Concrete Fly-In 2026

[Paughco]

Fellow sled drivers: The 2026 Concrete Fly-In is this coming weekend! Here's a link to the website: https://concrete-wa.com/events/concrete-fly-in/.

It's not an "airshow." It's a fly-in. Not a whole lot going on, just a bunch of aviators getting out their old airplanes, cleaning them up, and meeting at the Concrete Airport (3W5). Lots of  general aviation aircraft: Cessna 172s, Piper Cherokees, etc., but you'll also see some of the older stuff. Maybe a cherry Cessna 195. Lots of J-3 Cubs. I once saw a Helio Courier there. The ultimate unicorn aircraft, a Beechcraft Staggerwing, might show up. I once got to help push one back into its parking spot a few years back. 

My plan is to leave from the Rustic Cabin in Duvall about 08:40, direct boogie to Concrete and arrive 3W5 around 10:15 or so. Walk up and down the line, then leave about 11:10 and ride across the Skagit to Concrete-Sauk Valley Rd., and follow that to 530, then into Darrington, where I'll get some of that hot and greasy fried chickent at the IGA Deli. Then I'll go meet some pals at the little park across the main street around noon. 

After lunch I'll head back toward my secret HQ in the Snoqualmie Valley via Jordan Road, Granite Falls, Lake Getlostinger, Monroe, etc. 

Maybe I'll see some of you guys along the way.

Seeya
 ATB

[Grumpy Goat]

Hope you have a good ride and Fly-In show.

[saread]

Lake Getlostinger - har! Nice riding out there, just a little slow.  Might start a little early and swing by the Train Wreck in Sedro Wooley for a little brekky.  Lunch at the IGA in Darrington sounds perfectly yukky.  But probably the best food in town. Damn, it's rough out there.  Have fun, don't drink from any mason jars while you're up there.

[maxredline]

Hwy 20 from Concrete to Winthrop is a nice ride. Grand Coulee dam is not far from there which has an awesome tour.

[Paughco]

Hwy 20 from Concrete to Winthrop is a nice ride. Grand Coulee dam is not far from there which has an awesome tour.

Yes - Hwy 20 is classic. Rode from my secret HQ in the Snoqualmie Valley to Pateros on July 7. Saw 102 degF OAT around Entiat. Definitely ready to kick back by the time I got settled in at the Lake Pateros Inn. Great place, by the way. Fellow Hog Ridin' Fool Gumby was there.  We took the chlorine dip in the pool. Walked to the nearby tav for an excellent cheeseburger. Slept well. Coffee at the Sweet River Bakery at 07:00. Rode Hwy 20 westbound early in the morning. Sun was at our backs; not in our faces. No motor homes and no Smokey. Needless to say, we hauled ass. Gas at the Chevron on the Anderson exit just south of Mt. Vernon. 

Yeah, but what about the Concrete Fly-in? OK. OXCART, my trusty RS, was parked in front of the Rustic Cabin in Duvall this morning when they opened at 08:00. Some of the local scooter trash showed up. My neighbor and fellow HRF, John, showed up. We sat around for a bit and we then headed out for the Fly-in. As stated earlier, direct boogie up I-5 to Hwy 20, then east to Concrete. We pulled into the unofficial motorcycle parking area just as two North American T-6 Texans were making low strafing passes over the airfield. Pratt & Whitney R-1340s roared, and their prop tips broke the Mach as those beauties flew overhead. I noticed a red Honda VFR parked nearby. Hmm. How many of those are there in this area? Gotta be my pal Gerry. He rides with the Hog Ridin' Fools, and attends our weekly Safety Meetings, but won't put the HRF sticker on this bike. No prob, man - I don't have one on my '50 Pan, either. John and I walked down the line. Lots of nice airplanes were there, newer and more vintage Cessnas and Pipers. Saw a relatively clean Piper Comanche 250. Just like the A2A Comanche I have in my P3D flight sim. Watched a Lake amphib land. Didn't see a Cessna 195. Didn't see a Beech Staggerwing, but there were at least two nice V-tail Bonanzas present. Several Luscombs were there. Probably the most classic thing I saw was a Howard DGA-15, which is a high-wing monoplane from the late '30s, early '40s era https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_DGA-15.

My phone went off. It was Gumby, at the parking lot, and they were getting ready to go. "See you in 5," I said. My neighbor John had plans to meet up with a pal in Anacortes and go crabbing, so I said "Seeya" and I got back to the parking lot, and got ready to go. Off we went, towards Darrington. Crossed the Skagit River on the Concrete-Sauk Valley Bridge, which has a steel grated road surface. Ever hear the story about the two flies who were sitting the screen of a screen door? They were watching the lady of the house take a pie from the oven and set it aside to cool. One fly said to the other fly, "Man, I'd sure like to get in there and have some of that pie!" The other fly replied, "Well, don't strain yourself, man." I think of that every time I ride across one of those bridges. 

Gerry set the pace on Concrete-Sauk Valley Road. Oh yeah. Somehow Gumby, on his R1250GSA, and I were able to keep up. Pulled into the Darrington IGA parking lot at 11:45. Procured two fried chicken thighs, a bottle of green Gatorade, and many napkins. We all met up at the little park across the street from the IGA. Beech was there on his relatively newer red K1300S. Officer Bill showed up on his GS. We sat at the picnic table and greased down our chow while discussing our excellent adventures, and how July '26 seemed to be going by at the speed of light. 

Rode home as planned. Got home around 13:45. Checked in with the wife. Told her that I had a great ride with my pals. I also told her how July seemed to be going by so fast. She replied that I'd been out riding quite a bit. Hmm. Mebbe that's it. Dunno. But I'll totally take it. 

Seeya
 ATB

[maxredline]

Time flys, sort of speak 8P

[saread]

Sounds like great times. Most of that ride report is incomprehensible to virtually everyone around here except me. Being a denizen of Bothell having a cabin at Mazama with friends living at Birdsview who graduated from Concrete High School, I got it all and can attest to some good riding. Cinnamon rolls at the Sweet River Bakery are pretty tasty. Don't know about the Darrington IGA chicken though. The Concrete Fly In has been around for a long time and seems to get a little better each year.

Oh, and for folks that don't know, the town of Concrete is so named because of the cement plant that was located there and provided the majority of cement used on the Grand Coolee Dam project. It is located at the confluence of the Baker and Skagit rivers and is a gateway to some of the best camping, hiking, fishing and hunting the west side of the Cascades has to offer. Just be careful if offered a drink in a Mason jar.

[Grumpy Goat]

Very nice. Never heard of Concrete before. Now I know.