This Summer has been filled with travels and adventures.. Some of our TAC members were even on the same cruise, half- way around the world (unplanned)!!!!!!!!!! but in between these flights and footsteps have been moments of reflection...Some of our Club members have forwarded their writings and photographs to be shared with the rest of us.. so please enjoy them......in their own words......and a great big Thank You to those who took the time to contribute.......
LOVE IS IN THE AIR
By
Dave Wampole
Now, those of us who have been in Love with
our airplanes for years know, Love has always been about getting into the air.
But for those uninitiated people, Love has always been a terrestrial thing.
This is how it is for Barbra and me. But Love grows to meet the occasion.
Barbra and I met through a terrestrial Love of Tennis. But I had much loftier ideas. They would start with “three times around the patch”. I used the ploy of the glove compartment popping opened to draw her attention away from the first lift off of my C-182. A short while later and after I had filled in all of the fingernail scars in the seat and door handle, it was off for a little flight to Everglades City for “lunch”. You wouldn’t believe the culture shock there was when Barbra compared the bustle of Miami International Terminal to a deserted airstrip at the edge of the Bay that had an empty, locked two-story FBO cottage/office with a payphone outside to call for a “pickup truck” to come and take us into the “village”. She said, “The restaurant was ok, and the Rod & Gun was very interesting, but couldn’t we have gotten there by car?”
Next was Harbor Branch and again she said, “The tour was great and very interesting, but wouldn’t it have been a lot cheaper to have driven?”
At least my cost for seat and door handle repair was less this time.
Now for the real Aviation adventure. “Sun-N-Fun”, with all the airplanes and air-marts and exhibit Booths will do the trick. Put her around so many Planes and people with a common Love and surely she will feel the love and adventure of it all. Then to really make it all worthwhile, we’ll add a “tent under the wing”, “portable potties”, and “community showers”. This is bound to make her see the light.
The day we got there, we didn’t have to circle around the Lake. This helped a lot. A Stearman that pulled up along side of us (instead of in-trail) finally gave way and dropped in behind as we approached the field for landing. He subsequently did a ground loop on landing and flipped over right behind us, luckily not right in front of us (this also helped my cause a lot). They closed the field to incoming traffic for about 1 hour, but we were on the ground, so I didn’t have to explain why we would be circling for an hour. He only hurt his pride but I think he sent that plane to the salvage yard. The “party” was great, the exhibits were great, and the air-shows were fabulous, especially the night pyrotechnics. When you couple in the nights of sleeping on an air mattress under damp sheets and a sleeping bag, days of jostling through thousands of sweaty bodies trying to see the newest aviation advancements or that old used part for the airplane they’ve needed for years. Standing in line to get a hamburger to eat at a picnic table, and going to the comedy acts and shows under the outdoor arena, what else could you ask for? Charmin tissues even had an “up-scale” porta-pottie with running water less than a 1 mile walk from the tent.
I said, “ Isn’t this all GREAT?” and Barbra said, “Don’t they have a Holiday-Inn with a shower around here we could have driven to?”
I decided to try combining Airplanes with Tennis to see if that might help. So we flew over to Naples for a Bi-annual Tennis tournament we participate in over the Memorial Day weekend. She said, “The Tennis was great and the weekend was fun. We even won a trophy, but you know, by the time we go to the airport, get the airplane ready to go, load the luggage, unload the luggage, and pick up the rental car, we could have driven here in the same amount of time and for far less money!”
The obvious thing to do now is to fly to Staniel Cay Bahamas. You can’t drive there! So on May 30th we fly through clouds and Customs to the Bahamas. We do the island tour by golf cart, do the boat trip to a fabulous reef, snorkel the famous Thunderball Groto, and enjoy wine and Lobster dinner with friends. A weekend of true Bahamas wonderland on a two mile island of romantic splendor. Few people ever experience all of these adventures in just one lifetime.
I said, “Isn’t this all GREAT?” and Barbra said, “Life with you is always an Adventure. I never know what will be next. But I’ve always told you, that I like it much better when I’m back home on the ground. I love the adventure, but I can do without the flying. You know that I only go up in the Airplane because I Love you.”
Now if you find your partnership in the same boat, (pardon the pun) GO FLY!! You will only find that Love is TRULY in the air. After all, seat and door handle fingernail filler and repair is cheap compared to the rewards you get from the Adventure. Open your mind, take a Valium, accept the risk or discomfort, the inconvenience, the embarrassment, the fear. Whatever it is that stops you from flying with the one you love, overcome it. Look for the Love that’s in the Air and you’re sure to find it!
As for me, Thank you Barb, I Love You.
BEAR HUNTING
By Fred Schflay
Past President Fred Schlafly just got back
from a bear hunt in Upper Manitoba, Canada. It was quite an experience being in
that vast wilderness miles from civilization without cell phone service. In
fact, he only saw two other humans out there, one was the guide and the other
his grade school buddy who talked him into the trip.
During the week in heavy woods, Fred saw seven bears, a sow (very dangerous) and her three cubs, two young males (somewhat dangerous) and one later on. He said that he also heard one walking behind him, but never saw it. They were very interesting to observe from about 50 yards.
On the next to the last day, Fred found his bear rug which will be delivered in a few months. He said that it is amazing how much cardio exercise one gets when in the woods alone (usually hunt solo) late at night with bears, even if you’re standing still and just listening.
In our last newsletter, it was reported that
the flight to Staniel Cay was on the horizon. Well it was a “big
success”.... “wonderful”.... “you had
to be there”... there were 21 people (25 % of the TAC membership) in 7 aircraft and those who went can’t say enough
good things about it................
If you would like to share your thoughts about this trip, or any other, forward your writings to this Editor and it will be included in future Newsletters---REMEMBER this is your Newsletter, so become part of it...........
Our Cruise Directors, Sue Bodley and Bobbi Lichtiger have been busy putting together a plethora of ideas on things to do and places to see for this coming year...so mark your calendars...
Beginning in September.. our President Monte Lichtiger and First Lady Bobbi have graciously opened their home to host the Summertime Annual BBQ dinner ....this is to happen on the 20th, Saturday evening, and all Club members will be asked to bring a side dish, etc. etc...the details of the coordination of this function will be in lots of flyers and e-mails and other communications...we look forward to our Club members joining in on the festivities of that evening.......
On Sunday, October 19th the fly-in will be to Indiantown for breakfast at the Seminole Country Inn...It is a grass strip....... but since this is in Palm Beach County, it is geographically close for drivers as well------if need be..........
In November, an overnight trip is planned to St. Augustine for the weekend of the 15th......
On Sunday, December 7th a fly-in to Naples is planned.. The Pilot Shop will be open for those who wish to plan ahead and shop for the Holidays.........which of course leads to our Annual Holiday Party which will be held, Saturday night , the 13th.........
And into the New Year of 2004.....on January 11th, a breakfast fly-in to River Ranch is scheduled.......
The Annual Business Dinner Meeting will be held Friday night, February 6th... and a flight to Everglades City is also planned for the Valentine’s month.. date to be announced....
In March, April, and May flights to Crystal River(overnight) St. Petersburg, Sun ‘n Fun, Punta Gorda, Immokolee and the Bahamas are being scheduled... As these months draw closer, more detailed information will be forthcoming..........BUT great times are planned so get ready for another wonderful, fun-filled TAC year of adventures........
And Remember you can “Pass it forward...help someone to become involved” ...invite him/her to go fly someplace with you...YOU can create your own fly-in..............that is what this Club is about.... sharing that experience and love of aviation with someone else......
Congratulations to Lynn Perrine on the marriage of her
daughter............
Members are cordially invited to join the Board members at the monthly meetings. Our next meeting will be held at John Martin’s Restaurant on Miracle Mile in Coral Gables on September 2 at 6:30pm...
Until next time...fly safely.....
Wendy Gordon Smith
SAVE THE DATES !!
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September 2, 2003 |
Board Meeting John Martin’s Restaurant 6:30 PM |
September
20, 2003 |
Annual BBQ at Monte and Barbara Lichtiger Home. Details later |
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October
19,
2003
|
Brunch at Seminole Country Inn Indiantown |
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November 15, 2003 |
TAC Fly-Out to St. Augustine….OvernightTBA |
|
December 7, 2003
|
Fly-Out Naples |
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December 13, 2003
|
Holiday Party |
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January 11, 2004
|
Fly-Out River Ranch |
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February 6, 2004
|
Annual Business Dinner |