'A successful run' for Route 66 Air Tour

More than 20 fixed-wing aircraft landed at Tucumcari Municipal Airport on Friday for the first leg of the Route 66 Air Tour.

"We had half of the expected pilots cancel on us," said Richard L. Perry, tour coordinator. "Despite that, this was a successful run."

Perry said a combination of illness, repairs and weather was responsible for the low number of participants in the tour, the first since 2012. He said the tour brought in pilots from all across the country. We had interest from pilots as far away as Iowa and Illinois, Perry added.

"This tour gave my wife Terry and I an opportunity to tour a part of Route 66 we had not seen yet," said Jason Fiala.

Fiala, a resident of Littleton, Colorado, said he has been flying for 14 years. In that time he and his wife have toured the eastern portions of Route 66.

"We are a bit out of the way here in Tucumcari, but this tour was close to home," Fiala said.

The Air Tour kicked off Saturday with the 24 pilots departing Tucumcari with scheduled landings at airports in Santa Rosa, Las Vegas, Moriarty, and Grants before ending at Winslow.

The tour commemorated both the 90th anniversary of the establishment of Route 66 in New Mexico, and Gov. Susana Martinez's proclamation of February as Aviation Appreciation Month.

The Air Tour was organized by Chapter 179 of the Experimental Aircraft Association in Albuquerque, with the assistance of the Aviation Division of the New Mexico Department of Transportation and the New Mexico Pilots Association.

"I am a member of the EAA and wanted to bring out my Light Sport Aircraft to show my support," said Vicki Sensonig, Tucumcari resident.

Sensonig said she built the Challenger II Light Sport Aircraft that she flew and landed Saturday at the Airport. She said while she is not taking part in the tour, she would give rides to those spectators looking to get a "bird's eye view" of the tour.