Only four flying GlaStars attended the fly-in this year, down from seven and eight in past years.  However, that didn’t stop the flying activity.  Lester Hildebrand, Carlos Emmons, and Glen Culver stepped up and filled the gaps.  Max Calkin had to decline because he had a soft brake pedal on the right side and did not want to endanger anyone.  Unfortunately, our resident Flight Instructor, Dan Dudley, did not make it this year and we had two builders that were anxiously awaiting his arrival.   

Lester and Pat Hildebrand, Max and Mae Dell Calkin, and Carlos Emmons and son Jack arrived on Friday.  Glen Culver arrived on Saturday and kept his plane flying nearly the whole time as he was there giving rides, especially to Mark Neubaur and Bill Hayden.  Mark and Bill promised to fly in next year as they are both approaching the first flight of their project, Mark in a few weeks and Bill a little later.  The pilots elected not to do the lunch fly-out in order to give more and longer rides to the builders.  Also, last year we found it difficult to handle the huge lunch followed that evening with a huge banquet.

Builders arriving by car were Bill Hayden from Lee’s Summit; Missouri, Mark Neubaur from Cincinnati; Ohio, Jesse and Linda McMurtry from Minot, North Dakota; Allen and Pat Berg from Winona, Minnesota; Gerald and  xx Clayton from Louisville; Kentucky, Dick and Marilyn King from Cincinnati, Ohio.  We have some dedicated builders as at least three drove more than 500 miles to attend our fly-in.

The weather was near perfect for all three days of the fly-in.  It was sunny with the high temperature in the eighties and very little wind.  The only weather putting the near in near perfect was that it was a little hazy. Everyone commented on how green and beautiful the area was.  As usual, builders grouped together as often as possible to trade ideas and experiences.

At the EAA Saturday evening banquet we were treated to a very special event “The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter”.  During World War II, an unprecedented number of American women responded to government encouragement to enter the high-paying world of heavy war-production industry.  This was a one person skit put on by a local actress, who is also a flight instructor.  In the skit, she portrayed “Rosie the Riveter”.  The original Rosie was from Summerset, Kentucky.  The skit was based on facts of the original Rosie, and her relocation from Kentucky to the Detroit area to work in the aircraft factory as a riveter.  She was very good, and everyone enjoyed her performance.  FYI, a Norman Rockwell painting of Rosie the Riveter was auctioned by Sotheby’s on May 22, 2002, for $4,959,500.00.

2005 Fly-in Pictures

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