MALONE — The Malone-Dufort Airport and Malone Chamber of Commerce hosted the annual fly-in festival over the weekend, with hundreds turning out to see the variety of aircraft arriving and departing. The festival featured food and drinks, activities, crafts and educational displays from more than 30 vendors.
By late Saturday afternoon, almost 700 raffle tickets had been purchased and chamber president Mary E. Scharf said she hoped to hit 1,000 visitors on the first day of the weekend-long event.
The festival was held in August this year after a September event last year. Organizers said the move to August was necessary to provide more daylight hours. Planes landed throughout the day from all over the state and nation, and visitors flocked to the tarmac for closer looks at the aircraft. Scattered showers early in the day prevented the helicopter rides Saturday, one of the weekend’s few hiccups.
“See that black cloud right there? That’s why the helicopter’s not coming today,” Scharf said. “With a fly-in, you’re dependent on a sunny day.”
She added that the helicopter would arrive Sunday instead.
Vendors selling everything from spices to clothing lined the grassy field in front of the airport as visitors and pilots browsed the offerings and enjoyed the music of Slab City Saturday afternoon. The Durham County poets took the stage in the farmers market pavilion Saturday evening, and local favorites the Busco Bandits were scheduled to play Sunday.
Among the varied displays at the event were state police drones piloted by Troop B unmanned aerial systems coordinator Scott Barrett. He displayed three drones of varying size and purpose, explaining to visitors their function and utility in law enforcement.
“The bigger one is the Matrice 210. It’s got thermal capabilities and a long-range zoom,” Barrett said. “We use that for missing people and things like that.”
Barrett said he recently flew the drone as part of a search team for a missing kayaker in Cadyville.
Terry and Travis Polini flew their Cessna two-seater from Lake Placid. Travis said he and his father have been flying together his whole life.
“(Travis) has been in planes since he was a few weeks old,” Terry said, adding that he spent his career in commercial aviation and has been flying since 1969.
“Now that I’m retired I don’t fly as much,” he added.
Bruce Burditt, Malone-Dufort Airport manager, said Saturday afternoon that planes were arriving and departing steadily, with pilots from Chateaugay Lake to Long Island and as far away as Maine and Tennessee.
Other activities included a bounce house for kids, mini golf and art projects. A pizza oven was on site and a cash bar was available for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
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