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Wow! What a Blast! Those of you who failed to show for the 33rd annual Flyin in Midland, Texas the first weekend in October missed a great one. Eighteen Cessna 195s, four "Brand X's" and seventy eight congenial 195er's showed up. We were guests of the Commemorative Air Force (formerly the Confederate Air force) and Bob Reiss had lined up a fabulous schedule of activities. Thursday night we all gathered for a catered barbecue in one of the CAF hangars where we got to view (and touch) the FM2 Wildcat and Russian IL16 Polykarpov fighters that Bob had purchased and donated to the CAF.
Friday morning we met in the CAF Museum Classroom where Jim McCracken and Caleb Curry of Radial Engines, Ltd and John Collett of Butterfly Aviation conducted a very informative maintenance meeting. That night we were treated to a grand banquet in the posh Midland Petroleum Club.
Saturday was the highlight of the weekend with the spectacular annual CAF airshow. WW II warbirds recreating the Pearl Harbor attack (Tora, Tora, Tora) the Mariannas "Turkey Shoot", Battle of Midway and more.
My words can't describe the thrill of seeing the sky full of warbirds twisting and turning, the pyrotechnics and the noise (I, for one, love airplane noise). And our vantage point couldn't have been better. Bob provided us all with VIP tags for our rental cars, which really facilitated ease of parking, and reserved seats in the "Fighter Chalet" which gave us comfortable front row seats to the spectacle.
We were served coffee and donuts all morning, a fine catered buffet lunch and beer and soft drinks all afternoon. I understand such treatment does not come cheap and there is no way that our registration fees covered the cost of all this yet we were not charged for anything.
Early Sunday morning a buffet breakfast was served in the Midland Hilton Hotel followed by the annual member's meeting and election of officers. The report of that meeting will be carried in the Winter Bulletin to be published in early January. Following the meeting many headed home while the rest returned to view the Air Show again. It was a tremendously successful start for the "New" Cessna 195 Club and we are all deeply grateful to Club President Bob Reiss for all his effort and expense to make it so.
Bob Reiss, new Club President, and
Dwight Ewing, Founder and long-time President
Next year's Flyin, hosted by Jack and Karen Jackowski will be in Dayton, Ohio the weekend of September 24th and 25th and will feature the world renowned US Air Force Museum. Knowing Jack I know this will rank with the best. Mark your calendars and "Ya'all" come.
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