Fly to Valdez for pilot contests, air show: May day fly-in kicks off summer flying season.

• Author: Pounds, Nancy
• Position: Alaska This Month

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Inspect your tundra tires. Check the weather reports. Now, map a course for the 2008 May Day Fly-In and Airshow set for May 9-11 in Valdez.

Organizers tout the event as "the most unique Bush plane competition in the Western United States." The fly-in features competitions, an air show, a poker run and a tradeshow, based at the Valdez Pioneer Field Airport.

About 90 pilots and 160 airplanes drop in for the event, according to Randy Maag, president of May Day Fly-In Corp. The activities generate a carnival atmosphere, attracting nearly 2,000 visitors during the weekend, he said.

The fly-in started in 2004 as a kick-off to the summer flying season, as well as to provide a local economic boost. Organizers report the event has been successful.

"The thing just exploded," Maag said.

The May Day Fly-In is scheduled a few weeks after the Valdez Mountain Man Hill Climb, the area's final snowmachine event, said Lea Ragan, sales manager with the Valdez Convention & Visitors Bureau. The fly-in "helps bridge the gap between winter and summer tourism options," Ragan said.

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Visitors and pilots originate from across Alaska as well as the Lower 48, Ragan said.

The main event is the short-take-off/short-landing competition, Maag said. The event is a spectacle of finesse and control. Pilots compete in four categories: light touring, heavy touring, Bush class and experimental Bush class. Pilots also compete in a flour-bombing...