Perfect GA Storm

It's Sunday the thirteenth of December.  I dread Christmas and look forward to it.  I learned last Sunday that General Aviation is not dead!  One week ago today I had the pleasure of attending a "winter hangar party" at Massey.
This is a grass strip in the northern Eastern Shore that is a quiet little place until there is an event!  Sunday December 6th was forecast to be perfect weather.  A lot of pent up energy among GA pilots deciding when to put their airplanes away for the winter.  It was a perfect storm of activity.  My friend Brian flew in to my strip to pick me up on his way to Massey.  He has a beautiful Cessna 195.  An antique well suited for Massey.  As I watched him circle and land I had my hand- held Icom transceiver tuned to 122.9.  I could hear a constant  chatter from aircraft  at Massey 40 miles north of me.  It was a beehive of traffic and the fly-in was not due to start for another hour!  Brian let me steer the 195 all the way up and that was fun.  It was so crowded we just couldn't slot into the pattern.  After three go arounds we finally got in.  Brian did a great job and kept his cool,  and I and the other two passengers felt safe,  and Brian really rolled it on.   I heard later that there were 170 airplanes at this "little" fly-in. The four hours just flew by.  (pun intended).  There were so many airplanes,  they were parking them on the sides of the runway,  on the cross wind runway, and the infield was packed.  The famous Lindbergh 1930 Bird Winkle was there.  Bush planes,  RV 8's  12's  4's and more,  Stearmans,  Great Lakes,  short wing pipers, 3 195's,  Lances, Saratogas, Bonanzas,  Cubs of all variations,  all the usual stuff and more.  So many folks I knew I could not greet them all.
The food is always great at Massey.  The buffet line went all the way around the hangar.  As folks waited in line they were all chatting and catching up on all the projects.  It seemed as if everybody knew everybody.  My wife and her dog came up by car and we sat at the "grassy knoll" and just watched airplanes come and go.  The 195 had to get going and I hung around until all was quiet and rode home with wife in the Subaru.  There is a Maryland state road, Rt. 313 that runs right by Massey and right by our farm.  So instead of taking 301,  the big highway, we followed 313 south all the way home.  Through farm country.  A big sunset.
 all the way.

Is my Luscombe done for the winter?  Apparently not.  Yesterday, Saturday,  another Indian Summer day,  I flew up to Cheswald,  Deleware Airpark  It was a hangar party.  Small and friendly and a wonderful group.  Thanks Trey and Janice!

Cheswald is being remade into a larger airport.  I have mixed emotions about that.   Flight planning for me to Cheswald   is made easy:   bearing=  33 degrees,  distance= 33 nautical miles,  identifier= 33N.

I'm not going to put my plane away yet.  It's 67 degrees today.


GAI         :::::+:::::