‘Touch-a-Plane, Touch-a-Truck’ at Laconia Airport

LACONIA — Winn Aero, the STEM education nonprofit for youth, announces it will again sponsor, with the Laconia Airport Authority, their annual Open House event on Saturday, May 9.

The popular family-oriented event dubbed “Wings, Water & Wheels,” will operate in the “touch a plane, touch-a-truck” format.

“We‘ll have several aircraft owners displaying their airplanes and expect a local marina to display their boats, along with Gilford fire and police, and sheriff’s vehicles, large excavators and snow-plows,” said Karen Mitchell, WinnAero president.

The Belknap County SWAT vehicle will also be on display. Expected to round out the displays will be a construction crane, an oil truck and other construction vehicles.

Kids will be able to “fly” using the WinnAero Flight Simulators and speak to members of the Civil Air Patrol and the ACE Academy Summer Camps. Kids under 18 may also fly free orientation flights at the event thanks to the local chapter of the EAA. Pine Tree Helicopters will be offering helicopter rides for a fee to children and adults.

Laconia Airport gates open at 9 a.m. on May 9, and the event will run until 2 p.m.

“Wings, Water & Wheels” is WinnAero’s main fundraiser to help deliver aviation and aerospace education to youth throughout New Hampshire. There will be a 50-50 cash raffle at the Open House with food trucks.

Besides “Wings, Water & Wheels,” WinnAero is also gearing up to operate its ACE Academy week-long day camps in July. As of today, 82 campers are enrolled while 30 slots remain open for interested youth. The openings are in Aeromedical Aviation, Air Traffic Control, Girls in Aviation, Pre-Ground School and Search & Rescue.

For more information, visit winnaero.org.