Pics from last weekend's fly-in.

[JohnnyRingo]

What's the difference between an air show and a fly-in?

A fly-in is a throwback to the golden age of aviation between the wars when the world's greatest aircraft were designed and built by civilians drawn out on hanger floors and constructed of wood and fabric. A fly-in is usually held at a grass field that would be challenging to anything bigger than a Cessna 182. There are no National Guard recruiting booths, no Air Force jets, and best of all, usually no fences or tape around the airplanes.

Fly-ins are very kid-friendly as no pilot can resist a young person's curiosity and will often offer a hop for free to a youngster who appears interested. Neil Armstrong saw his first flight when his father took him to such a field near here as a boy. That historic field is gone now, but I attended one just like it last weekend, and it was as if time has patiently waited since that glorious era.

Author Richard Bach (Jonathan Livingston Seagull) retired as a Navy pilot and tried to recreate the life of a roaring '20s barnstormer in his antique biplane. He flew from one open field to the next across the country giving rides and impromptu air shows, charging a nominal fee from the curious and survived by sleeping under a wing and enjoying the hospitality of others. He chronicled that wonderful summer of 1965 in his book Biplane.

One of the things I recall best from that book was his observation that wherever he landed the first person to show up was a boy and his dog. He would, as those who barnstormed before him, utilize the lad to help set up signs and ticket sales in exchange for a free ride at the end of the day. He was changing lives one at a time and living the American Experience.

Very little has changed at a fly-in:



In the circuit:



Touchdown:



Yellow Cub, green grass. Those are tundra tires for bush flying:



Pitts S2S aerobatic biplane:



Arriving in a Fairchild Primary Trainer:



Always something to see in a hanger:



It was a "Wings n Wheels" event sponsored by the Animal welfare League, so I drove my Triumph and parked on the flightline:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Thanks for the great pictures and story, my dear JohnnyRingo!

I hadn't known about these fly-ins.

And I love your pictures!

Thanks for sharing...

[groundloop]

2. Way Cool photos..... I've been to a fly-in or two

I used to be in a flying club which started out with only an Aeronca Chief, geez I miss that little plane. A buddy and I would make it a point to take it to a fly-in / pancake breakfast once a month.

Anyone care to guess where "goundloop" came from? There's that old saying about taildragger pilots, there are those that have and those that will (or else are lying).

[JohnnyRingo]

3. Two embarrassments for a tail dragger pilot

Groundloops and bouncing all the way down the runway on landing, and there's always somebody watching.

I had a friend with an Aeronca. It was some of the most fun I ever had flying. It was because it was more useful than a J-3, but more basic than a Skyhawk. Perfect GA plane.

There's another "Wings n Wheels" event next weekend nearby in New Castle PA (KUCP). I can't wait.

[bluedigger]

5. Yeah, I did it.

Here's my old PA-16 Piper Clipper. Fondly remembered as "having the glide ratio of a brick".

[Major Nikon]

4. I've been to hundreds of them from big to small

Good times.