Free Airport Camping for Fly-In Pilots
Film, food, fun and pilot seminars fill out a weekend of programming co-sponsored by the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA), the City of North Adams Airport Commission and Shamrock Aviation.
(North Adams, Massachusetts)In an unusual collaboration, MASS MoCA, the nation’s largest center for contemporary art, has joined forces with the City of North Adams and the local airport FBO to co-host a unique “Fly-in Weekend at the Airport”, Friday, August 5, and Saturday, August 6, at KAQW (Harriman-West Airport, North Adams, in the heart of the Berkshires of western Massachusetts.)
The weekend kicks off on Friday night with an “under the stars” screening of the aviation classic The Great Waldo Pepper starring Robert Redford and Susan Sarandon projected in what may be — for one night — the country’s largest movie screen: a 90′ x 22′ hangar door. Starting at 7 PM, static aircraft and antique cars will be on display, and local vendors will offer popcorn, hot dogs and hamburgers, soft drinks, beer and wine for sale. The film will start at 8:30pm. The airport will be closed to all aircraft operations from 6:30pm to 11:30pm.
Pilots and their passengers will be admitted to the movie for free and will be permitted to have free “under the wing” and tent camping on the airport grounds (with 24-hour access to the FBO facilities). There is a full-service Stop & Shop supermarket, open from 6:00 AM to midnight, within 500 feet of the airport. The Redwood Motel (413-664-4351), which is across the street from the airport, is offering 25% off its normal $99 room rate. Other local hotels may offer a discount based on availability. Pilots should call in advance and ask for the “fly-in movie” rate to see if there are discounted rooms available at The Orchards (413-458-9611), The Williams Inn (413-458-9371), or Hotel North Adams (413-663-6500). Additional lodging information is available at http://www.berkshires.org.
“The City and the FAA have just completed a beautiful airport improvement project, and we wanted to help show it off,” said Joseph Thompson, MASS MoCA’s Director. “At the base of Mount Greylock Reservation, the state’s highest peak and an excellent array of hiking and biking trails, Harriman West Airport is surely one of the most beautifully situated airports in the Northeast. And with its close proximity to museums, the Williamstown Theater Festival, and so many other world class destinations, we wanted to help the City draw attention to such a great asset. And who can resist an outdoor film on a nice summer night.”
Saturday, August 6, will feature aviation programming at the airport, including safety seminars and simulator rides offered in the morning by the FAA and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The local FBO, Shamrock Aviation, will host a weekend-long open house with several aircraft and avionics vendors, a Saturday afternoon BBQ, and specially discounted 100LL avgas and scenic rides.
During the day on Saturday, pilots and passengers can enjoy MASS MoCA’s galleries, which are open from 10- 6, and also DownStreet Art galleries throughout downtown North Adams, along with shops and restaurant and two other world-class museums that lie within three miles of the airport: the Clark Art Institute and the Williams College Museum of Art in Williamstown, MA. Special discounted admission is available at both of these museums for those wishing to visit all three.
On the evening of August 6, at 8:30 PM, MASS MoCA will present The Complete Metropolis with live original score by Alloy Orchestra at the museum’s North Adams campus. This newly restored version of Fritz Lang’s magnum opus includes 25 minutes of additional footage. This version of Metropolis, just 4 minutes shorter tha
n the lost original 153-minute cut that premiered in Berlin in 1927, was discovered in 2008 in a library in Buenos Aires. The reconstruction and digitization of this archival print is one of the most significant restoration projects in cinema history. Alloy Orchestra, called “the best in the world at accompanying silent films” by Roger Ebert, will provide a memorable score.
On Sunday morning, Shamrock Aviation will host a pancake breakfast for pilots and their guests.
In case of rain the Saturday night film will be moved indoors at MASS MoCA and The Great Waldo Pepper scheduled for Friday at the airfield will be screened on Sunday, August 7, at 8:30 PM.
Tickets for The Great Waldo Pepper are free for fly-in pilots and their passengers, $7 for adults, and $3 for kids. For those arriving by car, tickets are $14 per car, including admission for all passengers. Tickets for The Complete Metropolis are $15 in advance and $19 at the door, with $5 off for pilots with valid pilot license. Tickets are available at the door or through the MASS MoCA Box Office located on Marshall Street in North Adams, open from 11AM to 5PM every day but Tuesday. Tickets can also be charged by phone by calling 413.662.2111 during Box Office hours or online at www.massmoca.org at any time.
MASS MoCA, the largest center for contemporary visual and performing arts in the United States, is located off Marshall Street in North Adams on a 13-acre campus of renovated 19th-century factory buildings. MASS MoCA is an independent 501c(3) whose operations and programming are funded through admissions and commercial lease revenue, corporate and foundation grants, and individual philanthropy. Except for an initial construction grant from the Commonwealth, and competitive program and operations grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Massachusetts Cultural Council, MASS MoCA is privately funded: 90% of annual operating revenues are from earned revenues, membership support, and private gifts and grants.
