Breezy Point Aviation Days Hosts Sky High Entertainment

“Breezy is growing rapidly,” said Breezy Point Councilman Gary Bakken.

The City of Breezy Point is not the only thing on the rise – so is the appreciation for local aviation.

“Trying to keep the community aware of how valuable our airport is,” said Breezy Point Airport manager Clifford Muller.

The event is all about getting community members involved in aviation by letting them get into the plane and over their fear of flying.

“Aviation can be fun, safe, and fear of flying can go away,” Muller said.

For others, the thought of flying is just plain exciting.

“Aviation is really great; it’s a freedom that you don’t have unless you are a pilot,” said Curt Brown.

Brown knows a thing or two about flying after spending 13 years as a NASA astronaut.

“My most infamous mission was in 1998 when the media and everyone made a big deal about John Glenn going back up into space for his second flight,” Brown said. “I was the commander of that one, and so I was proud to take John up for his second flight; we promised it would be a lot longer than his first flight since he was the first American to orbit the earth back in 1962.”

But today, his flight was a little shorter when the retired astronaut landed at the Breezy Point Airport.

“It’s exciting; what other adjective could you use? It’s exciting!” Bakken said. “My gosh, an astronaut. Wow.”

Brown flew his personal plane, a T-6 that was known in the Navy as the “Pilot Maker.”

“It was actually in the Navy, it left the Navy in 1958,” Brown said. “It was a Navy trainer and taught pilots how to fly.”

It’s now time to teach the local younger generation to spread their wings and fly.

“All of the guys in aviation look like me – they are getting older, so we need to involve the young people into aviation in order to keep aviation vital,” said EAA Brainerd Secretary Mike Petersen.

The Brainerd EAA chapter is being brought back to life to help Brainerd Lakes Aviation prepare for take-off.

“I can only go back to my childhood; as a kid I would do anything around airplanes and go to the airport,” Brown said.