Connecticut’s Mount Toberfest Fly-In, Autumn 2024
Story and photos by Ken Kula
Connecticut’s original Waterbury Airport (FAA ID KN41), known as Mount Tobe Airport, was built during the mid-1930s. The airport is uncontrolled, and offers twin turf runways surrounded by trees and rolling hills. For the past five out of six years, it has hosted an aviator’s event in October… known as the Mount Toberfest Fly-In and Camp Out.
The event occurs during the Columbus Day weekend, and activities are planned from Friday through Sunday. The Fly-In attracts pilots and their families, who can camp out in a shaded grove a short distance from aircraft parking or, in many cases, in tents which pop up next to or under an aircraft’s wing. Autumn foliage offers a great backdrop for the planes parked on the perimeter of the field.
I arrived early Saturday morning and watched the sun rise over the picturesque airport. Only a few planes arrived or departed during the first two hours of sunlight, so there weren’t too many opportunities for photos of airborne planes. Last year (2023) the event was postponed, then cancelled due to a series of heavy autumn storms. This year, 2024, high winds played havoc with would-be attendees on the Saturday of the gathering, while Sunday brought rain to the Northeastern U. S. Saturday was crisp and clear, but windy – 15 to 20 knots with higher gusts, especially around the mid-day hours.
The few dozen aircraft that did arrive during the Thursday and Friday days leading up to the long Columbus Day weekend enjoyed calm weather and even a vivid Northern Lights display on Thursday evening.
In the grove, food is provided for a donation, and a fire pit is a central attraction both day and night. This led to many a casual conversation between both pilots and non-pilots alike, who just enjoyed being part of the Fly-In’s friendly atmosphere. Friendships which began years ago were rekindled… whether planeside or by the fire pit.
Fly-outs to various nearby airfields were planned in the mornings, and there was time to practice for the friendly spot-landing competition on Friday evening, in preparation for Saturday afternoon’s main spot landing event. Evenings begin with supper in the grove, and then (according to the airport’s Facebook page) there’s an “aviation-themed movie, campfire, hangar flying stories and outright lies”. Raffles offered aviation-themed prizes, and clothing adorned with the Toberfest emblem was for sale.
The attendees arrived in a wide assortment of aircraft. On Saturday, three helicopters were present, a Eurocopter EC-120 Colibri, a Bell Jet Ranger and a Robinson R44. There were three ‘round engine aircraft too, a Yak-18T, Cessna 195 and a home-based WACO UPF-7.
There were three Maule-built aircraft present, two with less-typical tricycle landing gear. Other types included Carbon Cubs, Citabrias, a Zenith CH-750, and Piper Cub and Clipper taildraggers.
While the weather conditions dampened the attendance and activities at this year’s Fly-In, it failed to reduce the enthusiasm shown by the people who attended it. In 2022, there were 125 aircraft present over the holiday weekend, so let’s hope that in 2025 there’ll be better weather to allow more pilots, passengers, family members and airplanes to attend the Mount Toberfest Fly-In and Camp Out.
