The first person I saw on the field was Billy Owens and he looked great, after being in hospital and having a quadruple Bypass operation, he was a sight for sore eyes and a joy to behold. At the risk of my friend Robbie having to go to church and saying four Hail Mary’s, and a visit to the confessional for me. “DAM”!  was it? a Super Fly In Day or what, one of the best we have had in a long time , a large turn out of friends and visitors.

 We had visiting friends with powered parachutes turn up really early and got all the flying they wanted by nine o’clock. A working party on Friday had prepared the field which was looking beautiful, Well done Roland,( that Fred knows when to take a vacation) even the banquet tent up, here I need to make an apology to the club, because it was only too late in the day when I announced The Banquet and we must have lost a lot of money because I forgot, Try as I may there is always something I screw up on, put it down to old age and it becomes a reasonable excuse you should be able to live with, I have To?.

 When I arrived The Little Rascal powered parachute was flying, a Drifter and several Trikes were in the air, my son Charles soon had my equipment speakers and everything working and my daughter in law brought me a coffee, Like usual Fran was working our canteen with help from our lovely Biker Queen Pam, whilst her husband BIG Charlie was priming the grill for a very busy day ahead, he worked so hard they ran out of stuff to cook, and as if he hadn’t done enough I saw him late afternoon helping put away in his hanger a bent Trike. You know what ? these people are Florida Flying Gators .Cindy Butler and Angela Alexander, did registrations and Cindy got to fly with the Prezzy for the Candy drop which was filmed by our own Web man Rex Hewitt look for some great photos on our Web site. Don’t know if you know or not we are lucky to have him alive, his car is a complete right off. A Tourist pulled out in front of him, he hit them and was rear ended at the same time, he escaped with only minor injuries, he didn’t say they were Brits but gave me a very funny look.

 We had just got the competitions going when we had information, three Para powered gliders were flying in from FlyBy Ranch up there way past Wildwood on 75,and sure enough in they came Martin Hathaway, Michael Britt and Richard Good made a perfect landing, a journey of over thirty air miles. Richard shortly after arriving, twenty-one years old and very proficient Pilot gave us a demonstration. We hope they enjoyed the show as much as we did having them.

 Planes flew in all day long first of them being Paige Lynette in the Progressive Aerodyne company SeaRey .We had A Zenith CH701 on floats Charlie Schnitzlien from Leesburg. A Piper Cub from Dade A Petienpol they came via River ranch. From Rockledge. Two Earthstar Thundergull 2000 with HKS engines.  Arronca Chief,  Steve Bensinger in his CGS Hawk Arrow and Russ Hauser in his Challenger from South Lakeland not only came but also they competed and Steve went home with a trophy. Eric Jacobson from Dade city flew in a 1968 French Alouette II  318C Jet Turbine Helicopter, He offered rides at $25 a person, which hardly covers the gas, but there were no takers. We had a beautiful Air Cam, and watched it climb out like a home sick angel.

 Competitions started at Gator time, and we had  The Bomb drop, Spot landing, Grenade Catch, and Dead Stick landing. Event Marshals were Prezzy Alan Resnick, Charles Cantrill and Fred Griffith who had rushed back from vacation.

Pilots were. Neal Harris              Howland H3                      FFG

                    Alan Resnick           Buccaneer B Model           FFG

                    Russ Hauser            Challenger 1                       South Lakeland

                    Steve Bensinger      CGE Hawk Arrow             South Lakeland

                    Steve Hathaway      Kolb Firestar II                  FFG

                    Scott Garrett            Buccaneer XA                   FFG

                    Tom Flesher            Challenger 1                      FFG

                    Dennis Day             Buccaneer SX                    FFG

                    Jay Curtis                Buccaneer XA                    ???

                    Buddy Babcock      Trick Trike Thunder           FFG

                    Rob Pitschman       Trick Trike Thunder           FFG

                    Felix Perez             Airbourne Extra Edge         FFG

 The Grenade Catch, the pilots drop a  ball from 200 feet and have a catcher trying to catch, hilarious, nobody caught one and prizes were awarded to the best attempt like hitting a finger Etc.

                                              Results

 Spot landing        1^st       Buddy Babcock in a Trick Trike

                            2^nd      Steve Bensinger in a CGS Hawk Arrow

 Bomb drop          1^st       Scott Garrett in a Buccaneer XA

                            2^nd       Felix Perez  in an Airbourne Extra Edge

 Dead Stick          1^st        Felix Perez in a  Airbourne Edge Extra

                            2^nd       Buddy Babcock in a Trick Trike Thunder

 Grenade Catch    1^st        Jay Curtis with Scott catching

                            2^nd       Dennis day  ??????

                            3^rd        Steve Bensinger with Russ Hauser catching.

 The overhaul winner and GRAND CHAMPION FFG 20th ANNUAL FLY IN was well deserved Felix Perez . In his Airbourne Edge Extra Trike