Proceeds from pancake breakfast promote aviation awareness, safety and education

The sun was shining and gleaming brightly off all of the planes parked at Harry Clever Field in New Philadelphia on the morning of Sunday, May 29. That morning hundreds, if not thousands, of people strolled along the grass at the airport admiring all the different sizes and colors of airplanes that landed there to take part in the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter 1077 pancake breakfast and fly-in.

"We were extremely happy about the turnout," said Terry Henry, the chapter's membership director. "We've sold about 800 breakfasts and around 2,000 people came through to just look at the planes here."

The weather couldn't have been better for a flight during the first sunny and warm weekend in recent memory, which helped contribute to the high turnout. All of the money raised during the pancake breakfast went to continuing the group's effort to promote aviation awareness, safety and education.

"We just finished a program at a local elementary school that showed how weight and balance works in airplanes by demonstrating with planes made out of Styrofoam plates. It's just one of the many educational activities of our group," said Henry. "Our new building, which is slowly being finished, helps us to continue our educational goals by letting us host safety seminars for local pilots and hold adult educational programs, like our project plane we have so we can show our members how to build a plane."

People coming for the pancakes were given an opportunity to explore the new building since the breakfast was held within the work area. In addition to the work area, there is a conference room where meetings can be held.

Along with pancakes and planes, visitors could take a ride in a classic World War II Boeing-Stearman PT-17 that was used as a training plane during the war. For 20 minutes a rider could learn what it was like to fly among the clouds in an open cockpit and see Tuscarawas County in a new and exciting way.

"Next year should be interesting for us," said Henry. "We could have a Boeing B-17 bomber and or have the Ford Trimotor return; we could have two historical aircraft here in the area. It's exciting and another way for us to educate people on the history of aviation."

"The EAA chapter here in New Philadelphia does a great deal to promote education in the area. That's why I'm here supporting them and have done so for a long time," said New Philadelphia Mayor Mike Taylor. "Aviation plays an important part in not only New Philadelphia's economy, but that of the county. Businesses in the area use it for travel and shipping purposes and those who own personal aircraft visit and spend money here, so it goes without saying that Harry Clever Field is an important part of our area. To have a group like EAA 1077 here helping to promote aviation and its importance is invaluable."