Road Trip to Sporty's

Today was a beautiful day.  70 degrees, blue sky...a perfect day to fly.  Having nothing else but homework to do, I took a road trip to the largest pilot supply store in the nation, actually the world...Sporty's.  Sporty's is located at Clermont County Airport, in Batavia, OH.  It was a very nice place but the actual walk-in store was smaller than I expected.  There was a cafe on the second floor, a barber in the building, and I believe an aviation medical examiner where you can get your medical onsite.  After picking up a 2011 FAR/AIM, I sat on a bench in the sun and watched as the planes came and went wishing I was in each and every one of them.

2010 WACO Fly-In

Day 26 of my captivity.  This weekend was the WACO (Weaver Aircraft Company) annual Fly-In at the historic WACO Airfield and 1920's-40's WACO factory in Troy, OH.  It was a little like walking back in time being around those old classic airplanes.  There's a museum on site with lots of pictures from the factory days.  WACO was even the prime contractor for the old WWII gliders.  Here are some pics from the trip.

2010 MERFI

While stranded in Ohio I've found a few things to do when I'm not doing homework or doing actual work from Florida.  This weekend was the Experimental Aircraft Association's Mid-East Regional Fly-In in Urbana, OH.  There were approximately 75 aircraft in attendance representing a good mix of homebuilts, certified, and a few warbird aircraft.  In attendance, and I think based there at a museum, was the only flying Pitcairn Autogiro from the 30's.  This was the predecessor of the modern helicopter.  Click hear to read about what its like to fly.  the Pitcairn Autogiro made an appearance in the movie " It Happened One Night " staring Clark Gable.  Here are some pics.