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View Full Version : CopperState EAA fly-in this weekend Casa Grande, AZ.



DesertFox4
10-23-2008, 04:54 PM
Just a reminder of the CopperState fly-in this weekend. Actually starts today and runs through Sunday. Perfect weather expected. :D

DesertFox4
10-25-2008, 12:30 AM
Stopped in to CopperState after work. Took me 30 minutes from DeerValley Airport to Casa Grande. Grueling flight. Severe clear, 87 degrees and winds gusting to.......4 mph. Kind of light turn out but some beautiful aircraft again. Lots of demo flights going on . A high speed low pass by one gorgeous P-51D. Sat at the Kitfox Aircraft tent telling lies, I mean , stories. Tomorrow should be busy.

On a non-Kitfox related subject. Sorry Randy.
My brother in Southern Minnesota called me tonight to tell me about his business trip today to Fargo,ND . Seems that the interesting part of the trip happened after the business was completed. He had a little spare time so went to the airport to see the local air museum. That's what I'd do. Turns out they have a P-51 Mustang there called "Boomer". As I understand it you can make a donation, a sizeable donation, to the museum and get a 30 minute ride in Boomer. For 35 years my brother's wanted to get a ride in a Mustang and today looked to be that day. He had to do it. Wouldn't you?
Boomer is a beautifully restored now two seat Mustang with dual controls. Waivers signed, donation secured, he climbed in the back and .......no stick or rudder pedals. Dang. Thought he might get a couple minutes on the controls. As he found out the stick was put in after getting situated in the back seat for easier ingress ect. The pilot installed the rear stick and after getting in the front seat he reached down and "unfolded" the rear rudder "pedals". Things were looking up. Fairly roomy in back. Headroom a little tight with the David Clarks on . Nothing like the sound of a Merlin starting up. Taxing out the sound level was good. Not too bad. Visibility was great out the bubble. Stars and Bars on the wings. That's just cool. Time to roll. Take off power , he decides to lift his David Clarks to see what the decibel level had jumped to. My God!!! He said it was like being in a metal garbage can and having four guys hitting it as hard as they could and as fast as they could with hammers. On the verge of painful but joyous. No wonder our vets came back hearing impaired. Those straight stacks are not far ahead of your eardrums. Back on with the David Clarks and throttle back to cruise power. Much better. At easy cruise ,250 mph, they were burning 55 gals per hour of 100 LL. Ouch!! He said his pilot is a longtime ag-pilot so they rarely got above 1,000 feet agl. At 250 mph off they go to visit some of his pilots local farmer friends. A high speed low pass was in order at a nearby airport. Let's do that again! Back the opposite direction with another quick pass. Nice climb rate.
Well , it was time to get the feel of the Mustang so " the planes all yours". This has got to be a dream come true. My brother made some easy turns and rolls both directions to get the feel of the controls. Solid. Stick presures a little heavier than his Citabria and very active rudder. He made a turn and said he used up 2 miles . No combat maneuvers today. After several minutes he reluctantly returned P.I.C. duties to the front seat.
Time to head back. A squeaker of landing and very busy feet to keep it straight. Total flight time, just short of one hour. Some days in aviation are better than others and then some days are just plane amazing.

Looks like I'll be planning a trip next year to Fargo. I've been dreaming of a Mustang flight for 34 years.
Also this time, in December when the EAA B-17 comes round to DeerValley Airport, I think I'm going to get me a ride. Keep dreaming friends. You just never know.;)

P.S. Brother said he attempted to take some photos with his cel phone. I'll have him email them to me and I will post when they arrive.

See Boomer here--http://www.mustangsmustangs.com/p-51/survivors/pages/44-74832.shtml
22956

RandyL
10-25-2008, 09:02 AM
Wow, quite an experience, good recap! So what sort of 'donation' is recommended? I have a buddy who'd kill for a P51 ride.

DesertFox4
10-26-2008, 05:17 PM
Randy , I think the cost was just short of $1,000. Also since it is a museum I was told it was tax deductible. The advertised flight time was 30 minutes for that price but seems completely up to the pilot that takes you up how long the duration of the flight turns out to be. Count on 30 minutes though.
Someone since told me that Crazy Horse in Florida is 3 times that much but I haven't had time to verify that comment.

DesertFox4
10-26-2008, 09:38 PM
CopperState 2008 wrapped up Sunday afternoon. The weather was absolutely perfect. Light breezes , always down the runways, severe clear blue skies and temps in the upper 80's maybe tickling the low 90's . Saturday could only be describes as busy. Lots of great aircraft , showcase fly bys, warbirds to ultralights and lots of traffic at the Kitfox Aircraft booth all day. Many first timers trying on the factory demo. Super Sport for size and comfort. John and Debra McBean came down in their Model 7 from Homedale. These two beautiful Kitfoxs really brought in the people.

Let me be the first to congratulate John and Debra on another well deserved first place award for their Model 7 . This isn't the first award they've had to haul home from CopperState and likely not the last.


John , Debra and Phil were all very busy through out the day trying to keep up with the questions from all the visitors to the booth.
It was nice to see Pat Sladey fly her pretty red Vixen in from Columbus, New Mexico. Allan Nephew made the trip again from San Diego with his new Super Sport. Many Kitfox owners stopped to visit.

Meg Godlewski, Staff Writer and photographer for G.A. News (General Aviation News) http://www.GeneralAviationNews.com (http://www.generalaviationnews.com/) stopped by the Kitfox booth to visit . She had been working hard covering the event and very much needed a shot of aviation to reinvigerate the soul. What better way than in a Kitfox. John showed no let up in people needing answers to questions on building Kitfoxs so I said I'd be happy to go flying. We pre-flighted then battled our way to the taxi-way past the throngs with the aid of "wing walkers". Straight out departure on 23. Heads on a swivel as the pattern was full and inbounds were plentiful. About 10 miles out and finally in less crowded skies I turned over P.I.C. duties to Meg and became a happy passenger for 30 minutes. Meg holds many ratings so the little model 4 was manuevering like they'd spent years together. It's always a pleasure to fly with an aviator who has a real passion and talent for it. Thanks Meg.
Saturday wound down and back to the hotel for dinner, conversation and a few moments around the fire pit on a perfect evening.
Sunday is a more relaxed pace with people departing for all corners of the US.

John wants everyone who has or will have a flying Kitfox by next Labor Day weekend to plan to attend the Kitfox Aircraft's 3rd Annual Factory Fly-In at Homedale, ID. It will be the 25th anniversary of the Kitfox aircraft and he's looking for at least 50 Kitfox of all models to attend. Again , unlike factory events of years past there is no charge to attend other than of course your own travel expenses & lodging arrangements. There are no lodging facilities right in Homedale but not to worry as shuttles will be available mornings and evenings to the closest lodges in Caldwell. Watch the Kitfox Aircraft's website for the latest updates. Start planning now. This one will be special.

Peteohms
12-03-2008, 06:27 PM
I flew to Coperstate from Las Cruces, NM with a few others including one other Kitfox. Had a great time. I camped under my wing. Had a great time.

Pete
Kitfox III N73BH SN 1000 912
Hell Paso, TX

Peteohms
12-03-2008, 06:44 PM
Regarding the Mustang flight. Years ago when I lived in Tucson, I drove to a fly in at Marna Air Park. Bought a $.50 raffle ticket. At the end of the day, when I got home, I got a phone call that my name was drawn for a ride in a recently rebuilt P-51. It was still in zinc chromate primer. The next morning (Sunday), I loaded the family back in the car and we went back to collect my prize.

While they were taking my picture, someone caught my 6 year old son trying to blow on the pitot tube. Boy was that embarrassing.

I don't remember the pilot's name but he was some land developer from Las Vegas. He told me we could just fly around the patch or do what ever I wanted. I remember saying that this is a once in a lifetime chance and that I wanted to do everything that this plane would do. So I was handed a barf bag and he did the airshow with me in the back seat. The thrill was simply indescribable. When we took off we went straight up. I never got even slightly sick.

DesertFox4
12-03-2008, 07:13 PM
Pete , pretty good return on a .50 cent investment. Lucky dog!;)

Peteohms
12-04-2008, 12:21 PM
Yea Steve, Now if I can just buy a raffle ticket on a Stearman ride.

Pete