Pilots will have an opportunity to compete in a landing contest during the month of May at the Wausau Downtown Airport (AUW) in Wisconsin. Proceeds from the second Annual “Landings For Lunches” will benefit The Neighbors’ Place.
Bob Mohr was the winner of “Landings for Lunches” 2013 landing within 6 inches of the mark in his Piper PA12. The event raised more than $2,000, as well as a large number of non-perishable food items.
Several local businesses sponsor the contest and contribute matching cash to increase the donations, including Christian Family Medical Clinic, Kocourek Automotive Group, Phillips 66, The Neighbors’ Place, Wausau Flying Service, the City of Wausau, Security Realty, Mohr’s Automotive, First Impressions, and Aircraft Maintenance of Wausau.
Pilots will donate $1 and a non-perishable food item (or an additional dollar) each time they compete. Donations will be split between prize money and contributions to The Neighbors’ Place.
Aviators will be able to compete as many times as they wish each day.
Weekends the contest will take place between 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. , and weekdays the contest will take place between 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. while judges are present.
The goal is landing accuracy. Pilots will attempt to land with their main wheels on or as close as possible to a box marked on the runway. For each entry fee, pilots will be allowed two attempts.
During the time the contest is underway, a scoreboard will be displayed in the office of Wausau Flying Service, as well as the accumulated food donations for The Neighbor’s Place.
All pilots are welcome to participate. At the end of the month, the person with the best score of accurate landings will win the cash entry fees for the month and will have his or her name engraved on a trophy to be displayed at the Wausau Downtown Airport.
Weekly prizes will be awarded to the “Winner of the Week.”
The goal of the contest is to improve flying skills and safety while making a charitable contribution to benefit the community, as well as help the public become more informed about general aviation, according to airport officials.
Interested aviators are invited to attend an informational session and safety seminar on April 6 at 9 a.m. at the airport, for tips on landing accuracy from local CFIs. The seminar qualifies for training credit from the FAA under the WINGS program.