A Day with My Pilot and Other Flyers

The Ridge

There was no way (NO WAY!) that I wanted to get up on Saturday, Aug. 15^th. Especially not at 6:30 when I looked at the clock. It was midnight when we finally dropped off, must have been all the excitement coming to an end perhaps? But, unfortunately today was going to be a busy day so I needed to move by 7. I had the Mat to clean and 2 loads of laundry to get washed.

The flying event was at Carlsruhe

Bill carried the sorted clothes to the car for me and I left for town shortly after 7. Only 1 customer came in about the same time and I see him every week so we exchanged greetings as we went about our stuff. It was 8:15 when I was headed home. I made a tea in a thermos cup and hung the clothes on the line right away. Bill was down at the Hangar loading a plane, his Cub Cadet, into Black Beauty.

Arriving at the field

Today was the Family Day for his Saugeen Flying club and I was going along with him. We need to make an effort when he is a member. Last night, I’d made a yummy looking (& tasting) macaroni  salad to take along. Burgers and other food contributions would be provided. I don’t particularly like macaroni salad but it is easily made and transported. It turned out pretty good.

The place was a going concern already

We arrived around 10:30 to a pretty full lot with many flyers and their families all set up under gazebo type tents. 

Bill walked over to the organizer and got the scoop and some assistance where we could park. Everyone seemed very friendly and when I set up in my gravity chair in the sun, we were offered a gazebo to share if we wanted shade. Bill got busy right away with his plane and I just watched the pilots who were flying.

Assembling the wings

The sky was clear blue for the most part and even when cirrus clouds moved overhead, it was only for a short time and still great for photos. There are some experienced flyers and a few younger ones who make it obvious that $$ is no object by the planes and gadgets. It is nice to see younger people still interested in the hobby even with the subtle changes.

Isn't it pretty?

I don't know the term for this maneuver but I call it the 'Hovering"
The plane just hangs there with good control

My favourite of the day, besides Bill’s Cub, was the 3 combat flyers. At noon, I got my salad and added it to the table along with the other ladies and gents. There was a lot of food, no one would go hungry. 

The combat flyers are biplanes with a crepe paper streamer on each
The idea is to fly close enough to rip an opponents streamer off
The one at the end with the longest streamer wins
They are electric planes so skill and battery endurance are important

You can see the winner here

Another favourite was the parachute drops

Flying took place throughout the morning and afternoon and it was certainly a hot day. Bill was a little nervous about his first ‘audienced’ flight of the summer but did really well. His plane got attention on the ground and in the air. He got a round of applause when he finished which I thought was great and gave him a nice boost of confidence.

Lots to eat

We were packing up shortly after 3:00 and home and unloaded by 3:45. The club location is not far and that is really good for Bill. He got to meet a few members and they all seemed very nice. The wives I met said it was their first time at the field so I wasn’t feeling out of place or ‘bettered’ either. 😊 I brought the clothes in off the line and Bill put his plane and stuff away. We were glad we went.

We moved our chairs under this canopy

Our recliner chairs were welcoming although I can’t sleep beside Bill when he is in that position. He’s too loud so I moved outside to the hammock. You know what happened then. I couldn’t sleep. I’d read a bit of my book and then shut my eyes and repeat. Oh well, I’ll sleep tonight for sure. For supper, after a burger and salads today we just had a cob of corn and some mac salad. Just enough to fill the gap.

Bill was busy taking videos and pictures of the other flyers
I used Bill's camera to take pictures of his take off, flight and landing
so have nothing here to show you but he did really well
He will write including those

After dishes, we drove over to the Acreage. Couldn’t reach anyone over there to check on a fire so just went anyway. They were busy eating or cleaning up from supper so when John called about water for the rented trailer, we were almost out the door. John managed to get water so Audrey could do her dishes and they would be able to shower in the morning if they chose. The Wildcat had been set up in a park so the connection was not available for the normal fillups.

I don't know this man but he was a spectator and reminded me so much of 
Daddy that I HAD to take his picture

He didn't know what I was taking a picture of but smiled anyway

We had a nice ‘last’ fire with my 3 sisters and their husbands together and Mike, our adopted family member, returned to join us. I was so tired from the short sleep night Friday and the day out in the heat of the sun. Around 9:45, we packed up, said goodbye to the Montreal-ers and came home. Bill was tired enough to come to bed when I did, which was right away, and I opened my little side window to cool the room down.

We stopped for sweet corn on the way home
It was local and tasty with our salad
Good night!

Storms and rain were expected to some degree overnight but Bill said he would hear it and close my window if I didn’t wake up. This was a good day although another busy busy one. 😊

Thank you for stopping in to see what our last days of vacation involved.