The South Dakota Pilots Association holds bimonthly meetings typically the month before the newsletter is published. SDPA meetings are opportunities for pilots to fly to an airport away from home and participate in a discussion of aviation issues in South Dakota and activities to promote general aviation in South Dakota.

• Meetings
• Fly SD

Recent meetings:

SDPA meeting at Medicine Rock Café, 11/6/04. Seated (left to right) Steve Hamilton, Jeff Jackson, Norma Kraemer, L.A. Vern Kraemer, Pam Hamilton; standing (left to right) Dwight Pladsen, Grove Rathbun, Barry Bibler, Marsha Sumpter, Alfred Nagel, Bobbie Potts, Craig Michelson, Mary Carol Potts, Rick Jordan, Merle Vig, Mike Lehrkamp.

SDPA meeting at Al’s Oasis, Oacoma, January 22, 2005. Norma Kraemer gave a presentation on the “Airports of the Black Hills.” Steve Hamilton gave a presentation on the “SDPA” in preparation for a formal presentation at the SD Airport Conference scheduled for March.

Major Doug “Jethro” Bodine gave a presentation on “B-1 Operations.

Jim Behnken (left) & Dr. Dennis Helder (right) gave a presentation on “Ethanol Aviation Fuel for South Dakota.”

3/19/05            Brookings         (cancelled due to weather)

5/14/05            Gettysburg        Airport

7/16/05            Brookings         Pheasant Restaurant

9/10/05            Spearfish          Black Hills Aero

12/3/05            Winner             (cancelled due to weather)

1/28/06            Winner             VFW Club

SDPA meeting on 1/28/06 in Winner, SD, at the VFW Club.  Front row (left to right); Shon Keith, Sirus Keith, Delbert Keith, Mary Carol Potts, Pam Hamilton, Theresa Marten, Marsha Sumpter, and Myra Christensen.  Back row (left to right): Steve Hamilton, Larry Pravecek, Clarence Raschke, Jeff Jackson, Dave Cwach, Grove Rathbun, Ray Jilek, Butch Oien, Dwayne LaFave, Dave Marten, Merle Vig, and Bobbie Potts.

4/15/06       Mobridge       Grand Oasis Restaurant
6/24/06       Kadoka          Airport building
9/9/06         Spearfish         Black Hills Aero
1/20/07       Watertown      Lake Area Technical Institute facility at airport

SDPA meeting in Watertown on 1/20/07:Tom Paulson (Left), Director of the Lake Area Technical Institute (LATI) Foundation, talked about the LATI, and introduced Andy Griese, Hoven, SD, who was the first recipient of the SDPA Aviation Mechanic Scholarship at the LATI in the Aviation maintenance Technology program.	Erick Dahl, Watertown Airport Manager, talked about activities at the airport.
Greg Klein (gray shirt), instructor in the LATI Aviation Maintenance Technology program, gave a detailed tour of the facility.	Captain Greg Hall, Watertown Fire Department, gave a tour of the fire station at the Watertown Airport.

Hod Neilsen of Yankton talked about his experiences as a P-38 photoreconnaissance pilot in WWII prior to the invasion of Europe. 

Fly SD

Fly SD is an opportunity for South Dakota pilots to fly across our great state and aerially view the topographical changes that occur between East River with its uncounted prairie potholes and West River with its vast expanses of open range, Badlands, and the Black Hills, as well as the striking Missouri River Valley and the main stem dams and reservoirs. Stops can be made at state of the art airports like Sioux Falls and Rapid City or at warm & friendly airports along the way.

1st FLY SD 9/23-24/95 Pierre, Wall, Custer State Park, Game Lodge.

Lots of pilots, passengers, and planes participated in the 1st FLY SD event.
The group assembled for a photo at Pierre, where lunch was provided courtesy of
Capital City Air Carrier. Thanks!!

Steve Hamilton (left) won a 30-minute aerobatic ride with Jim Peitz (right)
in Jim’s Christen Eagle at Pierre.

2nd FLY SD 9/14-15/96 Madison, Huron, Mobridge, Faith, Spearfish (Deadwood Jam).
3rd FLY SD 9/13-14/97 “Missouri River Flight”: Huron, Mobridge, Gettysburg, Chamberlain, Yankton.

A variety of planes participating in the 3rd FLY SD event arrived in Yankton.

4th FLY SD 9/19-20/98 Watertown, Huron, Pierre, Philip, Rapid City (cancelled due to weather).
5th FLY SD 9/11-12/99 Brookings, Huron, Pierre, Philip, Rapid City.
6th FLY SD 9/16-17/00 Sioux Falls, Huron, Pierre, Spearfish (Deadwood Jam).
7th FLY SD 8/18-19/01 Mitchell, Pierre, Wall, Spearfish (SD Aviation Hall of Fame).

SDPA members Barry Bibler, John Feidler, Ray Jilek, and Steve Hamilton performed
a “missing man” formation just prior to the SD Aviation Hall of Fame induction
ceremony at Spearfish during the 7th FLY SD event.

The 7th FLY SD included a tour of the Rapid City control tower and the
Army National Guard facility and aircraft.

8th FLY SD 8/17-18/02 Two SD stops, Spearfish (SD Aviation Hall of Fame).
9th FLY SD 8/16-17/03 Two SD stops, Spearfish (SD Aviation Hall of Fame).
10th FLY SD 9/10-11/04 Two SD stops, Spearfish (SD Aviation Hall of Fame).
11th FLY SD 9/9-10/05 Two SD stops, Spearfish (SD Aviation Hall of Fame).
12th FLY SD 9/8-9/06 Two SD stops, Spearfish (SD Aviation Hall of Fame).
13th FLY SD    9/7-8/07    Two SD stops, Spearfish (SD Aviation Hall of Fame).