Sun n Fun over: the Season Begins at Massey

I got to go over to Massey this last Saturday as was planned. The weather was excellent. I rolled out the Cher OH kee, and alas , it was covered with bird droppings. I have a nest of doves in my lean-to. And I have a variety of birds in the rafters of the hanger. My wife does not want me to harm them. I did a nice job cleaning the windshield, but that was it. I was surprised that there were no birds nests in the airplane. I took off in a pretty good breeze from the north. The skies were cloudy, but trying to clear up. I stopped at Bay Bridge to pick up my buddy and I bought 16 gallons of fuel. We had a lovely ride up to Massey and the parking was really directed nicely, and they had a ground boss on 122.9 in a golf cart. They sorted the airplanes as they came in, and we were put in a line of low wings. There were about 7 or 9 "RV's", all beautiful of course, and they were all in a line. Me and my buddy got the plane secured and headed for the food. This is what we do! They had pots and pots of different chili. I found a pot I liked and systematically ate three bowls. On the last bowl I wandered away from the hangar and the ramp and the planes. I went behind the compound where there are these wrecks and parts piles and junk fuselages and such. I didn't go close to the stuff but I looked it over. I stayed by myself a little while and soaked up the "essence" of the fly-in. Does that sound crazy? The whole place is kind of set up for one to look at. They have a museum which is fairly new and has more each time I see it. They have a DC-3, which is mostly a shell, but has potential. They have some old sailplanes, which they fly. They have a Corsair on a pole as a gate guard which is a big visual statement. They have a working US Gov't, CAA, WW2 or post war, beacon light. With it's own original tower. It was turned on. It looked to me like about 70 or 80 planes came in and out. Maybe more. A great turn out, considering GA is almost dead. My favorite thing was this Curtis Pusher. It was a perfect brand new replica of a circa 1910 biplane that the famous racer and pilot Glen Curtis flew. They flew this plane twice at the end of the day. It was great. It flew low and slow. Like the Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines. My friend the professor flew in in his 152. He's not big on fly-ins, so he's a hard sell. But he was glad he came. He was really interested in the not one, but two, Cessna 195's. They were very pristine. I saw my friends who have a pretty Luscombe and they are experts at going to fly-ins. Large or small. Near or far. Trey, Janice, sorry I hardly got to talk to you guys. But the season is young. Don't you love it? Horn point in two weeks or so. Then a fly-in or event every single weekend through September. I can not afford the gas to go to each one. Brian and I were about the last to leave. It was so nice he decided to overfly Bay Bridge and have a campfire with myself and the professor and Jaker the dog. The winds were calm. The sun was slowly setting. The professor took his airplane back out to just fly a little tour down the river and back. And shoot a few landings. Land one way....roll to the end....turn around and take off the other way. Nice when you can do it! Brian washed down my airplane because the bird do really was bad. I gathered fire wood of dead branches. We had a great fire and a great time. All good things must come to an end. The prof retired to the man cave. I gave Brian the keys to the trusty Boobaru. It felt great to go to bed. I dreamed of airliners and simulators and schedules and sitting at gates in a flight deck. Nightmares almost. (Not that I don't like airliners) But before I fell asleep I daydreamed of my little Cher OH kee. And my friends who never get tired of airplanes. And what the bay looked like in a mare's- tail sky. And that Curtis Pusher with spoked wheels and pennants flying from the struts between the wings. And the guy flying at about 30 mph. My real life was more like a dream than my sleeping dream. Thanks for reading. The season is afoot. I'll see you at Horn Point. Remember, I'm pullin' for ya. Keep your stick on the ice. GA Informal :::::+:::::