Back in 1971, the first AAA/APM Invitational Fly-in was held at Antique Airfield near Blakesburg, IA and that event has been around long enough to have created it’s own history that many of our younger/newer members may be unaware of.

The AAA/APM Invitational Fly-in, envisioned as a "by-the-members, for-the-members" convention and reunion, was a revolutionary way to hold a major aviation event - one that over the last 40+ years has proven time and again to be popular with our membership. Antique Airfield was then and still to this day owned in total by members of the Taylor family and the Air Power Museum (APM). As it receives no federal, state or local monies, the AAA/APM Invitational Fly-in is a private event that is truly "by-the-members, for-the-members"!

While the past four decades has seen many changes in Antique Airfield and in our membership, the direction AAA/APM Founder Robert Taylor envisioned for the AAA has remained steadfast & constant. That is why the 2016 AAA/APM Fly-in will be known as "BTB Days" or Back-To-Blakesburg!

As for Back-to-Basics, we plan to put the emphasis of the event on how the AAA/APM Fly-in was and has remained to this day; simple, relaxing and fun with antique/classic aircraft flying from dawn till dusk.

Plus instead of a particular theme and featured aircraft (as we have done these past fifteen years or so) we will, as we did in the early days of Antique Airfield Fly-ins, showcase those new restorations coming from the hangars and shops of our members from around the country. Start making your plans to attend today!

Brent Taylor
President AAA
AAA/APM Invitational Fly-in Chairman