Back from the Wilmington convention

OTIS · Post by **OTIS** » Tue Jul 22, 2003 8:21 pm

For the people that missed the convention, it was a good one. This was my third convention, the first I flew too.

It was a great week. My brother and I hit bad weather 22 miles from ILM, we diverted to an airport 30 miles north. One hour later, two more 170's showed up. Twenty minutes later, another 170. The eight of
us had a pizza party and then continued into ILM. Not a bad weather delay.

The Kitty Hawk flight up the coast (outer banks) was wonderful......This trip made the convention. Orville and Wilbur got it right.

The food and activities ran smooth and meetings friends again were
highlights of the trip.

Everyone should plan on attending next year in CA. Hope to see you there.

Gerry Whitson
N8072A - 1952 C170B

djbaker · Post by **djbaker** » Thu Jul 24, 2003 10:51 pm

This was my son and my first convention. It was great to put a face with the people who had been so helpful in getting our 170 flying.The plane had been in the air only 10 hrs before our trip from Newburyport Ma. to Wilmington. With a lot of help from all the forum members it flew perfectly. Special thanks to Pat Bartone who let us use his spare prop when ours was damaged in installation. (we will return it Pat ). We look forward to next year.

BOBBY · Post by **BOBBY** » Fri Jul 25, 2003 3:15 pm

OK, Gerry, I have decided to turn more of my focus to TIC170A. I've been coming to these events for over 30 years (at first without choice as Ovid's kid) and Wilmington will always occupy a special place in my heart.

Among all of the other well run activities and warm receptions, the flight to Kill Devil Hill was most memorable and historic. The significance of the 170 group 'paying homage' to the Wrights should not be lost. I am proud of our leadership and John Coble for making the trek to Kitty Hawk in the centennial year possible.

In the sense of a 'fly out' experience, boy, was that beautiful or what. Nobody got lost (qualifier), nobody got hurt (qualifier), no missiles were fired (qualifier not so realistic until recently), any mechanical blocks (literal in your case) were worked out safely, and we had a mysterious 12 hour window of incredible weather (somebody said something to someone up there). Air to air chatter as well as group flying techniques were typically hysterical, at times. Heck, some folks even got an F18 fly by!8O I don't think he was mad.

I've flown over Cape Hatteras hundreds of times (albeit at 39,000 feet) and, it seemed, could never look down and see it. I was fortunate to be with Eddie Booth and he let me fly the leg home from FFA! That was nice/brave/silly/stupid/crazy (pick one) of him.

This convention was significant if just for that. For those who missed it, you missed a great one.

David Laseter · Post by **David Laseter** » Thu Aug 28, 2003 3:47 am

Monday when I landed in Harrison, AR, a fellar came out and told me all about this fancy 170 that had flown through a couple of weeks ago. He said that the 170 had won some big award at Oskosh and was on it's way back to California. Who would that be and what award did they win?
Dave

N1478D · Post by **N1478D** » Thu Aug 28, 2003 1:54 pm

HA! David, have you experienced this yet? You land and people come out to look at your plane and ask "what is this?" you reply it's a 170 and they say "oh, yea, Johnny Boy has a 170!" So you ask does he keep it here at this field? And they say, "oh yea, that's it right over there!' And you look over there and it's a non 170 airplane.

Mom and Dad said they saw a 170 there at Ozark, bet it was yours. A vinyl horse fence instead of a 170 paint job, good grief! What in the world is going on with you?

David Laseter · Post by **David Laseter** » Fri Aug 29, 2003 2:15 am

Mid-life crises? Honestly, our life has been one big whirl since getting to Arkansas. One of the benefits of moving down there was the lower cost of living. That would be true except that there are so many more opportunities to spend money. Horses are definitely one of them.
Paint job's coming though.
I run into Johnny boy's friends everywhere. It's amazing how much attention a tail dragger gets from pilots down there. Younger Pilots have no clue and the older gentlemen come out and tell me "way back when". Stories I can listen to all day long.

N1478D · Post by **N1478D** » Fri Aug 29, 2003 2:35 am

Opportunities to spend money, in Arkansas? Don't you have to drive to Ft Smith to do that?

And doesn't that horse only eat when its ridden? Just read the book Seabiscuit, what a story. If you have time up there in the North to do some reading, pick that one up, you will really enjoy it.

Post by **GAHorn** » Sat Aug 30, 2003 6:50 pm

Go up to the Weideker Vinyards while in the Ozark area (Altus, actually, and also visit the Irish pub down in town!) Genuinely good food and drink and friends, both places!

David Laseter · Post by **David Laseter** » Sun Aug 31, 2003 4:21 am

Hey George, we ate at Weidekers last Fri.

Weidekers has become one of our favorite eating establishments. I'm amazed at all the grapes growing in them thar hills. I'm keeping notes of all these places, for the fly-in I'm going to host someday.
Speaking of fly-ins, I just heard of a fly-n at Sulpher Springs, September 13th, 8 - 2pm.. http://www.Fun-Places-To-Fly.com
I get home Wed and am thinking of making a trip to Palestine TX, to see Mammaw. May swing by Toledo Bend Res, then Palestine, Sulpher Springs, Texarkana (other mammaw).