Pumpkins Are Falling From The Sky at the Watsonville Airport

2006-11-05_SCFC_Pumpkin_Drop_39.jpgThe Santa Cruz Flying Club and Ocean Air Flight Services have joined forces to celebrate the fall season by hosting a post-Halloween dropping of pumpkins from aircraft on Sunday, November 4 from noon to 2:00 PM.  Young and old alike are invited to bring their (uncarved) left-over Halloween pumpkins and test their accuracy hitting a ground target for fun and prizes.

The ‘Pumpkin Drop’ has been a popular annual post-Halloween event at the airport. Pilots volunteer their time and aircraft to take ‘pumpkin droppers’ twice around the pattern and over a 5’ x 5’ target located beside the runway. Prizes are awarded for pumpkins, or fragments thereof, that land closest to the target.  Certified pilots can also participate in a “Spot Landing Contest” where they attempt to guide their airplane to a perfect touchdown on a line drawn across the runway.

For community members interested in learning about aviation, or considering beginning flying lessons themselves, this is an excellent opportunity for an introduction to flight.  Certified flight instructors will be available to demonstrate basic pilot skills and answer questions.

2006-11-05_SCFC_Pumpkin_Drop_35.jpgA raffle will take place during the event and the winners of the Pumpkin Drop and Spot Landing Contests will receive special prizes. There is no charge for the flight if you bring your own small pumpkin, or we’ll supply them for a $10.00 per pumpkin suggested donation.

The Santa Cruz Flying Club is a non-profit social club focused on aviation and pilot training based at the Watsonville airport.  The club atmosphere aids in learning to fly by sharing experiences with others, going on group flights to interesting destinations, and sharing flight expenses with other pilots.  They have monthly potlucks and training opportunities throughout the year. For more information about this or other events visit the club online at http://scfc.org or call 831-722-4580.

Ocean Air Flight Services is a flight school and aircraft maintenance facility featuring new light sport aircraft (LSA) and offering training toward both the “traditional” FAA Private Pilot certificate and the newer and more affordable Sport Pilot certification. For more information about Ocean Air visit them online at http://oceanairflightservices.com or call 831-763-0290.

The ‘Pumpkin Drop’ will be held from noon to 2:00 PM at the Ocean Air hangar located at 170 Aviation Way, just off of Airport Blvd in Watsonville.

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