Participation has been down recently in several of the popular QRP outdoor activities. I suspect attention to Parks on the Air has whetted the usual large appetite for more radio in the field type work. Nevertheless, here is advanced notice of the Annual Summer Flight of the Bumblebees which takes place on Sunday, July 26, 2026, during the four-hour daytime window, from 1700 to 2100 UTC.

This casual QRP CW event consists of hundreds of ‘Bumblebees’ who are operating portable stations at outdoor locations, and other stations who try to work as many of these ’Bumblebees’ as possible.

Bumblebees must use a portable outdoor station, must use an independent power source, must use a temporary antenna, and must use QRP (or less) power. There are no limitations for the other stations, except only those who are also running QRP (or less) power can submit a score. Operators who want to go out and setup a portable station at some outdoor location, and be a highly sought after ‘Bumblebee’, must obtain a new “Bumblebee Number”.

The window for obtaining your ’Summer 2026 Bumblebee Number’ is now Open. It is a very simple Self-Serve process will explain the whole process. (Open the MENU and Select ’Flight of the Bumblebees’)

Look for me, Bumblebee #55 and have fun!