VIDALIA, La. — A dozen pilots from as far away as Vicksburg and New Orleans flew into the Concordia Parish Airport Saturday for the local Experimental Aircraft Association’s biannual fly-in.

There they were met by more than 20 people, most members of Vidalia-based EAA Chapter 912, who were there to see the Cessnas, Commanches and Bellanca Citabrias — even a handbuilt helicopter.

And at the event, which started at 9 a.m., they also gathered in groups to talk planes with other aircraft enthusiasts.

&uot;It’s a good place to talk and compare airplanes,&uot;&160;said D.L. Neumann, owner of a Luscombe plane built in 1947.

&uot;And if you’re working on building an aircraft of your own, you can get a lot of ideas at these fly-ins.&uot;

&uot;It’s a good opportunity to get together and shoot the breeze, especially with the World War II guys,&uot;&160;said Dick Daggett of Jonesville, who was a pilot in World War II.

&uot;Folks come here to see old friends — and meet some new ones, too,&uot;&160;said Ty Coley of Natchez, who has attended the fly-ins for several years and was a bombardier in the war.

This time, low clouds and high winds kept many away, said Donna Maroon, president of Chapter 912.

But past fly-ins have attracted crowds of 100 to 150, not counting anywhere from 20 to 70 pilots who flew in from as far as Florida and Fort Worth, Texas, to show off various aircraft, including antique, ultralight, homebuilt and kit-built airplanes.