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JUNE 22�29, 2022
Richland welcomes planes for the OKK Fly-In
By Lisa Britton
Go! Magazine
RICHLAND — Vintage air-
planes buzz into Baker County
this weekend for the fi fth annual
OKK Fly-In on June 24 and 25.
Although this is offi cially the
fi fth year, the event has been
years in the making.
“We did it unoffi cially before
that,” said Gail Kimberling, orga-
nizer of the OKK Fly-In.
She and her husband, Dave,
bought their property in 1993
and discovered it had a unique
attribute across one of the fi elds.
“It turned out there was a cer-
tifi ed airstrip on the property,”
she said.
With pilots in her family, she
said they decided to invite oth-
ers to fl y to Baker County and
park in the fi eld.
“It just turned into a weekend
event — come look at the planes
and talk to the pilots,” she said.
The event is limited to small
planes because the grass
airstrip is only 1,500 feet long.
For comparison, runways at the
Baker Airport are between 4,000
and 5,000 feet long.
“Not quite bush planes, but
close,” Kimberling said.
Planes start arriving on Friday,
June 24, and stay through Satur-
day, June 25.
Travel
Baker
County/
Contributed Photo
Visitors are welcome to see planes
and chat with pilots during the OKK
Fly-In at Richland on June 24 and 25.
Gail Kimberling/Contributed Photo
This photo taken from a 1976 Cessna 180 shows the OKK landing strip along with Brownlee Reservoir.
“Saturday is the big day,” she
said.
Pilots are invited to camp on
the property and partake in eve-
ning meals, she said. Although
there is no registration fee, pilots
make a donation to cover the
cost of the meals.
“It’s the chance to fl y in a re-
ally beautiful area,” she said.
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Each year brings between 10
and 16 planes.
“If folks come earlier in the
day they have a better chance of
seeing the planes fl y,” she said.
“It usually gets too warm in the
afternoon for taking off from our
short fi eld.”
In the past, the OKK Fly-In
coincided with Eagle Valley
Days. This year, Kimberling said
they decided to move the event
forward one weekend so it fell be-
tween Eagle Valley Days and the
Fourth of July festivities to bring
more visitors to the Richland area.
“Some stay in the motel or
eat out — we try to support the
community,” she said.
Richland is 42 miles east of
Baker City on Highway 86. The
OKK airstrip, 37044 Sullivan
Lane, is about 1.5 miles outside
of Richland. To get there, go
through the town toward Hewitt
and Holcomb parks. Kimberling
said signs will point the way to
the airstrip.
Admission is free for specta-
tors. For more information, send
an email to gailkimberling@mac.
com or call 541-992-2955.
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