TIMES UNION REPORTS – The 12th Rotors Over Mentone fly-in event will be at the Lawrence D. Bell Museum, 210 S. Oak St., Mentone, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 11.
The theme for the event is to honor first responders and frontline workers (fire and police, emergency medical services, educators) and the military, said Marsha Scott, secretary of the museum board. The theme was decided on due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Scott said they never know how many aircraft will be there until the day of the event when pilots show up. There is a list of pilots the museum contacts before the event.
Among helicopters that are known to be present at Rotors over Mentone will include Lutheran EMS.
Huey 369 will be at Rotors, giving membership rides. Scott said if people aren’t members of Huey 369 and want to ride the helicopter, they will have to pay $100.
Cleveland Helicopter Service will be giving rides, as well, but Scott wasn’t sure what the cost will be.
Helicopters will be landing on the lawn by the church, with the exception of the Huey, which will be using the museum’s helipad.
The keynote speaker will be Phil Smith, who Scott said was an area resident, although he doesn’t live in Mentone right now. The topic of his speech will be on the anniversary of Sept. 11 and on essential workers, Scott said.
The museum will recognize any veterans, first responders and frontline workers during the event.
The keynote speaker program is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. and will last about half an hour.
The museum will set up a food booth for the event. Igloo ice cream will be sold.
The entire museum, including the gift shop, will be open during Rotors Over Mentone.
Some members of the Tippecanoe Valley High School band will perform at the event.
She said the event brings between 250 to 350 people, depending on the weather. The exact number is unknown because the museum tries to get visitors to sign in, but most people don’t.
Scott said Rotors Over Mentone was started because helicopters are a big part of the museum. The idea came due to the fact Goshen Airport has a fly-in and was a good success.
Scott said she hopes Rotors brings awareness to the public that the museum is there. They have added a genealogy section to the Mentone History Museum. They are hoping to expand the Mentone History Museum, which is attached to the Lawrence B. Bell Museum.
As far as the Bell Museum, Scott said she hopes Rotors Over Mentone brings attention to what Lawrence D. Bell did for the aviation field.
Scott said the museum’s gotten good feedback about the event in years back and have had people at the museum at 10 a.m. because they know that’s when the Huey gets there.
