Jettreks

09/11/2026

✈️ September Midwest Fly‑Ins & GA Events
A great month for exploring the Midwest by air. Here are a few GA‑friendly events still ahead this September:

🛩️ Sept 14 — Poplar Grove (C77), IL
Fall Fly‑In & Pancake Breakfast
Classic Midwest breakfast fly‑in with strong turnout.

🛩️ Sept 15 — Moraine Airpark (I73), OH
Funday Sunday Fly‑In
Casual community fly‑in with breakfast and open ramp.
See https://jettreks.com/?p=4762 for more info.

🛩️ Sept 21 — Waupaca (PCZ), WI
EAA Chapter Fly‑In
A friendly GA gathering with food and easy arrivals.

🛩️ Sept 28 — Creve Coeur (1H0), MO
Historic Aircraft Fly‑In
Great mix of vintage aircraft and traveler‑friendly museum access.
Home of the National Museum of Transportation. If you want more to see, the timeline here stretches from railcars to rockets.
Photo: Cory W. Watts, from Madison, WI CC BY S-A 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

09/07/2026

Mount Pleasant Regional Airport (OSA) is a solid East Texas stop for travelers looking for easy access, friendly service, and a well‑kept field. With two runways, reliable fuel, and a straightforward layout, OSA makes cross‑state hops simple and stress‑free.

If you’re passing through northeast Texas, this airport is a dependable choice for quick turns, smooth arrivals, and a welcoming regional feel. Add it to your route planning if you’re exploring the area or connecting through the region.

JetTreks — Smaller Airports, Bigger Adventures!

09/06/2026

🎈 Sunday FunDay: How Hot Air Balloons Fly! ☀️

Hot air balloons float because warm air weighs less than cool air! We say the warmer air has less density. When the pilot turns on the flame, the air inside the balloon gets hotter than the air around it. That warm air pushes up, lifting the balloon into the sky. Just like bubbles in water-the air in a bubble weighs less than the water around it, so it floats up.

So next time you see one drifting above the clouds, without wings or an engine, remember: it’s flying because warm air helps it float.

🧒 Grab today’s JetTreks Kids Corner coloring page and imagine your own balloon soaring high!

09/04/2026

The list is long, but it is divided by area. This is by no means a complete list; these are simply events that recur every Labor Day. You can add local events in the comments if you'd like.

🇺🇸 Labor Day Weekend Fly‑Ins: U.S. Nationwide (GA‑Friendly, Recurring Events)
Saturday–Monday • Aug 30–Sept 1, 2026
All events listed are airports with historically recurring GA gatherings.

MIDWEST
📍 Brodhead, WI (C37)
Sept 4-7: Pietenpol & Hatz Fly‑In Weekend
Long‑running grassroots aviation gathering with vintage aircraft, camping, and steady ramp activity.

📍 Waupaca, WI (KPCZ)
Sept 6: Labor Day Pancake Breakfast Fly‑In
A consistent Wisconsin‑area GA breakfast event with strong turnout.

📍 Crete, NE (KCEK)
Sept 6: Annual Labor Day Fly‑In & BBQ
Small‑town GA tradition with food, ramp socializing, and family‑friendly activities.

GREAT LAKES
📍 Port Clinton, OH (KPCW)
Sept 5-6: Liberty Aviation Museum Ramp Social
Weekend ramp gathering with warbirds, GA visitors, and museum access.

📍 Three Rivers, MI (KHAI)
Sept 6: Labor Day Weekend Fly‑In Breakfast
A recurring community breakfast with easy parking and friendly staff.

SOUTH / DEEP SOUTH
📍 Fayetteville, AR (KFYV)
Sept 5-6: Weekend GA Meetup
Consistent Saturday/Sunday ramp social for regional pilots.

📍 Gulf Shores, AL (KJKA)
Coastal GA Fly‑In Weekend
Sept 4-7: Beach‑adjacent airport with steady holiday‑weekend GA traffic and informal gatherings.

📍 Monroe, LA (KMLU)
Sept 5: Labor Day Ramp Social
Recurring informal fly‑in with local EAA participation.

TEXAS
📍 Gainesville, TX (KGLE)
Sept 6: Annual Labor Day Fly‑In Breakfast
North Texas GA favorite with strong turnout and easy ramp access.

📍 Brenham, TX (11R)
Sept 4-7: Blue Bell Café Fly‑In Weekend
Popular holiday‑weekend stop for pilots grabbing lunch and enjoying the ramp crowd.

MOUNTAIN WEST
📍 Spanish Fork, UT (KSPK)
Sept 5: Labor Day Fly‑In & Car Show
A recurring community event with aircraft displays and family activities.

📍 Lander, WY (KLND)
Sept 5-6: High Country Fly‑In
Holiday‑weekend mountain‑west gathering with backcountry flyers.

WEST / PACIFIC
📍 Columbia, CA (O22)
Sept 4-7: Labor Day Weekend Camp‑In Fly‑In
One of California’s most reliable GA camping destinations.

📍 Hood River, OR (4S2)
Sept 5-6: WAAAM Fly‑In Weekend
Museum access, vintage aircraft, and steady GA arrivals.

📍 Arlington, WA (KAWO)
Sept 5: North Puget Sound Labor Day Fly‑In
Recurring community ramp social with strong local participation.

EAST / MID‑ATLANTIC
📍 Frederick, MD (KFDK)
Sept 5: Holiday Weekend Coffee & Hangar Talk
Consistent GA meetup at the FBO lounge.

📍 Lancaster, PA (KLNS)
Sept 6: Labor Day Ramp Social
Light GA traffic, easy parking, and a dependable weekend crowd.

NEW ENGLAND
📍 Sanford, ME (KSFM)
Sept 6: Labor Day Fly‑In Breakfast
A long‑running New England GA breakfast tradition.

📍 Keene, NH (KEEN)
Sept 5-6: Holiday Weekend GA Meetup
Recurring ramp social with local flyers.

08/31/2026

This week’s JetTreks trip information highlights Galesburg, IL, home of the National Stearman Fly‑In.
The 55th annual event runs September 7–12, 2026, and brings vintage aviation, formation flights, contests, and community events to Galesburg Municipal Airport.
Photos: Noah Wulf & ZLEA full licensing on https://jettreks.com/?p=5838

08/30/2026

✈️ Sunday FunDay at JetTreks Kids’ Corner!
This week’s coloring page spotlights the low‑wing Piper Sundowner, a design that gives pilots an unobstructed view of the horizon and a stable ride for family adventures. Notice how the wings sit below the fuselage, giving pilots a great view of the sky above! Grab your crayons and bring this classic light aircraft to life.
This is a fun way to introduce young aviators to aircraft types while sparking creativity.



Download, color, and share your masterpiece. We love seeing your sky‑bright creations!

08/25/2026

✈️ JetTreks Tuesday Travel Tip: Don’t Trust the Mirage
Extreme heat changes the way the world looks from the cockpit.
When temperatures spike, heat shimmer rises off runways, taxiways, fields, and even distant ridgelines — bending light, blurring terrain, and making distances look different than they actually are.

What pilots and travelers should keep in mind:

Heat shimmer can distort the horizon line, making it appear wavy or farther away

Buildings, towers, and terrain may look softened or shifted

Long, hot runways can create false depth cues

Visual references lose reliability when the air is boiling

In conditions like these, trust your instruments first. They don’t care how hot it is — and they won’t be fooled by optical illusions.

High heat affects more than comfort. It affects perception, performance, and planning. Staying instrument‑anchored keeps every leg of the trip safer and smoother.
This is a NOAA satellite from last year, but August hasn't been any better this year.

08/25/2026

✈️ Travel Tip Tuesday
Keep your power bank with you — never stowed away.

Power banks are no longer allowed in overhead luggage compartments, and they should never be buried in a suitcase, backpack, or behind your seat where you can’t reach them. If a battery ever overheats, you need to be able to access it immediately.

A flat power bank is the easiest to carry. It slides into a side pocket, stays within reach, and doesn’t bulge or get lost in your gear. It keeps your phone ready for maps, FBO calls, and airport info, and it keeps you ready to act quickly if something goes wrong.

A small safety habit that makes every trip smoother.

JetTreks — so you’ll know where to go when you get there.

08/25/2026

o🛩️ Monday Destination Spotlight — Colonel James Jabara Airport (AAO)
Jabara sits in one of Wichita’s most complex GA corridors, with Beech Factory Airport (BEC) to the southeast and McConnell AFB (IAB) to the southwest. The mix of factory test flights, military activity, and GA traffic makes this airspace uniquely busy, even leading a Boeing 747 Dreamlifter to land here by mistake years ago.

For travelers heading into Wichita’s business and aviation districts, AAO offers convenient access and reliable services in the heart of Kansas aviation country.

If you’ve visited Jabara, share your experience or photos below — JetTreks always enjoys hearing from fellow GA travelers. See https://jettreks.com/?p=5812 for more info.

08/24/2026

🛩️ Monday Destination Spotlight — Colonel James Jabara Airport (AAO)
Jabara sits in one of Wichita’s most complex GA corridors, with Beech Factory Airport (BEC) to the southeast and McConnell AFB (IAB) to the southwest. The mix of factory test flights, military activity, and GA traffic makes this airspace uniquely busy, even leading a Boeing 747 Dreamlifter to land here by mistake years ago.

For travelers heading into Wichita’s business and aviation districts, AAO offers convenient access and reliable services in the heart of Kansas aviation country.

If you’ve visited Jabara, share your experience or photos below — JetTreks always enjoys hearing from fellow GA travelers. See https://jettreks.com/?p=5812 for more info.

Discover Colonel James Jabara Airport, the first American jet ace's namesake, nestled in Wichita's aviation corridor.