The Rough River Fly-In is one of the oldest ongoing canard events.  It was started in 1986,  the first year the Central States Association was in operation, and has been growing every year.  Originally organized by Buzz & Peggy Talbot for the Columbus Day weekend in October, it was later moved a few weeks earlier, largely to maximize the chances for good weather.  In the mid 1990's the event was hosted by Elise and Colby Farmer, and has been hosted by Sam Chambers and Dave Russell since 1998.  The early Rough River Fly-Ins drew about 25 canard airplanes, and that number has doubled in recent years.  There were a record breaking 65 canards in attendance in 2000,  making the Rough River Fly-In one of the largest annual canard congregations in the world, surpassing canard attendance at even Sun-N-Fun and Oshkosh.  The 2001 fly-in had a fantastic turnout in spite of the airspace uncertainty.  We  missed those trapped in "enhanced" Class B airspace and look forward to seeing them and their planes next year.   There were 52 canard aircraft in 2002, mostly arriving after Friday's overcast cleared away.

Past activities:
A 60 mile bus trip to Mammoth Cave State Park
A visit to the local sorghum festival
Jim Beam Distillery tour
My Old Kentucky Home tour
Boat rides on Rough River Lake
Saturday morning golf (EZ rules apply)
Walks in the woods
Ramp talk, or, as George Walters would say, "Ramp Rap".
EZ racing
Formation flying

Previous fly out destinations:
The hot spring resort spa at French Lick, Indiana
1990 Strafing run on an RV & T-18 fly-in 100 miles to the west
Lunch in Bardstown, Kentucky
1994 Moonlight Bar-B-Q
A nearby Cozy project
The Corvette Museum
The USAF Museum at Dayton's Wright-Patterson AFB
Lunch at Lake Barkley

The success of the Rough River Fly-In is largely due to the very laid back atmosphere that makes this event so special.  The weather is usually good in the Fall, the staff of the Rough River State Park have been very cooperative, and there are a lot of great canard builders and pilots to share ideas and stories.

The Rough River Fly-In has become even more laid back than it was in the early days.  While it's less structured than before, the important features have remained constant.  You won't find this level of camaraderie and this many canard aircraft, builders and pilots at any other fly-in.  The focus is on canard airplanes, flying, and fun.