An aerial shot of Sidney looking toward Michigan Avenue during a helicopter ride on Thursday. Helicopter rides were offered at the Shelby County Fair.
Megan Lewis | Sidney Daily News
By Megan Lewis
For the Sidney Daily News
SIDNEY — The Shelby County Fair had many entertainment options for fairgoers this year, including helicopter rides and a tinsmithing show.
Adam Lester, co-owner of Fly 614 from Dublin, Ohio, has been conducting helicopter rides for four years throughout Ohio and the surrounding areas. Fly 614 started off with flight instruction training six years ago, and then expanded into giving helicopter rides to other people interested in unique experiences, including his girlfriend Devra Times. He took her on a ride in his helicopter as a first date, and she loved it so much she became a partner in the company.
The company offered three types of rides; 2-3 minutes which took you around the fair, the 5-7 minute ride which was a slow, scenic tour around Sidney, and the 5-7 minute thrill ride. This was a scenic tour around Sidney, but with more bobs and weaves.
The pilot was Jacob Keller. Keller started with a love of airplanes. It was through this love that he took an intro to helicopters class to become an EMS Pilot. He got his helicopter license in 2020. He then went to school at Sinclair University in 2022 where he taught flight instruction, eventually making his way to Fly 614.
Felk brings history alive with tinsmithing show
Michael Felk hosted a workshop during the Shelby County Fair where he taught kids about the colonial art of tinsmithing. He started the show by teaching kids about the history of Tin-ware and how it was harvested back in the 1800s and 1900s.
After the history lesson, he played three games with the crowd. One was a make it, take it challenge where he crafted an item and the kids guessed what it was. It was a fishing lure. The second game was the toy game, which is where he made a toy for the kids to guess; it was a rattle. The last game was where he pulled items from the case and the crowd had to guess what they were. The first person to get three points won a prize worth $30.
Felk has been performing this craft for many years. The tinsmithing show started in 1994 at the Dixie Classic Fair. He has been performing the show in Ohio since 2014. His next Ohio performance will be at Van Wert County Fair on Aug. 29.
