Sisters will 'rally on the runway' for 4th of July

The Sisters Airport will host its sixth annual Fourth of July community celebration, featuring an airplane fly-in, classic car show, pancake breakfast, 5K run, and drag races down the runway. The theme for this year is Rally on the Runway.

Festivities will begin at 7 a.m. with the buzz of planes arriving from all over the Northwest for the fly-in, and the rumble of classic cars for the hotrod show. Sisters Rotary will be flipping pancakes and sausages. "Old Glory" will arrive by air in a spectacular flag jump presentation by Skydive Awesome at 7:30 a.m. The 5K walk/run will start at 8 a.m. with the Sisters-tradition race between a plane and a street dragster. Runners can pre-register online at http://www.SistersAirport.com.

The premier Sisters Fly-in signature event, the Great Rubber Chicken Drop, will take place at 10 a.m. This unique raffle-type event is performed aviation-style. Participants can purchase two-by-two-foot numbered squares which are chalked on the runway for $5 each. The Outlaw Aviation plane flies over the matrix, and rubber chickens are flung out. Each chicken represents a specific prize. Prizes are donated by Sisters-area businesses, and range in value from $15 to $400. The person who purchased the square that each rubber chicken lands on wins that prize.

A 50/50 raffle, helicopter scenic rides, and tandem skydiving will add to the entertainment. Outlaw Aviation will have their two airplanes and new simulator on display, as well as popular apparel sales.

At around 11 a.m. following the raffle awards, the runway will be closed to aircraft and taken over by hotrods. Drag races down the runway pits unlikely pairs of dragsters, such as the hot-off-the-line Tesla against a 1963 Corvette, or a Subaru vs. a tow-truck. The fun is open to participants in any type of vehicle, from the family car to the champion dragster. The pancake grill will be taken over by burgers for lunch around 12 p.m.

The Rally on the Runway event is a fundraiser for the Sisters High School Flight Science program, which has grown to three classes and 52 students. The unique program is attracting attention as one of the only high school aviation programs in the country. While many schools offer ground-only instruction, few have access to flight training. Through a collaboration between SHS, the Sisters Airport, and Outlaw Aviation, Sisters students are able to earn their pilot licenses while in high school.

"Flight training is normally very expensive," said Julie Benson, co-owner of the Sisters Airport. "This event provides scholarship funds for students learning to fly. The community support is very evident when so many people come to the event and participate. I'm glad to make the airport available to bring the community together to celebrate the Fourth of July, and help our students become the next generation of pilots."

The next phase of aviation opportunity for SHS students is an "airplane build" project. The Sisters Airport has agreed to host a new Career Technical Education program where students will build an airplane from a kit. "It will be a hands-on class where students will learn metal-working and machining skills, as well as learning how airplanes are structured. We are trying to get all the pieces together to offer it starting next fall," says Curt Scholl, Sisters School District superintendent. Donations toward the airplane kit are being sought. Details will be available at the Rally on the Runway celebration.

Admission to the Rally on the Runway is free. More information can be found at http://www.SistersAirport.com, and Facebook page "Sisters Eagle Airport."