ONTARIO – Those looking to greet speed boat racers flying into Ontario are encouraged to come to the airport on Saturday, Sept. 30, for the Fall Fly-In.
The Ontario Municipal Airport will greet pilots competing in the speed boat racing competition at the speedway from 8 a.m. to noon at 581 S.W. 33rd St.
The event is free and open to the public, according to Andy Wood, airport manager. Wood said that he hopes to see 100 racers fly in, but the airport saw around 20 fly in last month.
The Saturday event, he said, allows the airport to tie the speed boat race, which is located at the speedway, north of the terminal, at the old Ontario Golf Course and consists of a 2000-foot circular set of channels where jet boats race on 30 inches of water.
The track opened last year and featured racing events throughout the summer. The initial event was held last month. This month, according to an event flyer, the race goes from Saturday, Sept. 30, to Sunday, Oct. 1.
Wood said the Fall Fly-In would include a breakfast at 8 a.m. for $5 and a raffle at noon. He said there will also be limited free general admission tickets in the airport complex handed out as well. He said shirts and hats would be available for sale.
Wood said he anticipates most pilots flying in between 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., depending on the weather. The first boat race kicks off at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
Wood said an event like the Fall Fly-In highlights the city and what is available for people coming from outside the area.
“We like the airport being the gateway to adventure,” he said. “The airport is opening the doors of opportunity for what’s here in Ontario.”
NEWS TIP? Send an email to [email protected].
SUPPORT OUR WORK – The Malheur Enterprise delivers quality local journalism – fair and accurate. You can read it any hour, any day with a digital subscription. Read it on your phone, your Tablet, your home computer. Click subscribe – $7.50 a month.