Military jet joins fly-in

POLSON - Thirteen-year-old Nehemiah O'Connor knows a thing or two about airplanes, but at last Saturday's Polson Fly In, he saw something he had never seen before. A Cold War-era L-29 Dolphin, designed as a military fighter training jet, the very first jet aircraft design of the former Czechoslovakia.

"It has a steering wheel instead of a joy stick," O'Connor said.

Owned by Polson's Bob Russell, the sleek black jet drew lots of attention at the event. Steve Kalmar, a California-based mechanic and pilot was on hand to answer questions and allow curious aviators the chance to peak inside the plane's cockpit.

There were approximately 3,600 L-29s built between the years 1960 and 1978, with about 3,000 ending up in the Soviet Air Force, Kalmar said. After the collapse of the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics), Kalmar said these aircraft were readily available and reasonably priced.

This particular plane was completely broken down in Russia and shipped to the United States where he worked to clean it up and rebuild the pieces. Amped up with a new American engine, the flashier paint job sports black gloss with a red pentangle, hammer and sickle, a communist symbol representing the proletariat and the peasantry.

"We want to go fast all the time," Kalmar, who logs between 150 and 200 hours of flight time a year, said.

Fairbanks, Alaska, resident and Missoula-based smoke jumper Evan Karp was a little over-dressed for Saturday's blue skies and sunshine, wearing all-leather boots and a Kevlar jump suit, pockets stuffed to capacity with the firefighter's typical jumping gear, food and water. The U.S. Forest Service employees made the trip to Polson especially for Saturday's event. Karp said things were quiet enough this fire season for the men to do some community outreach.

"The plane carries an eight-person load. We jump, then it circles back over and drops us in cargo, Pulaskis, chain saws, food and water, enough for three days, then we wave good-bye," he said. "We can easily be out for a couple of weeks, especially in Alaska."

Crews must carry their helmet, gloves, fire shelter, food, water, satellite phones, radios, a reserve shoot, harness, and more wherever they go, Karp said.

"Throw all that on your back, plus a Pulaski or chain saw, and that's certainly a challenging aspect," he said of the walk out of the forest once the blaze is suppressed. "Climbing over blow down adds to the excitement."

Mountain Air from Missoula was on hand giving rides and a Life Flight crew from St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula brought the King Air and opened its doors to anyone who wanted to see what it looked like inside. The event showcased a diverse collection of experimental, home-built aircraft, antiques and the regulars: Cessnas and Pipers, etc. All told, about 50 pilots flew in for the September Fly In, which is an impressive showing for so late in the summer, organizers said.

"We served over 350 breakfasts," Mauri Morin, President of Chapter 1122 Experimental Aircraft Association said. "It was very well-attended both by people flying in and the local community did a super job of attending."

Even the president and secretary of the Montana Pilots Association came for breakfast served by the Polson High School cheerleaders.

"All in all it was an outstanding day and the weather cooperated just perfectly," Morin said. "The only thing that I would have liked to have was the weather bureau not forecasting fog in the morning because I think that chilled a few of the people who would have flown in. But as it turned out, we had plenty of people anyway."