200 Aircraft Expected for Cherokee Fly-In
at Central Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks

LAKE OF THE OZARKS, MO. – Two hundred Piper Cherokee airplanes will arrive at Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks for the third annual Cherokee National Fly-in & Convention, August 5-7 at Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach. It's the second consecutive year the Lake area will be the site of the event,
which will feature seminars, exhibits, judging of aircraft, entertainment and more for Cherokee owners and enthusiasts.

"Cherokee pilots have found that the Lake of the Ozarks is such an ideal location for fly-ins," says Carolyn Morris, Osage Beach, former president of the Missouri Pilots Association. The association and its Lake of the Ozarks chapter will host a welcome party for an anticipated 300 guests Friday night, Aug. 5. "Aviation groups all over the country always are looking for places to have fly-ins. Because Grand Glaize Airport is so close to Tan-Tar-A, and because the Lake of the Ozarks is located in the middle of the country and has so much to offer, it makes this a perfect location for a national fly-in."

Another main attraction for this year's conference and fly-in is the keynote speaker: Chuck Suma, president and CEO of The New Piper Aircraft Inc. Suma has spent more than 26 years at the company. "It's a real coup that he will attend," Morris says. "Everyone's excited to meet him and hear his speech."
Seminar topics will include Cherokee maintenance, performance-enhancing modifications, the U.S. Air Force Mid-Air Collision Avoidance Briefing, new technology, insurance, NASA's Small Aircraft Transportation System, FAA certification and more. Karl Bergey, lead designer of the Cherokee, will lead a session on the plane's design evolution.

Also during the conference several aviation-related exhibitors will display their products and services. In addition, aircraft will be judged and prizes will be awarded for the best Cherokee in several categories and Best of Show. The New Piper Aircraft Inc. is expected to display some of its latest models featuring state-of-the-art avionics.

"We're just like car guys. We spend a lot of time at the airport looking at each other's airplanes," Morris says. "And that's exactly what the Cherokee pilots will be doing."

For more information about the Piper Cherokee Fly-In visit www.cherokeeflyin.com. And to find out more about lodging, dining, shopping, attractions and events at Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks, contact the Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitor Bureau at 800-FUN-LAKE or online at www.funlake.com.