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WAMM Fly-In, June 2011
Once again, Ben Favrholdt's hangar was headquarters for hangar flying. However, since this WAMM event took place during the weekend of the Porterville Air Faire, many of us spent more time looking at static displays of airplanes and automobiles on the ramp and near Mike Quatacker's hangar. Or we sat watching people and airplanes passing by from ringside seats in the treed area beside the Airport Cafe as well as other covered areas closer to the flying activities.
Attendees report:
Early birds arriving Thursday: David Favrholdt
(Richmond, BC) and Dave Rutherford (Abbotsford, BC) drove up from LAX; Gil and JoAnn Gilbert, N4121 (Kent, WA) arrived by rental car from Fresno; Ben Favrholdt N66MX
(local); Michael Harms N201MM, N4181 (local); Ed Mandilbles, N325M and Victor Poole flew in from Lompoc, CA.
Friday: Dave Mazzola, N380A (Newark, CA); Doug Triplat by big Mooney (Rosamond, CA); Michael Magnani, N4064 (Valencia, CA), by car - much to his disappointment; Scott Lewis N4096 (Santa Monica, CA; and Don Deaton, N120C
(local). We were pleased to meet for the first time John and Rose Krueger, N4130 who drove up from Redlands, CA.
Saturday:Toni Guttman, N10301, flew in from Soquel, CA and slept on the grass as usual beside his Mite that night.
Dining schedule:
Thursday evening: La Fuente on Main.
Friday: breakfast - Airway Cafe at PTV; lunch - Orange Street Cafe; dinner - Air Faire spaghetti dinner at PTV, or Rosa's on Henderson Avenue.
Saturday: breakfast - Air Faire pancake breakfast, or Airway Cafe at PTV; lunch - Rustler's Steakhouse
& Saloon at Lake Success, or the food vendors at Air Faire; dinner - BBQ at Quatacker's hangar at PTV.
Sunday: breakfast - Perko's Koffee Kup on Henderson.
Weather conditions: The weather was very pleasant - mostly sunny with temperatures to the low eighties, cooling nicely overnights.
Special Events:
Scheduled Air Faire events included the usual flying demonstrations such as wing-walking, aerobatics and fly-pasts, as well a helicopter and airplane rides.
Three Mite pilots, Dave Mazzola, Ed Mandibles and Scott Lewis were part of a group of six competing in the flour-bombing competition. Congratulations to Ed for taking the top prize!
Mike Quatacker's Hanger played a central role in the Porterville Air Faire, with a large collection of Corvettes inside and custom motorcycles and cars outside. Mike also hosted a big barbecue and party and dance which several of our gang attended on Saturday afternoon/evening.
Attendance: We have eleven signatures on the sign-in sheet, not including wives. Four Mites made it to the show line. Having the bigger event happening at the same time meant that the WAMM gang tended to be scattered. We did much less hangar flying that usual, and split up for meals.
Special thanks to Ben Favrholdt for providing his hangar and
Don Deaton for his generous assistance.
David Favrholdt happened to catch this photo of one of the first events at the Air Faire.
Don Deaton is always on the lookout for someone who could use his help.
Friday morning group in Ben Favrholdt's hangar.
Michael Harms and Doug Triplat in the Airway Cafe on Friday morning.
Ed Mandibles and Don Deaton, with Isabel, our waitress at the Airway Cafe.
Victor Poole and Gil Gilbert.
The tenting area beside the terminal was probably the most comfortable place for spectating.
It was lucky that Doug was elsewhere when a tree limb came down unexpectedly and destroyed his tent.
David Favrholdt and Dave Mazzola.
Two more Daves - Mazzola and Rutherford.
We were pleased to see the Mooney Ambassadors, who added at least ten airplanes to our Mooney display, making it the largest aircraft type representation at the Air Faire.
Mitch Latting of the Mooney Ambassadors with his lovely Mooney Ovation.
Mitch's wife, Jolie Lucas, is the "spark plug" of the Ambassadors.
Mitch demonstrates that even a towel wants to take off at a fly-in.
With Michael, Rose and John Krueger, Brian, and Scott Lewis looking on, Ed explains how he happens to have a brand new propeller on N325M.
The sign-up sheet for the flour bombing contest, with the results in the margin.
Ed in N325M drops a flour bomb with streamer attached.
Dave Mazzola on his first run, with Ed returning for his second try in the distance.
Dave taxis in after his two tries.
Ed's feeling pretty good after his run when we tell him it looked good.
Ed is the winner!
The Silver Wings Stearman is closely inspected while wing-walker Margi Stivers looks on.
Toni Guttman's N10301 made it to the Mooney area later in the day.
The remainder of the WAMM Gang at the "Fairewell" breakfast at Perko's on Sunday morning.
Photos by Dave Rutherford and David Favrholdt
2011-06-15