Desert Fox Squadron 12th Annual Fly-in April 19th-21st

[DesertFox4]

Hello from sunny Arizona!! The Desert Fox Squadron & Friends Fly-in this year will be Friday, Saturday & Sunday April 19th, 20th, and 21st. This will be our 12th Fly-in!!! As usual we will need a head and bed count as soon as possible.

Name (if a group, please supply all names) :

Flying or driving:

Single bed or double (if coming as a couple):

Arrival day:

Departure day:

Let us know if you have any questions! We look forward to seeing everyone again!!
Cara & Stan
623) 388-0260 home
623) 326-4300 Cara cell
602) 481-2448 Stan cell

[Jim2Fly]

Where is the gathering?

[DesertFox4]

Here is a link to the directions. It is at Thunder Ridge Airpark just S.E. of Wickenburg,AZ. Airport ID AZ28



http://thunderridgeair.com/Location_and_Directions.html


4693

[Dorsal]

Sooo far away :(

[DesertFox4]

Sorry Dorsal. :o Such a big country we are blessed to live in but it can keep us from fun Kitfox activities at times.

[Dave Holl]

Not as far as me and also a little water, looking to attend the factory fly in though!:)

[gizmos]

I am in town az to pick up my firewall forward. I would like to stop and check out the planes at Wickenburg? How long will they be there on Sunday?

[DesertFox4]

Most of the guys will take off Sunday morning to head home. Saturday is the day you should stop. I stopped for a couple hours this afternoon and likely will not be able to get back out to Thunder Ridge tomorrow. A couple guys drove down from Colorado as weather was nasty for flying.

[desertfox1]

Great to see all the regulars that have been coming to the flyin
for so many years. 11 Kitfoxes 2 Rans and 2 Highlanders. A couple
new SS7's, Bill and Chuck, and some Kitfox builders still working at it.
Cara and stan did there usual great job of food and hospitality. Stan
was able to help with tools and parts for a couple repairs needed.
Thank You...hope to see you all next year.

Phil...DesertFox 1

[SkySteve]

Got pics?????

[DesertFox4]

Sorry Steve. No pics from me. I was there just a couple hours on Friday afternoon and only two Kitfoxs had arrive then. Hopefully someone will post a couple.

[gizmos]

Pics from flyin

[gizmos]

More pics from flyin

[gizmos]

Here is another pic from flyin

[gizmos]

Another great looking plane at flyin

[gizmos]

This is another well proven plane at show

[gizmos]

Another plane at flyin, had to put some in the ruff! Lol

[gizmos]

Not a fox but still very nice!

[gizmos]

This kf lucked out and got in the hangar at flyin with all the guys

[gizmos]

This was my first drive-in/ flyin. I came to AZ to pickup firewall forward from another kf builder. He has a kf7 but is putting the fuel injection on his plane,lucky me, I got his old one. I could not pass up the chance to see the planes that made me want to build a kf. So, on the way back to LA, we went to flyin. We was welcomed as if we had been there every time. My wife and I will be back, hope next year in our kf. Here is my kf with its new ff kit. Thanks to all the people we meet and advice given.

[gizmos]

Sorry, here is another picture from flyin,sorry I did not get all the plane.

[HighWing]

Thanks for the pictures. I was there and checked my camera after I got home and sadly, it apparently sat on the seat most of the time.

The "lucked out Kitfox" was mine and the reason it was in the hangar was because it needed repairs. We stopped at Shoshone, CA at the Southern edge of Death Valley for mogas, and after several trips to the close by gas station for fuel we were ready to depart - except! I had absolutely no right brake.

Hal MacGyver - just kidding about the last name - jury rigged a fix that got me to Thunder Ridge. It seemed at the time that there was excessive wear on the rotor and wear on the visible brake lining. He suggested we needed a shim between the brake piston and the pad. He estimated an eighth of an inch might do it. Someone took apart their Leatherman, and Hal put the not quite eighth inch thick blade between the piston and pad, added some RTV and a two loops of safety wire and off we went.

This was the theory. I installed a Matco parking brake valve that gave me problems from the get go. I probably never quite had a free brake on the right side that resulted in the wear - 46 hours at the time. Then it hit me. I had the exact same thing happen with my first 1993 kit without the actual failure. Back in the day while visiting the guy that loaned me his hangar for my flight testing, he walked over to my airplane and picked up something on the ground under one landing gear leg and asked if it was mine. It was a piece of the brake lining - one end and half a rivet hole. I called Matco and they said they had modified the composition of the pad and I needed new ones. Go plus fifteen years and I have a 1992 kit recently completed. Same linings same result. When we took everything apart, the only thing on the inside pad were the three brass rivets. Those things like to crack and given enough time the pieces apparently will find their way out. If anyone ever gets to Shoshone, you will probably find a piece of an early Matco lining laying on the ground.

For those that might be working on that vintage project - caution.

The best part of the Story was the help. Stan, our host, got busy and within a few minutes he had scoured his neighbors spare parts bins and found a couple of perfectly fitting linings. He had the rivet squeezer and in an hour everything was good as new.

Gismos, sorry I missed talking to you. Then again, maybe I did but didn't connect the user name to the real you.

Home now safe and sound but this time the left brake locked on landing - same parking brake. No problem with the landing, but very difficult turning right not to mention difficult simply taxiing straight. Got work to do. Did I mention my radio failed on the way down as well. Stan loaned me his handheld for the return - owe him a lot.

[SkySteve]

Thanks for the photos and stories guys. Looks like another great fly-in, as always! Got to love the partial built plane without wings. Maybe you don't have wings on her, but looks like you brought along your own extra air ... (Tank) hanging underneath! :D

[gizmos]

I have the wing and tips done! Primed and has been rigged. I started approx this past nov. I had double knee replacement 3 months ago, slowed me down for 10 days, then back at it. I was back flying my RV6a 2 1/2 weeks after surgery , after all, the doctor said I could not drive for 6 weeks, nothing about flying! Lol I am pulling ff off and will start covering fuse this week. What paint did you use on the yellow bird, looked great! My wife and I enjoyed the folks, we are from southern Virginia but live in Burbank ca.

[gizmos]

Oops, found another photo

[gizmos]

I got there late and this one was leaving, only got his tail. Lol

[gizmos]

I thought this photo was posted from flyin, but I guess not

[HighWing]

What paint did you use on the yellow bird, looked great!
If you are talking about the yellow and white Model IV, it was Aerothane, insignia white and lemon yellow. The yellow and blue IV is my neighbor. I think it is aerothane as well.

[cjb]

Thank you Stan and Cara for your wonderful hospitality! We had a great time seeing everyone and hangar flying. It's a great group of people and we appreciate all you and others do to get us all together.
Chuck and Bev Buchholz
N825CB
Chandler, AZ

[DesertFox4]

Just received this link from Cara Foster courtesy of Guy Buchanan. He took some great photos of the DFS fly in.

Thanks Guy. Much appreciated.:)
Check out all 4 pages of Guy's photos.
http://smu.gs/10etKpa