Oh, the anticipation of enjoying a fly-in while having to take precautions to keep the pilots and other guests safe. Where does one begin to plan for an event like this during a pandemic? That was something that had to be figured out in order to have a successful Kulm Fly-In this summer. 

Originally, the fly-in was to be a breakfast as part of the Kulm City Band 125th festivities. That celebration, along with so many others in North Dakota, was postponed until next year as a result of COVID-19. The Kulm Airport Board made the decision to continue with their plans, however. The only change was planning it as a supper, instead of a breakfast. Local advertising was kept at a minimum, with one sign being hung in town and others providing fly-in information for pilots. In order to host a safe event, a lot of time was put into reading safety protocols and regulations. It was decided that gloves, hand sanitizer, and individual serving containers would be purchased. The tables and chairs had to be spaced apart, in order to social distance. Also, more people would be needed to serve the meal, as the guests could not serve themselves. 

On the day of the fly-in, the weather was hot, humid, and windy. However, this didn’t stop the pilots. About 13 planes from Linton, Buffalo, West Fargo, Fargo, Hillsboro, Milnor, and Desmet, SD, arrived. Everyone had a great time visiting and enjoyed getting back up in the air and going somewhere! Plans are being made for another fly-in this August. While everyone hopes that things will be more normal by then, we know what it takes to host a fly-in during a pandemic and look forward to doing it again.