Antique Airplane Assoc. Fly-In

[[email protected][_2_]]

I'm curious if anyone out there has flown (or driven) in to the AAA
fly-in near Blakesburg, IA over labor day weekend. My understanding is
that to fly-in one must be invited, but is the whole show by
invitation only? (for those of us unwashed masses who fly 172's, they
must keep the riff-raff out!).

It sounds like a fascinating group of aircraft (and pilots), but their
web-site says next to nothing about it. I guess I'd like to check it
out, but not if I'm crashing a private party...

-Ryan (on the outside looking in)

[Orval Fairbairn]

In article . com>,
" > wrote:

> I'm curious if anyone out there has flown (or driven) in to the AAA
> fly-in near Blakesburg, IA over labor day weekend. My understanding is
> that to fly-in one must be invited, but is the whole show by
> invitation only? (for those of us unwashed masses who fly 172's, they
> must keep the riff-raff out!).
>
> It sounds like a fascinating group of aircraft (and pilots), but their
> web-site says next to nothing about it. I guess I'd like to check it
> out, but not if I'm crashing a private party...
>
> -Ryan (on the outside looking in)

I have flown into there in the past -- yes, it is for antiques &
classics only. The airfield is, at best, rustic sod, with dips and
valleys in the runway and trees at both ends. It also does not have a
lot of display parking -- the field is too small.

IMHO, Bob Taylor had a good thing and let it go to seed. Incidentally, I
am a life member of AAA and have not had a communication from them in
years.

[Jim Carter[_1_]]

How "antique" does a bird have to be? 50 years or prior to WW2 ???


Kindest regards,
Jim Carter

Politicians fear most an armed, educated electorate.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Orval Fairbairn ]
> Posted At: Sunday, August 12, 2007 3:48 PM
> Posted To: rec.aviation.piloting
> Conversation: Antique Airplane Assoc. Fly-In
> Subject: Re: Antique Airplane Assoc. Fly-In
>
> In article . com>,
> " > wrote:
>
> > I'm curious if anyone out there has flown (or driven) in to the AAA
> > fly-in near Blakesburg, IA over labor day weekend. My understanding
is
> > that to fly-in one must be invited, but is the whole show by
> > invitation only? (for those of us unwashed masses who fly 172's,
they
> > must keep the riff-raff out!).
> >
> > It sounds like a fascinating group of aircraft (and pilots), but
their
> > web-site says next to nothing about it. I guess I'd like to check it
> > out, but not if I'm crashing a private party...
> >
> > -Ryan (on the outside looking in)
>
> I have flown into there in the past -- yes, it is for antiques &
> classics only. The airfield is, at best, rustic sod, with dips and
> valleys in the runway and trees at both ends. It also does not have a
> lot of display parking -- the field is too small.
>
> IMHO, Bob Taylor had a good thing and let it go to seed. Incidentally,
I
> am a life member of AAA and have not had a communication from them in
> years.

[Jim Carter[_1_]]

Never mind... I finally found the AAA/APM website (which hasn't been
updated since December 2003) and found my answer.

http://www.aaa-apm.org/info/whatis.html



Kindest regards,
Jim Carter

Politicians fear most an armed, educated electorate.

[Bertie the Bunyip[_19_]]

Orval Fairbairn > wrote in news:orfairbairn-
:


>
> IMHO, Bob Taylor had a good thing and let it go to seed. Incidentally, I
> am a life member of AAA and have not had a communication from them in
> years.


Yeah, likewise..

Bertie

[Jay Honeck]

> > I'm curious if anyone out there has flown (or driven) in to the AAA
> > fly-in near Blakesburg, IA over labor day weekend. My understanding is
> > that to fly-in one must be invited, but is the whole show by
> > invitation only? (for those of us unwashed masses who fly 172's, they
> > must keep the riff-raff out!).

Hey Ryan -- if you fly into Blakesburg, come see us. We're not far
from there, and usually get a few AAA members staying with us.

The fly-in is an amazing mix of people and planes that is FAR
different from OSH. The folks tend to be quite ANTI-EAA, even though
Paul Poberzny is always in attendance. Both groups started about the
same time, but AAA is completely anti-commercial. (Notice I didn't
say "non-commercial"...) As a result, it's tiny, by comparison -- but
there are planes there that you will NEVER see at OSH.

You do have to be "invited" to attend by another member. Mary and I
have been members for several years now, so you could come as our
guest, join, and be in the group forever.

I'm not sure why Orval and Bertie aren't receiving any magazines or
newsletters. They come rather irregularly, but they DO come.

I do agree that AAA has, with its anti-commercial attitude, missed the
boat in many ways. If you think EAA's membership is gray, you won't
believe AAA. Mary and I really are kids, compared to most
attendees.

It's worth attending, though. The one-of-a-kind aircraft are there,
often in droves. I think there were 300 aircraft there last year --
ALL antique/classics...

(They WILL let me park Atlas on the field, but they'll push spam cans
to the way-back. We just drive in, since it's pretty close to Iowa
City.)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[[email protected][_2_]]

So the whole thing is by invitation only...? (not just flying in?)
If you two are "kids" by AAA standards, then I'm a neonate premie...
(at 36)!

Are you and your family going this year?

-Ryan

[Bertie the Bunyip[_19_]]

" > wrote in
ups.com:

> So the whole thing is by invitation only...? (not just flying in?)
> If you two are "kids" by AAA standards, then I'm a neonate premie...
> (at 36)!

Hey, someone needs to look after these things and keep 'em flying! Actually
the future looks good for vintage airplanes. CNC machining means a lot of
replacement parts are now doable. The net is a godsend for locating parts.
(I've even got Le Blond parts on Ebay).
Most airframes are quite easy to look after and repair,since the average
30's lightplane was little more than a homebuilt with a few exceptions.
The EAA is the place to start. Join your local chapter.


Bertie

[Jay Honeck]

> So the whole thing is by invitation only...? (not just flying in?)
> If you two are "kids" by AAA standards, then I'm a neonate premie...
> (at 36)!
>
> Are you and your family going this year?

Plannin' on it! See http://www.aaa-apm.org/flyins/

Another good one down this way is the Stearman Fly-In over in
Galesburg, IL. If you want to see a sky full of biplanes, that's the
place to be. See http://www.stearmanflyin.com/
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[[email protected][_2_]]

Bertie,
What are you flying or restoring with a LeBlond?
I've seen a Rearwin not far from where I live in Madison (at Brodhead)
that I think had a LeBlond. There was also a Porterfield that was for
sale on one of the websites a year or two ago that had a LeBlond (I
think) in it. I didn't pursue looking into it because I wasn't sure
how much effort it would take to keep one running. After spending time
at OSH every year (and I've made it to a few other fly-ins) it just
looks like fun to fly these machines...

I'm curious what kind of trials and tribulations you've had (or not)
finding parts and keeping one running. I think part of the fun would
be interacting with likeminded folks out there to find parts...Another
aspect to the flying bug that I didn't realize when I first learned to
fly.

Thanks,
Ryan

[Ron Natalie]

Bertie the Bunyip wrote:

>
> Hey, someone needs to look after these things and keep 'em flying! Actually
> the future looks good for vintage airplanes.

Of course the EAA has it's own Vintage group with similar goals.

[Orval Fairbairn]

In article >,
Ron Natalie > wrote:

> Bertie the Bunyip wrote:
>
> >
> > Hey, someone needs to look after these things and keep 'em flying! Actually
> > the future looks good for vintage airplanes.
>
> Of course the EAA has it's own Vintage group with similar goals.

The EAA Vintage Assn. is a lot more friendly to the "Neo Classics," as
AAA calls them. I used to get the impression that Neo Classics were, to
use al old, pre-integration Southern term, "not quite white."

EAA does a far better job than AAA, which has no provision for a
leadership pool to carry on after Bob Taylor goes.

[Stella Starr]

Bertie the Bunyip wrote:

>
> Hey, someone needs to look after these things and keep 'em flying! Actually
> the future looks good for vintage airplanes...
>
>
> Bertie

Went last weekend to the pacific northwest version,

http://www.nwaac.com/macfly/index.html

and though it was far smaller than Blakesburg's event, there were plenty
of nice people and a good number of lovely planes.

I thought for a moment you were there, Bertie, as a gent in the pancake
tent with a delightful Brit-type accent (after a lifetime in the
Midwest, I'm not qualified to specify) was telling an amusing story
about his stay at a local inn.