Jerry Wierenga of Niles sits in his InterPlane Skyboy airplane, which he will display at the EAA Fly-In Breakfast on Sunday.

By AARON MUELLER
Niles Daily Star

When Bob Baird looks at a cockpit of some of the new, top-of-the-line experimental aircrafts, he says it’s like “technological intoxication.”

“You just dial in what you want them to do, and they do it — fast,” he said. “But for an old guy like me, I like the old stuff.”

Aviation fanatics will get the best of both worlds Sunday during the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter 865 Annual Fly-In Breakfast. The event, held at Jerry Tyler Memorial Airport in Niles from 7 a.m. to noon, will feature recently built, modern aircrafts and World War I and World War II replica planes.

Baird, who heads up the event for EAA Chapter 865, said he is excited to see the World War I replica fighter planes.

“There’s nothing better than the open cockpit feel as countryside slides by under you,” Baird said. “It (World War I era) was the golden era of innocence. Pilots were real daredevils then.”

About 100 different aircrafts within a 150-mile radius are expected to fly into Niles on Sunday, and Baird said between 400 and 500 people in total usually attend the all-you-can-eat breakfast.
One of the aviation fans who won’t have to fly in is Jerry Wierenga, a Niles resident, who will show off his bright red, 1,000-pound, two-seat InterPlane Skyboy. The aircraft reaches cruising speeds of 75 miles per hour.

Wierenga said it is classified as a light sport aircraft, meaning it can be operated with only a drivers license.

Wierenga picked up flying in the 1970s at a flight school at the Jerry Tyler Memorial Airport, and he has been attending fly-ins ever since.

“Every flight is different,” he said. “It’s fun dealing with all the different variables, so it’s different experiences and challenges every time out.”

The suggested donation for the fly-in breakfast is $6 or $3 for those under age 12. Helicopter rides will also be available on site for a fee. Proceeds of the event will go toward the Young Eagle program, which gives free flights to children ages 8 to 18 and teaches them about aviation.