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!!