2024 Great Alaska Aviation Gathering draws visitors from across the world

PALMER — The 2024 Great Alaska Aviation Gathering drew visitors from across the world to the Alaska State Fairgrounds to celebrate all things airborne.

The Great Alaska Aviation Gathering is hosted by the Alaska Airmen’s Association. It's designed to serve as an opportunity to celebrate aviation as a whole and help pilots plan for the upcoming flying season.

The Great Alaska Aviation Gathering featured a variety of activities, displays, fly-in demonstrations, seminars, workshops and vendors.

Orca Floats co-owner Marco Probst flew all the way from British Columbia in his personal plane to participate in this year’s event.

“It was quite the flight,” Probst said with a laugh.

Probst said this was his first time visiting Alaska and he's had a great time enjoying the scenery and interacting with local pilots and aviation enthusiasts

“It's very nice. Everyone is really friendly,” Probst said.

Probst made the journey to Alaska in a plane that he built himself with a Murphy Aircraft kit that he displayed at the event. His aircraft was equipped with prototype floats made by his company. He said this event was a great opportunity to show people what his company does.

“It's pretty cool,” Probst said.

Art Duncklee made his way to Palmer from Fairbanks to check out the Aviation Gathering. He said that he's been attending this event for many years and he enjoys everything it has to offer.

“I think it's awesome," Duncklee said. “You get to see new technology and new techniques to repair airplanes.”

Duncklee said the fact that visitors from around the world come to this event speaks to its relevance.

“It just shows how important it is,” Duncklee said.

Duncklee is a retired private pilot living in a state known for having a high volume of local pilots. He said that the various statistics about Alaska having the biggest number of pilots per capita is true so the Aviation Gathering is a suiting event that showcases that fact.

“You have more airplanes in Alaska than you do in the United States," Duncklee said.

Duncklee has flown across Alaska. He said that the scenery was always one the main highlights of each excursion. He said it didn't matter where he was going because the view was always great from above.

“As long as it was airborne, it was relaxing,” Duncklee said.

Alaska Airmen Association conducts the state's largest charity raffle and gives away a bush plane in conjunction with the Aviation Gathering each year. Raffle ticket sales fuels their efforts supporting aviation across Alaska through efforts such as advocacy and providing scholarship opportunities.

This year's giveaway was a custom experimental PA-18 Super Cub built by Danchini Aero, a company based out of the Wolf Lake Airport in Wasilla. The raffle plane was on display in a central location near Raven Hall throughout the 2024 Aviation Gathering.

“It’s the perfect utility plane for Alaska," Danchini Aero mechanic Jeremiah Brewington said.

Danchini Aero mechanic Kiva McCarthy said they were honored to be involved in the Aviation Gathering. She praised the Alaska Airmen’s Association for putting on this large event and all the other work they do throughout the year.

“It's great,” McCarthy said. “We appreciate how much the Alaska Airmen’s Association airmen does for general Alaska aviation.”

For more information about the Alaska Airmen's Association, alaskaairmen.org.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com