I found the time last week to go to the yearly Arlington EAA Fly-In with my dad. It’s a long-time tradition (although we’ve only actually flown in once) where we take a day to wander around, checking out everything from 1930s restorations to brand-new composite homebuilts. Much like Oshkosh, Arlington is a multi-day, fly-in-and-camp event that draws airplanes from around the continent. I took about a hundred or so photos, and uploaded around sixty of the best to flickr.

Aside from the obligatory, daily air show, EAA Fly-Ins are an amazing example of how huge and vibrant the general aviation world is. New light-sport aircraft were on display from companies in Germany, Poland, and elsewhere. There was an incredible little kit biplane on floats, which actually also fit into the light-sport category. Kitplanes on display ranged in size from the single-seat Twister (which looks like a mini Spitfire) to the Murphy Moose – a sort of build-your-own de Havilland Beaver.

Despite rising fuel costs, despite the airline industry suffering immense setbacks, the general aviation community is alive and well. It might take a few hits over the next decades as well, but new (and cheap!) technology like Rotax and aerodiesel engines are ensuring that civil flight can remain relatively inexpensive. While the outlook isn’t what it might have been several years ago (see: very light jets), general aviation is an essential part of our economy and certainly won’t be going anywhere.