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Fly-in Breakfast |
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Wheels-up 7:00AM
Destination Dunkirk Fly-in breakfast
Mission: Claim the first-arrival award again this year.
Yes, once again Liz and I took off in the early morning to attend the annual Dunkirk fly in breakfast. This year it was different. This year Liz is a pilot too. That made it all the more enjoyable as we back-taxied runway 26 at Lancaster while doing the mag check, setting the DG and setting the altimeter to 750 feet. Can’t waste too much time, it’s already 6:56 and I haven’t even contacted Buffalo Approach. Run up is fine, pull off the runway onto the side area at the end of 26 and call approach. I get the squawk code and request straight out 26 which is quickly granted on a quiet Sunday morning.
Mornings are definitely the best time to fly. The sun hasn’t heated things up yet. The air is cool and the plane climbs quickly. The sky is clear except for some high cirrus clouds. Visibility is only about 6 miles but that’s ok. The ride is smooth at 2500 feet. Buffalo approach calls me to say that runway 15-33 at Dunkirk is closed today, hmmm… wonder why?.
In no time Dunkirk is in site and radar service is terminated. I land on 24 and am told to taxi to 15-33. The northeast ramp was closed off by the Sheriff’s Department. There were 3 Sheriff helicopters on the ramp. They were there for Bucky Phillips! Bucky was still hiding in the woods someplace. Give It Up Bucky, You Can’t Win! That’s why we’re parking today on 15-33 (Ahhh, so That’s why!). Lou meets me at the plane and tells me I’m the first arrival. Yes! Mission accomplished!
Liz and I had the “Portable EAA46 Booth” which we set up. I say that it’s portable because it fits in the back of a 152 with two people and full fuel and doesn’t put us over gross! Two folding chairs, A small folding table and a cooler full of unsweetened ice tea. Liz manned the booth while I went out to see what I could do to help.
The fly-in was good this year. The show planes got there starting at about 9:00. Lou had asked me to help park the show planes so I did. RV-4, RV-6A, Long EZ, Starduster 2, about a half-dozen others. Lou had his Just-Refurbished 1931 Waco parked there, it was a real beauty! Dunkirk Aviation was giving plane rides this year for only $20 per person. They had quite a line! They used (I think) every one of their 172’s to give the rides!
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