ANE Airport Barbecue Features Food, Fellowship

The Metropolitan Airports Commission/Anoka County Aviation Association Annual Airport Barbecue Sept. 13 included plenty of food and aviation-related fellowship.

The early evening event was attended by airport tenants, users, businesses, and families and friends and was held inside the MAC Equipment Building near the Air Traffic Control Tower, 8891 Airport Road N.E. in Blaine.

The ACAA is an association of hangar owners and renters, FBO owners, pilots, flight instructors, commercial operators and others who have an interest in the future direction of the Anoka County-Blaine Airport.

MAC Reliever Airports Director Joe Harris presented awards to Neil Otey and Barb Mack for their outstanding promotion of Anoka County-Blaine Airport (ANE).

Otey has 45-plus years of combined air traffic control experience between FAA and Midwest ATC. He worked at Anoka County-Blaine Airport as tower manager for 20 years before retiring as the manager of this facility at end of August.

Mack is a FAA-designated flight examiner and ANE hangar tenant. She has been a fixture for more than 50 years in aviation.

Harris praised Mack for being a top-notch flight examiner who is authorized to give check rides for various ratings and licenses. She also flys corporate jets and owns an RV-4. Mack is celebrating her 30th year as a Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE).