Air, land and sea part of Arlington Fly-In

ARLINGTON – The Fly-In is known for its acrobatic air shows.

And it’s hard to miss the ground show of military vehicles at Camp Adams.

But don’t miss the boat.

For the third-straight year, Kevin Derrick of Arlington has brought his mini tugboat to the Fly-In. He said it is a replica of a World War II “tractor tug” that did small jobs the bigger ships couldn’t maneuver to do. A retired Fish and Wildlife officer, Derrick said it has been used as a merchant marine vessel, and he’s still licensed to do jobs on inland waters, such as Lake Chelan.

Many others had interesting stories to tell as the Fly-In kicked off Thursday with Kids Day. The Fly-In continues through Sunday.

Gracia Burnham of Wichita, Kan., was telling her amazing story. Her husband was a jungle pilot, and they were on a mission to the Philippines. But they were abducted by a militant muslim group and taken hostage in 2001-2002. In a rescue attempt, she was saved but her husband was killed. She has written a best-seller about it, called “In the Presence of My Enemies.” But she was reading a flash card version of it to children.

Gary Cowart of Kent also has written a book, called “Blood on Red Dirt,” about his six months and 21 days in Vietnam. He was wounded by shrapnel and got to come home early.

Cowart took photos because he wanted to document his service. “Nobody else was taking pictures,” he said. One of his favorites has four kids in it. While parents wouldn’t talk to them, the kids would. He recalled the village had been under attack.

“But the kids came out of the hut smiling like it was Christmas morning,” Cowart said.

He said his Mutt Jeep is privately owned, as are most of the guns and vehicles at Camp Adams. The owners belong to the Puget Sound Military Vehicle Collector’s Club. “We want to keep it alive,” by having more 18- to 30-year-olds join, Cowart said.

David Rogers of Snohomish is at the Fly-In for the first time as Doctor Balloon-ology. Rogers said he has been coming to the event for 15 years, but thought more was needed for kids. So he makes balloon planes, among other figures. He got into making balloon creatures 30 years ago when in college. His dad gave him a book called Balloon Animals for Dummies. He hasn’t blown it as a hobby yet.

Meanwhile, Ella Robins was tending to a booth that was having kids make planes out of candy rolls, gum and a rubber band.“Some are licking the wheels already,” Robins said.

Loanne Johnson of Everett was volunteering at the event for her sixth year. She does it for “this kind of joy,” she said, watching as Lee Carl of Irrigon, Ore., took off in a simulator airplane, raising its nose up. She affectionately calls the kids “petite pilots.”

”You learn a lot about airplanes,” Johnson added.

Cost for the 49th annual event is $17. Ages 16 and under are free, and so is parking. Gates open at 8 a.m. For details visit arlingtonflyin.org/.

This year’s Street Fair will run from to 3 p.m. July 9. A free shuttle runs from the fair to the Arlington Airport.

Saturday, July 8

8 a.m. – Gates open

Exhibits and Workshops

Dr. Science Kids Activity

Drone flying

Noon Tank Demonstrations

2 p.m. AIRSHOW

5 p.m. Warbird Flying

5:30 p.m. Military Vehicle Parade