Flying in on homemade planes

BROOKSVILLE - The local airport looked more like a fancy airplane show Saturday as more than 40 aircraft were on display for more than 100 pilots to see.

They flew in for hamburgers and hot dogs and shared stories about their flights and talked about the planes many of them built on their own.

"I'm seeing a lot of nice craftsmanship here," said Chuck Bennett, a former bush pilot in Alaska who now lives in Brooksville. "The people here care about their planes. I think general, private aviation is the fastest-growing segment of aviation right now."

The Brooksville Chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EEA) hosts two gatherings per year at the Airport Industrial Park.

They cook and serve lunch and people from hundreds of miles land on the runway for a chance to see old friends and mingle with those who share their passion for flight.

Saturday's weather included clear blue skies and temperatures in the upper 70s.

Most of the aircraft resembled each other in terms of size, but there were some staggering differences.

A tiny, homemade Mosquito helicopter equipped to hold only one person was parked about 10 feet from a UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter. One weighed less than a quarter of a ton. The other weighed more than 11 tons.

The two were purposely set up next to each other to demonstrate both the size and power of military aircraft and the smallness and ingenuity of their civilian counterparts.

"I really think that's cool," said Sgt. Stephanie Marino, of the U.S. National Guard who was answering questions about the Black Hawk but was just as interested in the yellow and orange Mosquito parked a short distance away.

"People are excited to see it," she said after she turned her attention to the Black Hawk she was seated in. "They're impressed with its size."

The Black Hawk spent a year in Iraq before returning to Brooksville last year, Marino said.

Bernie Berger, president of the local EEA chapter, said he expected Saturday's fly-in to be one of the largest he has seen. By noon he was proven right. More than 80 people were served lunch in the first 30 minutes, he said.

"This attracts pilots from across the state. Some come from Georgia and in some cases Alabama," Berger said. "They come over, have lunch and swap stories. We're surrounded by planes from all over."

Mike Brady, of Brooksville, brought his two sons with him to see the aircraft up close.

"It seemed like a nice, local thing to do," he said standing a few feet from the Mosquito. "I'd love to (fly) someday, I just can't afford it ... but it sure is interesting."