The Apple Turnover 2026 Contest dates have been moved from the traditional early September "window" to 21-22 August to mitigate the risk that wildfire smoke will degrade visibility to below the minimum specified in the contest waiver and provide pilots preparing to attend "Nationals" a more convenient interval.
Practice Days, Registration, and Contest Flights are 17-22 August:
- Pre-contest Practice Days scheduled for Monday (starting at 1300)-Tuesday-Wednesday 17-19 Aug (please contact Bruce Mamont at mamontb@comcast.net if you intend on participating).
- Registration/Practice on Thursday, 20 Aug. The box will remain open until 2000 PDT for late arrivals; please let us know if you'd like a box time after 1800.
- Contest Flights on Friday and Saturday, 21-22 August.
Details for the Practice Days, Apple Turnover, Lodging, and Ground Transportation follow. There is a new option for Ephrata lodging!
17-19 Aug Pre-Contest Practice Days:
- Thanks to the new IAC 67 Long Term Waiver, we're able to host three days of practice starting Monday afternoon through Wednesday, 17-19 Aug, in the Ephrata Airport (KEPH) box before the Thursday, 20 Aug, contest registration/practice day.
- The box will open on Monday afternoon (1300), 17 Aug throughWednesday, 19 Aug, 0830-1800 PDT.
- There is no fee to fly in the box during practice days.
- Please contact Bruce Mamont at mamontb@comcast.net to arrange to fly in the box during the 17-19 Aug practice days.
- While the box is open, NOTAMs restricting the Ephrata Municipal Airport (KEPH) traffic patterns to the west side of RWY 3-21 and the south side of RWY 11-29 will be in effect
- Pilots practicing in the box must ensure there is a box monitor. IAC 67 will provide radios for box monitors.
- Chairs, an ice chest, and water will be provided.
- Practicing pilots must acknowledge with a signature they have read the (Long Term, not the same as the Contest) Box Waiver and Ephrata Airport aerobatic regulations and must complete an IAC pilot and airplane technical inspection (that will also count for the contest)
- Hangar space will be available at the Port of Ephrata Hangar, Bldg 405. A second hangar is scheduled to become available for Apple Turnover. Hangar rent at $25/night will be paid after the contest using the following Stripe link: Hangar Rent Reimbursement
- See below for Lodging and Ground Transportation information.
20-22 Aug Apple Turnover Contest Days
- Thursday, 20 Aug, will be for registration and box practice for those who weren't able to participate in the 17-19 Aug Practice Days.
- On Thursday, 20 Aug, the box will be open from 0800 until 2000.
- The contest fee is $350 and does NOT include hangar rent (see below). You can pay the contest fee with cash, a check, or with a Stripe QR code during registration or before the contest at this Stripe link: Apple Turnover 2026 Contest Fee.
- Practicing pilots will acknowledge with a signature they have read the Contest Box Waiver and Ephrata Airport aerobatic regulations and must complete an IAC technical inspection.
- Hangar space will NOT be available at the former Barrett Aircraft hangar (Barrett moved to Texas); there will be space in the Port of Ephrata hangar (Bldg 405 immediately south of the terminal building). We were able to fit 17 airplanes in this hangar during Apple Cup. A second hangar is scheduled to become available at the end of July...but bring tie-down lines and chocks just in case.
- Pilots requesting space in Port hangar must execute an Indemnification Agreement with the Port. Hangar rent at $25/night will be paid after the contest using the following Stripe link: Hangar Rent Reimbursement
- NOTAMs restricting the Ephrata Municipal Airport (KEPH) traffic patterns to the west side of RWY 3-21 and the south side of RWY 11-29 will be in effect.
- Practicing pilots must ensure there is a box monitor during their flight. IAC 67 will provide radios for the box monitors.
- See below for Lodging and Ground Transportation information.
Contest Daily Schedule
- Expect a mandatory daily safety briefing at 0700. Sorry for the early time, but with the expected hot August weather we want to start flying as early as we can.
- Target time for the first flight is 0830. The Chief Judges will crack the whip to get volunteers to the judges line; the Scorer will have the "Low Lines" airplane ready for a 0830 pass.
- A "lesson learned" from both last year's Apple Turnover and the Corvallis Corkscrew 2026 contest is that we may need to fly until 2000 PDT on Friday, 21 Aug.
- The Awards Dinner will be held on Saturday, not Friday evening (see above)
Lodging
- A new hotel opened in Ephrata in May, 2026, Microtel by Wyndam. Group rates for both the Rama Inn and the Microtel. Use code IAC67 to reserve a Microtel room at the group rate.
- Call the Rama Inn front desk at (509) 754-7111 to make a reservation at the contest group rate.
Ground Transportation
- We do NOT have access to the Port of Ephrata "courtesy car" for our events
- Some pilots and non-flying volunteers may have cars that can help with ground transportation
- Uber is now available in Ephrata, but if multiple pilots are looking for the one or two available drivers at the same time you could either get lucky (share a ride) or have to wait a long time
- You can reserve a Hertz rental car that will be delivered to and retrieved from Ephrata Municipal Airport. Use the following procedure:
- To have a rental car delivered to KEPH send an e-mail to mamontb@comcast.net so I can notify the Hertz regional manager who will arrange for your reserved car to be delivered to KEPH. Hertz is generously waiving the standard delivery/retrieval fee for us, but Hertz rental is expensive. Stay tuned for information on sharing rental car costs with other pilots.
- Hertz car keys and a contract will be available for pickup at Ephrata terminal pilot lounge.
