmeister from Montana
	John LaBarre's 1948 Piper PA-11 from Ohio (John LaBarre photo)		Ian Wayman's 1959 Broussard from Colorado

There's one week left to pre-register for the 2017 AAA/APM Fly-in, Back to Blakesburg and Back to Basics. You can register online or use the paper form. Here are the latest registrants!

	Vaughn Lovley's 1935 Waco YKC-S from Minnesota (Brent Taylor photo)		Mark Staudacher's 1935 Waco YOC from Michigan (G.R. Dennis Price photo)
	Kevin Brown's 1941 Interstate S-1A from California (Dave Miller photo)		Richard Keyt's 1942 Ryan ST3-KR from Texas (Ed Hicks photo)
	Corwin Day's 1947 Luscombe 8A from Indiana (G.R. Dennis Price photo)		Brian McCay's 1954 Cessna 195B from Virginia
	Edwin Cooper's 2006 Hatz CB-1 from Texas (Jack Fleetwood photo)		Brian Aukes' 1930 Stearman 4E from Iowa (G.R. Dennis Price photo)
	Les Gaskill's 1938 Piper J-2 from Iowa (Dave Miller photo)		Les Gaskill's 1946 Piper J-3 from Iowa (G.R. Dennis Price photo)
	Dan Bergstrom's 1982 Wittman W-8 Tailwind from Minnesota (G.R. Dennis Price photo)		Stephen Mineart's 1946 Stinson 108 from Iowa (G.R. Dennis Price photo)
	Suzy Kryzanowicz's 1948 Aeronca Sedan from Michigan (Dave Miller photo)		Bill Rasmussen's 1929 Golden Eagle Chief from Illinois (Gilles Auliard photo)
	Michael Bowen's 1942 Ryan PT-22 from South Carolina		Carl Morgan's 1946 Aeronca 7AC from Missouri
	Gerald Resh's 1940 Aeronca 65-TF from Arkansas		Jim Patchett's 1942 Fairchild PT-19A from Tennessee
	Keith Givens' 1948 Cessna 170 from Indiana (G.R. Dennis Price photo)		Rob Bach's 1998 Super Clipper from Wisconsin (Dave Miller photo)
	Jay Billmayer's 2017 Bucker Jungmeister from Montana		Laura Bach's Bentzen Sport from Pell Lake, Wisconsin