The Show

Our position for the show is off the main drag a bit behind another DC-3 operated by a missionary group and nestled behind the Eastern Airlines DC-7B. We feel like this is a good place to be as the show is HUGE and it will lessen the onslaught of the masses. There is a full carnival midway here in addition to all the aviation displays. This is a big event in Stuart and there has been write up in the local newspaper everyday. Bob Gross and his son, Riley, join us this morning. Bob performs a thirty day inspection on the plane, see photo of him inspecting the wing.
The crowds are large but because of our admission charge, we are not overwhelmed. Only the truly interested come aboard. My father and sister come to visit, Dad has always been an aviation buff. Peggy's former sister-in-law and her family are there also as well as Jake's friend Muddy Rivers. We do a decent job of selling shirts and collecting admissions and have a two day take almost twice of what we had a MacDill. The hospitality tent has a great lunch catered by Outback Steakhouse and HUGE cookies in various flavors.
On Sunday Judy DeSantis and her partner Chris Mazzella perform live duets of songs from the 30's and 40's. They put on an excellent show and we gather an appreciative crowd.
Tony and Judy host us and other assorted people, including the Coast Guard at their lovely home for an Italian dinner on Saturday evening. It was a great party with a lot of interesting people and conversation.
The actual air show here was long and totally above average. They had everything from sky divers to wing walkers. They also did an excellent job of traffic control, there were huge numbers of cars to get in and out and there were no delays in either direction on either day.
As we packed up Sunday night, our emotions are mixed. This is the season end and we are tired and tarmac weary, but on the other hand, we will be missing our road buddies as we have formed an incredibly close bond with our fellow Flagship devotees.
Monday morning we are again out early to move the plane back to the flight line and do a heritage flight for 17 passengers.
The Christians, plus Dave Buffington and Bob Gross will fly to Covington, GA this afternoon. Tony will follow in his own plane. Dave and Tony will do check rides for their type ratings later in the week and Bob will head to his cabin in TN. Then the Flagship will go back to Ft. Worth for the winter.
Sheryl has spent 78 days with the Flagship this year and Gene has 101 so far, there is still the ferry trip back to Alliance to be done.

And What a Party it Was

All Friday afternoon we kept the motel door open in order to see the air show acts fly by as they practiced. Many others did the same and as each plane came over people spilled out into the parking lot, looking skyward. Late in the afternoon Judy and Tony DeSantis appeared, also Jake and Peggy who had fetched Dave Buffington from the airport train. Dave checked in and we all headed for the airport as the evening show started overhead. There we were joined by Bob Gross and my sister, Kitty White.
This was a fund raiser and so was attended by the public as well as the air show participants. a large crowd. As the sun was setting, the acts continued and they were unique. The traditional parachuter carrying the American flag was circled by two planes spouting smoke on his way down. Just at dusk the Black Diamonds did a formation routine that was stunning. They had lights all over the planes including illumination of the smoke plumes and the effect was out of this world. There was a helicopter flying formation with two small planes and on and on. Near the end of this show, several more people parachuted in very close to where everyone was sitting.
A very nice dinner was being served meantime: jambalaya, boneless wings, meatballs, penne pasta with chicken and sides. Just after dark the fireworks started, first being launched from a plane and then planes with sparkling trails coming from the wings. After that, a traditional fireworks display accompanied by patriotic music but just right in front of us so that you had to look straight up to enjoy them. After the finale, there was a huge BOOM and a wall of fire ignited down the runway. It must have been 12 feet high and was very, very long. We all jumped to our feet in shock. These folks really know how to put on a show.

Meanwhile on the other coast...

No rush this morning...the five remaining meet at 9AM for breakfast in the mess hall. This is the best deal ever, they have everything one could conceive of to eat and this morning I spend $1.55 for oatmeal and yogurt. This would have cost $9 on the Dulles trip!
Peggy and Jake are off to drive to her home in Jupiter. Tony, Gene and I are flying to his home in Stuart, FL. We meet our aide, James Diroff at Base Ops and leave the cars with him after bidding him a fond farewell. Gene says James is the movie start version of an Air Force pilot and he is right! So good looking and definitely has the swagger, but he has taken great care of us on our visit.
I am nervous about all the birds around and glad when we reach an altitude high enough to be away from them. We stop by Lake Okeechobee on the way to let Tony practice landings and we have lunch there. Then on to Stuart.
Judy DeSantis and her friend Rachel Schmidt are having lunch at a marina and we join them there. Judy is a singer and she and her partner had a performance that morning, hence the late lunch. Rachel is visiting from Richmond, VA and I am instantly taken with her. She is interesting and interested and very, very funny.
We are staying at the DeSantis home until Thursday when the air show hotel rooms become available. Their very spacious home has the St. Lucie river to the back and loads of room with all the Florida accoutrements: screened pool, hot tub, boat and dock. Also wonderful tropical landscaping. After resting, we regroup for a nice dinner with great conversation and then Rachel departs to spend a few days with another friend in the area.
On Tuesday, the men go out to fly for Tony's training. Judy and I do mundane things like laundry and grocery shopping. That night we have a lovely steak dinner and on Wednesday the men again go out to train. Occasionally we hear and see the plane go over the house. I spent my time reading and knitting head bands for the craft show I will do soon after our return home.
Tony and Gene arrive home about four with Jake and Peggy. Peggy has been wanting me to see her home in Jupiter so we leave with them and head south. First stop is an outdoor Tiki bar on the water called the Square Grouper. It has a great atmosphere and view. Peggy says Perry Como used to live right across the inlet from it. We pass what formally was Burt Reynolds' theater and then go to Peggy's house.
Wow! It is a small home in a cookie cutter neighborhood, but she completely remodeled it and it is a stunner! (Photos 2 and 3) It is so warm and so well put together. She has a wide circle of friends who were scouting for good deals and she scored some amazing purchases to put this place together. She has prepared a delicious beef stew for our dinner along with all the sides. The four of us never lack for conversation and laughter and after dinner we repair to the pool enclosure to continue the fun until we run out of steam.
Thursday morning, our hostess with the mostess cooks us a wonderful breakfast complete with Benton's bacon imported from Tennessee. Then we head north to move the plane into position and get rental cars and motels. At the motel we are joined by my sister and father who have come down from Orlando. Gene and I join them for lunch and I go with them to their hotel to check in and spend the afternoon while Gene does other things with the airplane. I also spent most of Friday with them.

The Show Days

In forty years, I have never been in Tampa when it was so cold. We were absolutely freezing when we got to the airport at 8 AM (after meeting in the dark for breakfast at 6:30) and the wind blowing a gale. The Air Force had prepared a tent for us with chairs and a table and we set up our operation. However, we found that because we were going to fly in the show, we were in a fenced off area, along with two other planes, and the public would not be allowed out to the plane until after our flight. That was really an advantage as it protected us somewhat from the onslaught of this well attended show. We still had long lines both days except when the Thunderbirds were performing. Behind us was a small building where the fueling people stayed (see photo) and we were happy to find there were bathrooms there and we were allowed to use them. This was great, as we were a long, long way from any other facilities.
After the flight we moved our retail operation over next to the plane as the tent was some distance away. It was a good day but the wind was constant and wearing. Zane worked the line all day telling people the history of the plane. This sped the process up as they would not stay inside as long being educated. A good tactic. The air show people came by frequently with water and ice and our aides, James and Ryan checked on us throughout the day. We were well taken care of here. Gene said the briefings were very professionally handled down to the synchronization of watches. He had to laugh as he does not even own a watch, but the Flagship was right on its mark on time for each show.
Sheryl and Peggy left for the hotel while the men stayed for refueling. As they drove across the ramp, Peggy noticed a wall of soldiers on our right marching towards us. They were between us and where we wanted to go. We stopped and asked a soldier what to do. They said they were performing a FODS (Foreign Object Disposal Sweep) to get the civilians out and that we should just drive straight for them, they would move. Well this was an intimidating thing to do, but we obeyed orders and sure enough, the camo sea parted and we went through.
Saturday night Jim led us to a place called Shells for a nice seafood dinner. Zane and Tony told us about their careers as Liaison Officers for the Air Force Academy, in which they pre-screen local applicants. We got more rest that night due to the time change and the realization that we really didn't need to be there so early. However, arriving at 9 meant threading our way in cars between people and booths to make our way to the plane. The day was ten degrees warmer than the previous one but the wind was still a huge factor. Peggy and I stayed in the car until after the flight.
As our plane was flying we spotted large flocks of birds near it, a scary sight. Gene later said they had to deviate from their flight path to miss them. The tower told them there were about 400 in the area. The air show was suspended for awhile until they were out of the area.
We set up our tent because of the heat and tied it down to various things, but around three the wind got so brutal that we took it down and packed up some of our gear. Just as well, as after the Thunderbirds finished at four, they went ahead and closed the show down. Several young lieutenants from NOAA, as well as James came by the plane and visited for about an hour. Then James took us to see his plane, a huge C135 tanker. Gene got down on one of the couches they lay on to monitor and guide the fueling probe.
Jim had taken Zane to the airport mid afternoon, and Dan left with friends after the show, so there were just five of us left for dinner at Bonefish. On Monday, Peggy and Jake will drive to Jupiter and Tony, Gene and Sheryl will fly the plane to Stuart for next weekend's show.
Back to civilian life after a pleasant weekend on a beautiful Air Force base.

Free Day

Friday morning we were surprised to find that it had rained overnight and was cool and breezy. A high of 69 was predicted and we were expecting 80's. The men were up and out early for breakfast and a 10 AM briefing. After that, they were going to have the plane fueled and do a practice fly by, then move it to the flight line in position for tomorrow's Air Fest. From bits and pieces we have heard, this is going to be a humdinger of a show and we are looking forward to it. The Thunderbirds are here for one and a lot of other high flyers.
Peggy and I went for a walk along the bay front, just two blocks from our quarters. We walked by a number of very large nice homes facing the water, obviously home to the higher ranking officers. Gosh, military life can have its perks! But there were also smaller bungalows with the same view. The base is very well kept and neat as a pin. We also enjoyed watching a pelican catch fish after fish while a seagull chased him squawking for him to share, which of course, he did not.
We then found the mess hall and had a nice lunch, which cost $5.44. Thank you, Uncle Sam. Peggy and I then got in her car and went to St. Pete to a shopping area and whiled away the remainder of the afternoon.
This night we are guests of the Base Commander at a party at a place called Sea Scapes, a beach club on base. They had a band and appetizers and inexpensive drinks followed by a buffet dinner of heavy hors D'oeurves. They put on a mini air show over the bay and after dark a little fireworks show with the fireworks being shot from a helicopter and and airplane out over the water.
The young men and women of the Thunderbirds were there and we enjoyed talking with them. The thing we noticed first was what small people they were. Both in height and girth. I swear their waists were about 22 inches! They were wearing their form fitting flight suits embroidered with their names, ranks, and what position they held. The job is so stressful that the pilots only serve for two years.
Since all of us in attendance have to be up and out early, the party does not last long.

Deja Vu

I was 19 and in college when my father was stationed at MacDill AFB in Tampa, though he was in the army. I had no memory of ever being on base. But when the plane came in low over Tampa Bay to land and I caught sight of the cream buildings with red tiled roofs, the memories came back. Yes, I had been here. Why my sister's wedding reception took place at the Officer's Club here. My parents lived in Tampa for 40 years, so there was a bit of a sense of homecoming.
Our small crew had assembled in Covington for the flight down: Tony DeSanis, our Florida host flew up in his own plane so he could fly the plane back down; Dan Gabel flew in from Huntsville in his own plane for the same reason. Both men had another pilot with them to fly the planes back home. And, of course, Gene and I. So I was like the Hollywood star, alone in the back of the 21 passenger plane with my 3 pilots up front.
The Tampa weather was balmy and breezy. Peggy texted just as we landed that she and Jake were nearby but she could not see us. Two efficient and helpful young officers in flight suits were immediately at our sides with two vans that were ours to use for the duration. Soon Peggy and Jake found us. It was so good to see her, as it had been about a month since our last trip together. I had skipped the Texas trip just prior. Jake had just spent a week at our house leaving just four days ago, so he was old hat. Gene had been training him to take his check ride for his type rating, which he took and passed last Friday. It meant a lot to him as his father had flown this very airplane as a Captain for American in the 1940's.
Our helpful guides whisked us to base operations where we were briefed and given a packet of information. Then we were taken to the McDill Inn to check in. Who knew that military bases have a "motel" now? Ours turned out to be a converted BOQ (Bachelor Officer's Quarters) but with all the amenities of a nice hotel. It had originally consisted of two rooms, each with a sink, and a bath that joined the two. The second room was now a sitting room. So you had a front door and a back door. Very comfortable, but quirky, like an absence of electrical outlets and the light switches being in odd places like the middle of a wall.
The six of us loaded up and went in search of food. That was not easy as we made a lot of wrong turns trying to get to a main drag off base. We had a list of places but they all proved to be a long way. Finally Jake spotted a nice looking place and we swooped down on it, all of us starving. It did prove to be very nice and advertised that they had the "Best Damn Martguerita Period," so naturally that was something we had to check out since we had been rating them coast to coast all this year. And, yes, it was good, but I guess I am not ready to crown them best yet. The food, however, was quite good.
Everyone was bushed so we returned to quarters just before ten. As I was dressing for bed I heard the mournful notes of TAPS lilting through the night. Now, it has been a really, really long time since I had heard that!!

What a party!

On Friday, Oct. 15, the clan starts to gather for our appearance in Meridianville, AL for a one pony show hosted by Dan Gabel. Gene and Sheryl drove up to meet George Dennis, John Thatcher and Joe Roberts who had brought the plane from Shelbyville. Blake Butler drove up with Kyle Dennis so George would have wheels. Training flights were done until after dark.
John was staying with George at his daughter's home where he and Kay were baby sitting for the weekend. But they joined us for the evening as we descended on the Gabel household. There is some trepidation to entering a perfect stranger's home for the weekend with four people and all their gear, but Debbie proved to be up to the challenge. Not only that, but a lovely person who we instantly became best buddies with.
The Gabels are martini aficionados and have one of the best stocked liquor cabinets known to man. So the festivities began. The main topic of conversation was the recent end of Blake's marriage and his re-enty into the single scene. There was a possibility of meeting a new person sometime during our stay here and soon there were seven people giving Blake advice on his future. And the more time went on, the funnier things got. At one point Blake gifted me a herd of 8 Tennessee Walking horses that had appeared in his meadow and made me name them so I would bond with them. (there was a photo) But lo and behold, the next night I overheard him giving them to Brandi. How fickle is that? Dan and Debbie treated us to a fabulous steak dinner with all the trimmings and then folks stumbled off the bed. Literally.
We find ourselves at Madison County Executive Airport on a brisk fall Saturday morning. The folks there could not have been nicer. A very efficient and friendly woman named Marty runs the place and is a dynamo. The airport authority (including Tom Sharp, Joe Patterson and Smith Hayward) were hosting a hot dog and hamburger cook out for donations with all collected funds going to the Flagship. How great is that??
This weekend is the debut of the new tee shirt with the Flying Magazine 75th anniversary logo. We are all wearing them and they are a hit. (see photo) We sold $350 worth of shirts and hats to a relatively small crowd. Dan has done a good job of selling memberships and we have an all but full heritage flight plus the cook out nets another $100.
That evening we repair to Nick's, a combination restaurant and cigar bar. We are joined by new members Peter Voetsch and Brandi and Turk Terkhuerst. Brandi works for Delta in operations and Turk flies helicopters for the oil industry in Eastern Europe. Brandi is a pilot also and has a 140 named Patches because the two wings do not match in color. Turk happens to mention that his flight brought back memories of flying DC-3s with his father. Gene asks if his family had one and Turk replies, "Twenty-six of them." At this point, Gene hones in like a heat seeking missile and does not let up until Turk agrees to accompany the plane to Ft. Worth and consider becoming a pilot member.
This is another fun evening with Brandi and Turk coming back to the Gabels with us and the party lasting until the wee hours.
On Sunday, the next morning the crowd scatters, leaving Dan and Gene keep the plane open that day. I drove down to Birmingham to spend the night with my sister in law and visit with my children, returning to Covington on Monday.
Monday morning, Dan, Gene, Brandi and Turk fly the plane to Ft. Worth. Upon arrival the Terkhuersts catch a Delta flight back to Atlanta where Brandi had a car. Gene will have a busy week in Texas, two charity events, two days of teaching ground school, a Clint Black concert, and air show and Sky Ball. He then returns next week with two pilots in tow to take their exams for their type ratings in the plane.

Leesburg Air Show

All week the weatherman had promised sunny and 63 only to change his mind at the last minute to 59, rain and wind. When we met in the lobby, the men gave Peggy and I the option of not going. Their thought was that nobody would come and we could stay dry. But, we were already dressed and decided to tough it out. We were allowed to drive the van out to the plane which helped comfort wise. No one had really warm clothes. I had three layers under a windbreaker rain jacket. Peggy is in her stewardess outfit which is lightweight wool, but her legs are exposed. The men have sweatshirts over tee shirts.
Peggy stayed up in the middle of the plane where it was more protected from the wind and I stood at the door and handled the crowd. And there was one. I could not believe that people stood in the wind and rain and cold all day (11-4) to see the plane. They were a good and interested crowd with well behaved and interested children. What I had not previously known is that the plane leaks. I had to keep changing position to avoid drips on my head. I kept thinking I was freezing until I would stick my head out and realize how much warmer it was inside.
We mostly stayed at our posts all day, Jake brought food from the vendors and we ate it where we stood. There was free food for us somewhere but it was too far to walk in the weather. When we finally closed down at four the men told us that everyone else had folded their tents and left a few hours prior. No one could feel their feet when the day was over and we all went to the hotel and stood in tubs of hot water to revive them.
That evening the group went to an excellent Italian restaurant and had a celebratory end of the trip meal. On Sunday morning early, Peggy flew out of Dulles back to Florida. The rest of us boarded the Flagship bundled up again as there was still cloud cover which meant we had to fly high where it is cold. And cold it did get!! We soon learned that if we sat on the east side of the plane, the sun helped warm us. As we got further south, the clouds went away and it was a tad warmer. We arrived in Shelbyville, TN around four PM, where the weather was perfect. Gene was to take Jake and Zane for a training session. I went to my car, removed shoes and socks and put my bare feet on the hot dash to try to thaw them out. Around 6PM George took Jake and Zane to Nashville to catch planes and Gene and I headed for home, arriving after 10. Ready to be home for awhile now.

Gettysburg

Friday proved to be one of the best weather days we have had with cool temperatures and mostly sunshine. Gene and I joined George and Kay Dennis and their son Kyle on a trip to Gettysburg which was about an hour and a half away. Gene and George had been there in prior years.
First stop was the visitors center, built in 2008 to replace a previous one, where we watched a video about the battle. Then went to the Cyclorama presentation. We all agreed that the Atlanta one is better. In this one, you stand on a platform and have to walk around to see the various parts of the painting, whereas in Atlanta the seats revolve so that one sees it all without moving.
We picked up a driving map and started hitting the high spots of battle sites, including Soldier's Cemetery where many of the Union dead are buried and where Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address. I do not know where the Confederates were buried. It was sobering to see the open field the confederates crossed under scathing fire and all the graves lined up obviously shoulder to shoulder with many reading "unknown." One thing I never thought about was the impact on the small village of having to deal with the bodies of thousands of soldiers in the middle of summer.
Around two PM we stopped into a brewpub for a lunch of very good sandwiches and burgers and realized that if we did not head for home, we would get into the very heavy traffic that is prevalent in the area each afternoon. The drive was very scenic of farms and old farmhouses, picturesque villages with historic homes and beautiful vistas.
During the ride, a phone call informed George that the plane needed to be rolled back about 8 feet to provide clearance for other planes, so on the way to the hotel, we went by and did that with the help of a guy in a Ford F150 and a big rope.
That evening it was Thai food, but no one was very hungry because Peggy and Jake had eaten lunch about the same time that we did.

Middleburg

Thursday morning, Peggy drove the three men to Dulles airport to move the plane over to Leesburg, some 13 miles. On the way back she went to a grocery store named Wegman's which she said was fantastic and had a cafe where we might get lunch. Around noon, I drove to Leesburg airport to retreive the men who had moved and cleaned the plane. Then we all went to the grocery.
And, yes, wow. Their produce department was about the size of and entire grocery store. They even had truffles in a locked case for $369 a pound. The "cafe" was an extensive buffet where you pay by the pound. And not cheap, as two salads cost us $20 and they were not large salads. There were also places along the wall where you could order sandwiches or get various other hot meals. A soup station, sushi bar and more. The meat dept was equally fantastic. One could purchase any ready made meat one could fathom, then there was an extensive selection of prepared but not cooked meat and then the regular raw meat. At the back was a seafood bar where you could sit and eat prepared seafood. Also a cheese bar with huge wheels of cheese. This place might be the most interesting thing I have seen on this trip.
After lunch, Jake, Peggy, Gene and I went off to historic Middleburg which we had heard about. Supposedly the population is 600. We took a scenic route through the lovely Virginia countryside and enjoyed the view. Middleburg was indeed a cute town with interesting shops and loads of historic houses. We had about an hour to check them out before they closed, then repaired to the Fox and Hound for refreshment (water for me). This is home of hunter type riding and home to the museum on that subject. Many of the shops have a fox and hound theme and equestrian merchandise. Apparently Jackie Kennedy has some history of riding here.
For dinner we came back to Leesburg to an Italian place called Palio's. It was rather formal Italian. The food was fine, but the service was snail like. It was an hour to get our food and they sent out the wrong thing for Jake and Peggy and had to redo.
Tommorrow Gene and I will go to Gettysburg, 60 miles away, with the Dennis family. Peggy and Jake have a myriad of errands and tasks to do before departure on Sunday.

Moving Day

Wednesday is the day that we move to a hotel in Leesburg and trade our Dulles rental cars for Leesburg cars. Jake, Peggy, Gene and I meet at 10, then pick up George so he can also get his car and go back and get his family. The weather is intermittent rain.
The new hotel has some age on it and a Federal style house from the 1700's is a part of the property. The room is decorated very nicely but there are some oddities. To get to it, one has to go down a half flight of stairs and then up a flight. This takes some doing with our heavy suitcases. Then when you walk on the bathroom floor, the tiles crunch and move around a bit with is a bit unsettling. But all in all it is a good thing.
The men leave to deal with the rental car exchange and Peggy and I get the hotel shuttle to take us to the outlet mall where we pass several pleasant hours. An interesting this about this mall is that all the employees are quite friendly and helpful. The rental car exchange, true to form, did not go smoothly and when we returned to the hotel at 3, the Dennis family was just checking in. Gene and Jake were just leaving to buy supplies to make the old radio/ipod union work better.
Later in the evening, the 7 of us head into Leesburg again. We have a drink at the Lightfoot where we ate two nights ago so George and Kay can see it. After discussions with the bartender and waitstaff, we head out for a nearby restaurant in an old mill where the wife of one of the waiters will be our server. The mill is really neat and sparks an interesting discussion. It seems that George and Kay had purchased an old mill in Tennessee many years before and converted it into a home and this one looks like its twin. What an undertaking! Our server, Kristy, is just as cute and perky as one could be and the food is very good. Peggy and I are wearing our new purchases.
There is promise of cooler weather and sunshine for the next three days. Tomorrow the men will move the airplane from Dulles to Leesburg. Gene reports that Leesburg ramp is very crowded and he does not see that they have room for an air show there. The city manager, who is in charge of the show, proposed parking the plane on the end of the runway, saying other planes could just stop sooner. Gene told him that the other planes then could not turn off the runway, and besides, it is illegal. Oh! This show could be interesting. Stay tuned.

Comedy of errors

But not so funny. The first blip was Friday night on our way to dinner and the rental car battery is dead. Not to worry, we just all crowd into the remaining three. The next morning Gene has it jumped off and drives it for 20 minutes, after which it still will not start. We just turn the keys in when we get to the airport as three people are leaving the next day anyway.
Then we find that we have a lot of trouble using our iphones in the hotel. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. We also have trouble dialing room to room, even when going through the switchboard. Texting seems to work better so we often resort to that.
Sunday, Gene wakes up sick (with my cold) and urges me to hurry and go into DC with the others who are leaving at 9AM. I make it down there in about 7 minutes but half put together. In Washington we end up walking for 6 hours, or at least I do. Near the end, I left the group and headed back to the bus, which takes me an hour and a half ( I did take a few short breaks). At the airport I get on the wrong Holiday Inn bus as I do not know the name of the one we are at and am delayed another 30 minutes. Meanwhile the remainder of the group takes a cab to the bus and gets back to our hotel a full hour and a half before I do. I am exhausted, feet are killing me and drenched with sweat as it was warm and humid.
On Monday, we wait around to see what the others want to do as we have the car keys and they may do something with friends. This wait goes on and on and on and it is 4PM when we leave the hotel. So now we are here for four days and no fun is happening yet!
To the right is the Korean War Memorial which is a very moving thing to see. To the left of the figures is a granite wall with images of soldiers faces engraved into it.
Things do start looking up from there though. We head to Leesburg, about 15 miles away, where our next show will be. It is a very old town with lots and lots of charming old homes and businesses. We find a neat restaurant in an old bank building. The decor is stunning and the food is wonderful. Everyone is somewhat cheered after this.
On the way back to the hotel Peggy spots a large grocery store called Wegman's and comments that she had only seen one before in Buffalo, NY. She then pauses and says, "Where are we anyway?" I die laughing for just a moment before I had had the sensation that we were in Colorado. Same four people in a rental car and sometimes we just lose track of reality.
Gene and I plan to go back to Washington tomorrow.

The Plane Pull

The event is a charity for the Special Olympics. Money is raised by corporations, who form teams who set a fund raising goal prior to the event. On the day of the event the teams vie to see who can pull a large plane 25 feet the fastest. There is no admission so the crowds should be large. And, the time is to be from 11-4, so we feel like we are on vacation when we all leave for the airport at 10AM. That is really late for most of our events. By the time all that is settled and we are shuttled to the plane, it is just 15 minutes until the hordes descend. At left, coffee cups sitting on the tail as the plane is unpacked for the event.
We are the first plane inside the gates. Unfortunately, the way the plane is situated puts our left wing just sitting out there inviting everyone who walks in the gate to swing from it. We end up having to post a guard under it to deter that and people who wanted to stand under it in the shade and smoke ( with fuel tanks just above their heads). These people are not aviation enthusiasts and seem to have no respect for the equipment. Later we heard from other participants who had similar experiences. We had enough people to post guards around the perimeter.
Nevertheless, this is for a good cause, and there are a whole lot of cute children coming through and we are glad to be here and take part in the event. One couple with a darling baby leaves it in the stroller while they are on the plane, and it smiles and coos at us, totally unconcerned that we are strangers. We are not charging admission, nor selling anything so we are all free to work the crowd. And we have a long line all day, even until 30 minutes after the show closing time. Most of the people seem very interested in the history of our plane.
The good news is that while it is overcast most of the day which keeps it fairly cool, it never rains. The air show provided us with a very good barbeque lunch, folks came by with ice for our cooler and Chick Fila came by with free sandwiches. The cow also came by and was a photo op. At right is the vintage radio Jake scored on the internet alongside our stewardess photo. The radio is fitted with an ipod playing 30's and 40's music.
The bad news is that being down at one end of the show means that we never saw the actual plane pull or many of the other planes that were in attendance.
An early night, as we are in and out of a Longhorn by 8:10 and folks are ready to turn in for the night. The Thatchers will leave on Monday while the remaining 7 will stay for the Leesburg air show next weekend. We are free to explore the area over the days in between.

Our Nation's Capital

Gene and I left Covington at 7 AM on Thursday, Sept. 22 just in time to hit the Atlanta rush hour. It took an hour and a half to get to Marietta, but after that, traffic was really light. We were headed to Shebyville, TN to meet the Flagship. The foundation founder, George Dennis lives there and he and his wife and son are going on the trip too. I was miserable with a brand new head cold and spent most of the trip reclined with eyes closed, until called upon to drive about an hour from our destination.
Turns out we could have left an hour later and still made it ok as the Noknowhengo tribe, true to form made an hour and a half fuel stop on the way. They finally arrived at the same time that George and his family appeared at the airport about 2PM. There were 7 on board, 3 couples and one solo guy. With our addition, there are 12. After stirring around for way too long which is characteristic of the group, we are finally in the air headed to Dulles airport near Washington, D.C. Most of the trip is in the clouds but one could barely make out the ground at points, like the Shenandoah Mountains shrouded in mist. And rolling green hills upon occasion. George's wife, Kay, has brought sandwiches, apples and cookies. Gene is the last one to eat as he is flying when the rest eat (there are 6 pilots on board so no shortage of relief). When he opens his meal it is a salad topped with pickles and grapes of all strange combinations. Kay remembers a woman in the sandwich shop getting a salad while she was there and we all laugh to think of her reaction when she opens it and finds a sandwich.
Once we are in the air with George in the left seat and Gene in the right, the cabin cools rapidly. Our light jackets and sweaters prove inadequate and we soon bundle ourselves in American Airlines old first class blankets gleaned from storage at Alliance. It is a subdued trip with people reading and napping. We land at Dulles in the midst of a most gorgeous sunset, the sun peaking through clouds with bright silver lining and lots of pink and yellow color. My impaired state keeps me from even thinking of taking a photo, sorry.
We must have taxied 20 minutes, John wondered if we were taxiing back to Tennessee. A van met us and all the luggage and passengers packed in for a ride to a nice FBO, a terminal for private aviation, where we rented four cars and then took off for our hotel. We caravanned through dark wet streets, turning, turning and turning. Thinking how would we ever find our way back, knowing we were still near the airport as we could see planes landing and taking off.
Finally we arrived and after a quick refreshing (by now it was 8:30) met in the restaurant for dinner. High prices for so-so service and very average food, they even delivered the wrong meal to me. It was 11 when I returned to the room and dropped into bed exhausted.
Gene was to return to leave for the plane at 8AM to clean. The four who are wearing vintage uniforms (photos later) left at 9 for Press Day. The Mission here is a Plane Pull benefiting the Special Olympics. Teams of 25 people buy a chance to pull a Boeing 727 with a rope for a certain distance. Gene returned to the room at noon to say that they waited all day for the press who turned out to be one old guy who took a couple of pictures. This is not surprising...most of the media events are a bust.
This afternoon we went to the Air and Space Museum. There was a lot there, but not as much as we thought. Gene said he guesses he has just been to too many and now he has seen it all. We did see a space shuttle which we had seen before. The photo above left insists on presenting itself sideways even though is not that way in my photos, so I gave up. The other photo is our three lovlies in their vintage uniforms. Aren't they cute?

On to Utah

Sunday morning we are up and out early to Heber City, UT. Timing is important as we are to rendezvous with another airplane called a Harpoon over a lake near Park City and fly in together in a formation of sorts. We stop for fuel in Riverton, WY, and as is often the case, we have erred on the side of safety and are early. We enter the FBO like a hoard of Huns, hit the facilities, pop tons of popcorn and put a strain on the drink machine. After wreaking havoc, we regroup, load up and are gone, leaving the residents to wonder....what was that all about?
The mountains in Utah are greener than the last two states we have been in and that is a surprise. Somehow Utah seemed like a place that should have tall craggy orange-red peaks. There are also more trees. Gene and David are our pilots for the morning. The passengers are watching the time for 2PM is the appointed time and sure enough, at that exact time Zane comes back into the cabin to tell us that the other place has appeared and we all rush to that side to see and take pictures. We make some passes over Park City before going on to the airport at Heber City.
We have a welcoming committee there of Tony DiSantis and Jeff Selby who have flown into Salt Lake City earlier in the day plus Jane Gorrell and several friends. This airport is situated with a picturesque lake at the end of the runway, curving between two mountains. The Heber Valley/CAF Air Museum is housed in a hanger at the edge of the airport and we all gather there.
It is a small, but well done museum and features two Stearman bi-planes. Jane and her friend, Bambi Knight have arranged a hamburger cook-out for us there. Bambi has installed a Victory Garden behind the hanger and our dinner features produce from the garden.
After dinner, David recruits Peggy and I to take rides in the Stearman. In this type of plane, the passenger rides in the front. It has an open cockpit....think Snoopy and the Red Baron. First I squeezed into the tiny cockpit and then David started snapping me in and pulling straps tight. When I felt like a mummy, he said, "Well that is your parachute, now lets work on the seatbelt." ??? He also gave me instructions on getting out in case of emergency and I thought, yeah, right. I cannot even move and I am supposed to extract myself from a falling plane in midair and pull a parachute??
The route of this ride goes up through the pass over the Heber City reservoir, over Robert Redford's Sundance home and wanders around and amongst the peaks and valleys,turning back at Utah Lake near Provo. It is an incredible experience, that reminded me of IMAX movies where you swoop over peaks and down into valleys. There were lakes and waterfalls. A ride like this would cost $300, but we ride free.
Being members of the Flagship Detroit Foundation gives us the opportunity to experience incredible things at very little cost. Sure, we work hard also, but at something we enjoy. Many of our table conversations are about history and Peggy pointed out that were we not all interested in history, we would not be in the group.
This night the group scatters. Gene and I are staying with the Gorrells. Peggy and Jake are with Dave Ashworth, an old Navy buddy of Jake's who live in the same neighborhood. The remaining crew are in a nearby resort hotel.
Monday morning, David and Gene go open the plane to tours, while Jane, Peggy and I take a long walk. The two of them are younger and in better shape and I was really panting in the altitude, but kept up. Zane and Deanna enjoy sleeping in. The whole gang reconvenes at the airport in the early afternoon and are entertained all afternoon watching a camera crew photograph models with the vintage aircraft. These models were not what one imagines when thinking of that word. They were supposed to be making a calendar for the museum. There is a small but fairly steady stream of people who come by to tour the Flagship and some make generous donations. We are a non-profit and have to feed this hungry airplane constantly. She drinks 100 gallons of fuel and a gallon of oil for each hour of flight.
At 6PM we make a membership flight with 13 passengers, both stewardesses in uniform, and Gene and David at the controls. The stews do a real song and dance take off on the standard briefing given by today's flight attendants. Jane has made chocolate dipped strawberries to serve the passengers as they board. They take the same route up through the pass as the Stearmans and both pilots declare it to be one of the most scenic flights ever taken. The passengers were absolutely giddy and ever so grateful for this opportunity. Gary Brubaker has shown up with many stunning photo prints from the day before, including shots of the Stearman flights, which he generously hands out.
Fourteen of us end up at Adloph's for dinner. The crew is augmented by Dave Ashworth, Linda Belgiano, Bambi Knight, and Chris Roon who were with us at the airport. The chef of this restaurant is Swiss native and the food is more than excellent. However, it is after 11PM when we close the place down.

Wings and Wheels

Another early morning to make the trip from Cody to Powell for the air and car show. But it seems there was a late night text the previous evening saying that since we now have two vehicles, the females can sleep in. Since Jake is the only one who checked his phone in the middle of the night, Peggy is the only one who sleeps in. However Deanna and Sheryl do enjoy the extra free time. As they make the drive, they pass the Heart Mountain Japanese internment center which is having a museum dedication today. Wishing they could see that, but there is no time.
Powell is a very small town and the people there are so grateful to us for bringing the Flagship there. The land around Powell is just flat fields with mountains on the horizon. They grow B's here: beans, barley and beets.
The show includes airplanes and cars and there is also an acrobatic air show. We have a good number of people come through the plane. They are all interested in the history of our airplane as are the well behaved children who accompany them. The organizers of the event are also glad to have us there and are paying for 17 memberships for the helpers. We sell some shirts in spite of the fact that our size range is limited. The flights are split into two because of the high altitude and heat. Air is thinner here and the warmer it is , the thinner it is. All the things we haul around with us, like the tent, tools, ladder and so forth have been removed from the plane to make it lighter. The show organizers are helpful in providing a truck for this and help load it.
Peggy plays stewardess and makes the flights fun with her clever banter. The reward for all the work are the wide smiles and enthusiasm of the passengers as they leave the plane. Many of the male passengers are pilots and some of them have taken a few minutes in the right seat. Afterward, a few of them get their logbooks and have Gene sign them off for 8 minutes or so instruction. We like Powell and they like us.
We are surprised to find out that the air show ends at 2PM, and when the two flights are over, and the plane reloaded, we are back at our motel by 5:30. It feels like a vacation after all the long days. The men gather outside to do what these men do.....talk flying. See photo of Gene holding court. Rick, who has pretty much shadowed Gene all day, says he has enjoyed soaking up as much info on the plane as he could.
This evening we have dinner at the Wyoming Rib and Chop House. The food is good, but the margaritas are the worst we have encountered on any of our trips. Perhaps the worst encountered anywhere. Gene makes a mistake of saying, "What time is it, Kids?" Which launches Peggy into a rendition of the Howdy-Doody song. Everyone joins in except Gene who tries to crawl under the table. This is quickly followed by the Mickey Mouse song. The waitstaff acts like this is an everyday occurrence and due to the late hour, there are few others in the restaurant at the time.

Yellowstone

Today is a free day and we six head to Yellowstone bright and early. Zane and Deanna have been there three times and they are our tour guides. The other four have never been. We take the scenic route over the mountains to the eastern gate. We stop at a scenic overlook at Dead Indian Pass. When we get out to enjoy the view, we experience "cold" for the first time in many moons. We are at 8000 ft and the scenery is majestic and awe inspiring. The photo of Indians on horseback is a sculpture at this overlook. At left is Peggy, getting to know an old prospector at the visitor's center in Cooke City on the way to Yellowstone.
Deanna, the schoolteacher, starts establishing prizes for being the first person to spot certain things. The prizes all relate to food. Sheryl wins the first one for coming up with cygnet for baby swan, a Twix candy bar redeemed at supper time when we are still far from a meal. Gene, the sharp eyed Indian scout, wins most of the others by spotting several types of wildlife. Our ultimate goal is Old Faithful, and we do a loop of other sites to get there. First we see buffalo and a prong head antelope, herds of elk. Then we see a large mountain of sulpher deposits left over the ages by hot springs, we see hot water bubbling out of the ground. Here and there we see steam rising from various parts of the landscape, and geysers spouting. We have a nice lunch at a lodge and chat with the young people from all over the US and the world who work there. We find out there is also a program for retirees to work at the park. Hmmm. There are lovely flowers all around the lodge area, all protected from elk by wire cages. See photo of cart on left.
We go to a basin which is the remains of an ancient volcano and see wonderful azure pools of boiling water. We see more wildlife and around 3:30 we finally reach the area of Old Faithful, which is not as faithful as it once was. Folks tell us it may be 35 more minutes and so we go and explore the old lodge, then return to sit on the benches that circle halfway around the site. There are other small geysers in the area. And so we sit and sit and are teased by steam that waxes and wanes and another geyser that sputters and is taken as a sign. In fact, Old Faithful itself send up a half hearted spurt and then goes back to steam. We decide we have come on the day that Old Faithful gives up the ghost and quits, when at long last it does its thing. Couple of surprises: it makes no sound and the water is so very, very silvery white.
By this time, it is after 5PM and we are along way from home. So off we go taking a more direct, but no less scenic, route home. Around 9PM we find ourselves on the patio at the local Mexican restaurant. Soon, David Gorrell and his friend, Rick Smail, arrive from Salt Lake City. Rick is a prospective new pilot for the Flagship. We have a good dinner and enjoy getting to know Rick. We fall into bed exhausted again after a long day but are very grateful to Zane for being the driver and tour guide on a 12 hour tour.

Show Time

Wednesday morning we head for the hills to the west to check out two mining towns, Idaho Springs and Georgetown. Idaho Springs has a nice sized downtown with more restaurants than anything else. It also has a visitor's center with some very good displays that tell the history of mining in the area. My favorite photo is the one of the girl with the donkey. She is living proof that there were flower children long before Woodstock. Can you see the flowers on her hat? At one shop, the lady proprietor showed us her home which she had built onto the back of the store. She had health problems and needed to sell. She had the equivalent of an urban style loft there which made for plenty of conversation later. We had lunch at a place she recommended and enjoyed the food. Then we drove a but higher into the mountains to Georgetown, which proved to be smaller, but more quaint. There is a small railroad there that hauls passengers back and forth to Silver Plume. We arrived as the last train was leaving, but got to see the departure and follow its upward progress and trip across a very small and very high trestle.
Again, we had a very nice dinner at one of the nearby restaurants, fueled the car and packed for our early departure to Denver the next morning.
The four troopers were up and out to the airport at 6:30 AM on Thursday, hauling what seemed to be an endless pile of luggage and totes. We do not seem to travel light. Jack Grenier joins us shortly as does Mark Uriarte, the American Airlines GM at Denver. Mark is just a delightful young man, we all think too young for such a big job. It is obvious as the day goes on that he cares about his people and they for him. We take off about 8;30 for the short flight to DIA and upon landing are greeted by Zane and Deanna Lemon, just in from Dallas.
Before we can even unload things to set up a display table, we are inundated with enthusiastic people wanting to see the plane. There are not only AA employees, but Frontier, British Airways, United, and more....airport employees, firemen, police, TSA and several retired flight attendants. One of these, Jane Meyer Reilly, flew with Jack and many photos are taken of them. Everyone wants a photo of Peggy in her vintage get up too and she complies, even smiling through the pain of a recalcitrant neuroma in her foot.
The day is hot but the AA people take very good care of us, providing water, ice, hamburgers and even ice cream. We all stay with the plane all day except for bathroom breaks. Ninety-three year old Jack is right there with us, even helping to sell tee shirts. He is a big hit, and so is the plane. So fun to be among people who appreciate aviation and its history. Mark is also there with us almost all day and loving it. Mark even has an airconditioning hose run into the plane to make it tolerable for those inside. Jack leaves us around 2PM as he has another engagement. And it is not long after that we start to pack up. People just keep coming and we finally have to tell them we are about to start the engines to call a halt. We have sold 23 shirts, in spite of the fact that we are out of the most popular sizes. Jeff Selby had shipped some smaller sizes in and we sell the bulk of them also.
We blast off, feeling a little out of breath, both from the altitude and our hasty packing while still running people through the plane. Good thing the aisles were wider in the 1930's! The land we fly over is desolate. I see no buildings and no roads for most of the way and yet, there is Peggy chatting on her cell phone. I cannot even get a signal in my living room!! On occasion there is a stream or river and agriculture adjacent to it and there are signs of irrigation.
Word comes from David Gorrell that there is a mix up on hotel rooms and we have none. Actually, there is to be a dedication of a memorial at a former Japanese internment camp this weekend and the proprietor decided that taking paying customers was better than comping them to the air show. The next thing we hear is that there is a room with three beds. Hmmmm. What will we do for the Flagship?
After about three hours we land at Powell, WY. This could be described as prairie. There is pretty much nothing except golden fields ending in mountains on one side and the horizon on all the others. There is a welcoming committee and a nice fellow named Bill ferries us to the restrooms in his truck. The organizer of the show is there also and takes off to find us the van we will use while we are here. While we wait on the tarmac with our luggage, we cut the tops off empty water bottles to make cups and share a bottle of pre-mixed margaritas with Bill.
Soon our van appears and we are glad it holds 7 as that last place is needed for the overflow of our stuff. We are off to Cody where a room has been secured.
Cody proves to be more interesting anyway. And again, around 9PM we find Proud Cut restaurant and again, have a very good meal with much frivolity.

Free Time

We have decided after a week in Colorado that perhaps this would be great place to avoid Georgia's summer heat, Maine has nothing on Colorado. Although, I really cannot fathom driving all the way here pulling a camper! The view of the Rocky Mountains is breathtaking and the weather is lovely. The thermometer will read 90, but as long as one is in the shade, you are comfortable. The sun can be brutal at this altitude.
On Monday, after a week on the road, it was time to do errands and chores. Then we planned to drive up to the Boulder area. Well, those chores seemed to go on and on. When we finished it was 4PM and discretion seemed the better part of valor. For the second night in a row we dined at a Brewpub, part of a chain. One would not expect it to have great food, but this one does. We went back as we had all seen more than one thing we wanted to sample and we were not disappointed.
Tuesday the three of us made the short drive to Boulder and looked around. There were a lot of nice vintage homes of various styles that we enjoyed. We went to the airport where the guys looked at a vintage Beech 18 and we watched sailplanes soar. This was right at the foothills of the mountains. We enjoyed a bison burger at Ted's Montana Grill before coming back to pick up Peggy from the airport bus that stops a block from our hotel.
Oh, yay! Peggy is like a breath of spring. She is so animated and full of fun. And besides that, we can talk about something other than airplanes and guns at dinner. Tonight we went to a Bistro in Arvada where the food was good, but some things missing. One had to ask for bread, and pay through the nose for a side salad and the service was spotty. (And the prices were a lot higher than the other places we have been eating.)
One more day here, then on to Denver.