Desert Fox Squadron Fly in 2011.

[DesertFox4]

The chairs are all picked up and stored away. The mattresses piled in the corner of the hangar. The place is as it was before 50 + aviation enthusiasts and approx. 30 aircraft filled the Foster property on the S.E. end of Thunder Ridge air park over last weekend. I'd call the annual get together a smashing success. Weather over the air park was pretty good. Temps in the upper 70's and low 80's with blue skies. Winds picked up to 15 mph during the afternoons but did not interfere with those that wanted to take to the air for a little local flying.
Food was plentiful as were good conversations. Many new faces and aircraft were in attendance this year. Great to see so many of our members again who've attended almost every event since its inception. If you are a regular and couldn't attend, you were mentioned several times and missed.

Of course we missed our friend Robert Oliver this year and his absence was felt by all who knew and love him along with several other members who have passed on and meant so much to us over the years.

As in past years, James Johnson and Stan Specht, both from Colorado, arrived early to help with preparations and stayed over to help with clean up. Thanks guys. I enjoyed every minute with you.

Friday saw several arrivals. The first "official" arrival was Jim Chapman from California in his model 4.


It was fun to stand by the runway and watch 8 aircraft fly in from California. The group was comprised of Avids, Rans , a CT, a Remos G3 600, a GY20 MiniCab, Model 5 Kitfox, and a Diamond. They are a fun group and it was a pleasure to meet Big John and his wife Becki and see their nice model 5 up close. Love that paint job Big John. Thanks for bringing your group over. Hope to see you all next year if it works out.
Two couples drove from California to attend due to weather concerns. Even bad weather wouldn't keep them away. Thanks John and BJ and Jim and Sheila.



Doyle Narry from Id. brought his new Model 7. Nice Kitfox Doyle. Mark and Ty Ferkin flew down in their Rans with Hal Stockton in his new Rans.

Paul Z. from Texas gave it a good old college try to get to this years fly in but was thwarted by nasty headwinds all across Texas. Thanks for the gallant try Paul. We'll get to fly together some day soon.

After a short local flight Saturday , I landed and was surprised to see John McBean visiting with folks. He couldn't stay long due to business obligations but it was a nice surprise and great to see him even for a short visit.
DesertFox1 had his beautiful Vixen , Bill Prokes with his Rotec powered model 4 and John McBean along with Alan Nephew in the factory demo. Super Sport 7.
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Murle and Donna Williams (DesertFox 5) drove in. Murle was put to work in a mini-Poly Fiber demonstration on the bottom of a local aircraft. Someone working always draws a crowd.

Many of our local DFS members were in attendance including Andrew Wickstrom and his friend Sue. Andrew was our first sworn in or sworn at member way back in the beginning. Great to have DesertFox7 in attendance again and Sue, it was great meeting you.

A large group of new "inductee's" were sworn in as is the custom, after Saturday nights dinner was over. Col. E.T. Holm (DesertFox6) gave the oath. It gets better every year. Thanks E.T.

One attendee we were all inspired by was Wayne Flemington from California. Wayne flies a CT he specially equipped with hand controls. The same CT he flew both ways across America last year along with his friends Dillard "Doc" Williams and Les Seymour who were also in attendance with him here. His disability does not stop him from his aviation passion. Read more about Wayne at this link.
http://www.myvalleynews.com/story/52881/

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It's fun to see how much the event has grown since its inception. Phil, Stan and Cara should be proud to have brought such a great group of like minded aviators together. I've sure had a ton of fun hanging around with these folks and look forward to many more years. If you've never attended I hope you can attend next year. It may be even bigger. Lots of new Kitfox's about to spring to life around here and more being delivered every day to lucky builders.

[DesertFox4]

More photos of DFS 2011.

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More photos DFS 2011.

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[DesertFox4]

Photos from DFS fly in 2011.

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[desertfox1]

Hard to believe the first flyin was 11 years ago. It was across
the runway at my place but Stan and Cara were the keys to let
this thing grow. I am blessed to meet and fly with so many good
friends over the years.

Thank You Guys!

Phil "papa" Laker

Desert Fox 1

[Andrew G]

...and that's what it's all about...

nice pics Steve, thanks for posting... Andrew

[Paul Z]

Howdy, hate that I did not make it but I definitely had a flying adventure. I got up Saturday morning thinking I had about 6 more hours to get to the flying, I knew it was going to be a short visit, but I wanted to try. I climbed in the plane at about 7:35 am the wind was about 10 MPH, and it was clear. I warmed up the plane, and started taxing, then mother nature told me that I had better make a pit stop before I was off the ground for 2.5 to 3 hours. I started taxing back to the terminal, and the winds had definitely started picking up in Pecos. I told Isabelle at the FBO, I needed to make a Pit stop before I left, as I came out she told me the winds in the Guadalupe Pass were 49 Knots or 56 MPH. I did some quick math, and determined that at 49 mph ground speed I would never make it to the flying. I also thought about the effect of those high winds in the Mountain pass. Having never flow in the mountains it didn't sound like any fun! I looked at Isabelle, and said could I use the loaner car for another day, and asked if she would mind if I put the plane back in the hanger. The winds did not let up until 4:30 that evening.

Sunday morning I got up and in Pecos the wind were about 5 MPH, the skies were clear, so I decide to start airport hopping back. I definitely encountered some NASTY weather trying to get back to Mesquite Texas. As I was flying back the clouds started to form and ceiling just kept getting lower & lower, and by the time I approached Odessa the ceiling was at about 4500 at Midland, and when I got to the Odessa side it was about 3500 and the ceiling kept closing in on me. Thank God I put in the Zaon, as I am trying to figure out should turn around and go back or keep pressing, and as I saw the towers popping up on the Advanced Flight System in yellow and one in Red, the Zaon, squeaked a traffic alert and told me to watch for traffic. There was another plane about 200 to 300 feet below me in the same boat. Those D _ _ _ _d "Green" Wind Farm Windmills are anywhere from 2850 to 3500 feat. I finally turned tail and ran! Skimming the bottom of the clouds and flew back to Midland, landed and lay out another flight plan. The other pilot landed about 10 minutes after me. He was heading to College Station. We ended up flying south of Odessa about 75 miles around the southern most wind mill, and I was able to Scud Run through to Robert Lee Airport at about 3500 feet, he kept heading to Austin. I landed at Robert Lee and regrouped, to check the maps and look at the weather, and try again. I was about 80 miles away from Granbury it was about 3200 foot ceiling, and as I got within 35 miles, and the ceiling got to where I was force to fly about 750 to 1000 AGL before I landed in Granbury. I decided it was time to stop pushing my Guardian Angle, and put the plane in the hanger for the night. I got up Monday morning to a 500 foot ceiling, that later got to 1200. In talking to the A&P at the Granbury, I found out that he was a Rotax Certified, since I was still having an EGT temp warning at RPMs under 5300RPM and when the altitude was under 3000 feet, and since I needed to get the 200 hour inspection (I was at about 225 hours), I decided to leave it with him to do the inspection and richen up the carb setting. So I called the wife and asked her to drive to Granbury because I was going to leave 703KA at the Granbury. She got there 1.5 hours later, we had lunch, and as we were driving up to Fort Worth the clouds started to clear. By the time we turned east to Dallas, it was clear with scattered clouds.

Attached you will see some proof of the Old College try! The photo was a Poster John, Debra, and Judd had signed and given to Isabell and her husband at the Pecos Airport.