Published August 2002

Fly-in soars to success
yet again

It’s time for Barbara Tolbert, executive director of the Arlington EAA Fly-In, to take a break after this year’s annual July event, which once again drew around 1,500 aircraft and almost 50,000 visitors.

It’s also a good time to give Tolbert and her hundreds of volunteers and business community supporters some well-deserved applause. Together, they make this event the largest and most successful general aviation air show west of the Mississippi, and the third largest in the country — just behind AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wis., and Sun 'n Fun in Lakeland, Fla.

The several hours I spent at the event this year — spread over three days — really impressed me, even more so because everything is so well organized that everything looks easy to the eyes of visitors.

Their efforts have brought support from the city of Arlington, the Arlington and Smokey Point chambers of commerce and such groups as the Northwest Experimental Aviation Association (www.nweaa.org), Heritage Flight Museum and others.

Each year, as the event approaches, the 96-acre northwest corner of the airfield becomes a many-faceted world of general aviation and historic military War Bird ground displays, aviation forums for pilots and history buffs, hot-air balloons, product vendors, food booths and the always popular air shows and fly-bys.

It was Tolbert, who became executive director eight years ago after serving as a volunteer at the show for more than 20 years, who recognized that the event needed to attract national attention if it was going to grow and be successful.

Today that dream has been realized. The Arlington EAA Fly-In advertises in national aviation publications and sends out brochures to people in 18 states, bringing participants and visitors from nearly 40 states and several foreign countries to the show.

But the event, with a nearly $400,000 budget, is much more than an air show. Coupled with the annual Arlington Festival that fills the city’s main street with bands, vendors and entertainment, the air show is an occasion that brings community residents together as volunteers and spectators and attracts tourism funds.

Tolbert estimates about $3 million is pumped into the local economy by those attending the fly-in each year. For example, the Hawthorn Inn & Suites at Smokey Point was filled to capacity during this year’s air show, hotel officials said.

“If it’s not one of the biggest, it is one of the premier events that happen in the county,” Sandy Ward, executive director of the Snohomish County Tourism Bureau said last year in Assistant Editor Kimberly Hilden’s journal story. “It brings in a lot of people and a lot of (hotel) room nights.”

It also brings a lot of pride to those who live in north Snohomish County. The Arlington Fly-In is a first-class event, a great attraction for family entertainment, education and commerce.

Thanks, Barb, and friends, for another great event.

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