Zenith Aircraft Company will be hosting its 33rd annual Zenith Homecoming / Open Hangar Days & Fly-In this September 20th & 21st at its factory at the Mexico Memorial Airport in Mexico, Missouri.
The annual fly-in event is a homecoming for Zenith Aircraft customers from across the U.S., with many Zenith customers flying in to central Missouri, with their completed Zenith kit aircraft (whose parts and components were all made at the Zenith Aircraft factory in Mexico, Missouri). The Open Hangar Days & Fly-In event include two full days of activities, with educational seminars and workshops, an aircraft show, contests, social activities, as well as a Zenith banquet dinner on Friday evening. This year we’ll be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the low-wing Zenith CH600 series designs by aeronautical engineer Chris Heintz, and we’ll be showcasing our newly expanded Zenith Aircraft kit factory and hangar showroom. Factory tours (of the modern kit aircraft factory), aircraft building and flying demonstrations, and other activities are planned for all visitors.
On the first day (Friday, September 20th) educational seminars begin in the morning and take place throughout the day featuring various airframe (the aircraft fuselage, wings and tail), engine, avionics seminars, with suppliers like Dynon and Garmin avionics, Corvair and Viking auto engine conversions, and more participating. The knowledge gained from these educational seminars gives the individual aircraft kit builders an opportunity to learn more about the choices they have in building and finishing their own aircraft. Charlie Becker, EAA’s Director of Chapters & Homebuilt Community Manager, will speak about government issues affect sport aircraft owners and builders, including MOSAIC, task based phase 1 flight testing, LODA, Basic Med and fuel issues. There will be additional seminars and panel discussions on topics of interest to Zenith builders and flyers, including flight safety (transition training and first flight preparedness). Friday’s activities conclude with the popular Zenith Aircraft banquet (catered BBQ), held outdoors in front of the Zenith Aircraft factory with the planes (weather permitting), with special guest speakers and entertainment.
Saturday’s schedule is packed full of activities including:
- Ribbon-cutting ceremony (at noon) of the Zenith Aircraft factory expansion
- Tours of the newly-expanded Zenith Aircraft kit production facilities,
- Zenith aircraft “show” with many categories and prizes,
- Seminars on Zenith aircraft kit construction and maintenance,
- STOL and other flying demonstrations at the airport
- Dinner (fried chicken) and awards ceremony starting at 4:30 pm
- …Great camaraderie throughout the day with lots of hangar talk and food!
Hands-on building projects in the Zenith factory are being planned, including a “women’s only introduction to aircraft building” workshop class. There will be Zenith Aircraft presentations on aircraft kit construction, as well as representation from more than a dozen vendors of products and services for Zenith customers (avionics, engines, insurance, etc.).
The Zenith Aircraft Homecoming – Open Hangar Days and Fly-In is a popular annual event for Zenith customers and aviation enthusiasts.
The annual Zenith Aircraft Homecoming – Open Hangar Days and Fly-In event is a great way for Zenith Aircraft’s customers to meet with each other to share their love of building and flying, and to get to know the factory staff, while also learning about building, maintaining and flying their airplanes. While area hotels sell out well in advance of the event, there will also be free camping available at the Mexico airport. Further details are available on the Zenith Aircraft website, with a detailed seminar and events schedule (to be published closer to the event date): https://bit.ly/zen24-homecoming
Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/share/ouKksYYUuhyK5zzx/
