Pietenpol Annual Reunion

Last weekend I visited the annual Pietenpol reunion for the first time. I’ve been meaning to go for years (it’s only about an hour and a half away), but something always came up. This year I made an extra effort to go because my friend Dave (who is building a Pietenpol of his own) was going to be giving a presentation. [caption id=“attachment_4179” align=“aligncenter” width=“3264”] Dave’s Pietenpol[/caption] Dave’s presentation was great (I can’t wait to try powdercoating something!), but he also gave me a very complete tour of the event, including some amazing non-Pietenpol aircraft that is part of the Kelch Aviation Museum (thanks Dave!). Here’s a few photos from the event, I wish I could have captured more but honestly I was too busy taking it all in. [gallery ids=“4184,4185,4186,4188,4190,4191,4193,4195,4197,4199,4201,4203,4205,4206,4212,4215,4218,4220,4222,4223” type=“rectangular”] If you or someone you know has any interest in flying I highly recommend checking out this event. Pietenpol’s really epitomize the essential elements of flying and while I’ve yet to experience what it’s like to be inside one in the air, seeing the aircraft in person and meeting the people who build and fly them was a great way to learn what flying might have been like at the dawn of aviation.