Happy 25th Anniversary Kitfox!
What a great turnout. Not sure how many the final tally will show but it has to rank right up there.
Weather over S.W. Idaho was picture perfect. Dan and I arrived late Thursday afternoon. A good flight up from Phoenix in a flight of three. Phil and Bill along with Mike and Stan decided to break up the trip by staying in Ely, NV. Thursday night. Dan and I pressed on from Ely. Dan's 396 was showing active thunderstorms along either side of our route in the Jackpot, NV. area.
We popped between a couple small widely scattered cells with ease and as we rounded the corner at Mountain Home we had dryer air and clear sailing right into Homedale. The Snake River brings such beauty to this area with the green fields and mountains fill horizons in almost every direction you look. Just a perfect place to play Kitfox.
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Warm greetings from our hosts and a look around shows me Dan and I are not the first arrivals. Final preparations were well underway and a high mounted time lapse camera would have captured a flurry of constant activity in every corner of Kitfox Aircraft LLC. This is going to be good!
A little afternoon/evening flying is always the answer to a hectic day. That was accomplished. Gorgeous evening and Friday morning would dawn a carbon copy of Thursday with perfect weather.
Ok, this has never been your ordinary fly-in event since John and Deb took the controls of this operation so no surprise when a Friday morning flight out to Smiley Creek was planned. One Kitfox took off early and a four-ship was launched shortly after with the same destination.
A flight over the Sawtooth mountains seems like it would be always be an inspiring event. This morning would not be an exception to my presumption.
My first time into Smiley Creek. All I can say is wow! A picturesque meadow surrounded by jagged peaks unveils itself to you as you crest the last mountain ridge west of the strip and let down over a high altitude reservoir. The amply long and very well maintained grass strip is at 7200' and had several aircraft , including Guy Buchanan's sweet model 4, tied down at the South end.
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Tents were pitched under several of the aircraft. What a morning. Several of us chose to have breakfast at the lodge just across the creek and across the highway from the airstrip. Couldn't stay as long as we would have liked as there was a fly-in about to happen back at Homedale.
Many aircraft arrived Friday and through Friday evening.
Saturday started early and by all appearances was going to outdo Friday for perfect fly-in weather. It did. Lots of folks filled the Kitfox hangar. Lots of Kitfox's filled the pattern and surrounding airspace with a constant joyous activity we all know so well. Fly-bys were plentiful and multi ship fly-bys mixed in often. Demo flights kept several of us busy throughout the day and isn't that painful duty?
Always a welcome honored guest at John and Deb's fly-in's, the father of all we know as Kitfox flying arrived in his unmistakably recongnizable Royal blue and Neon Lime green highly modified Model 4. Dan Denney and his daughter dropped in and of course were instantly and zealously greeted by many friends.
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Saturday evening was gorgeous and filled with good food and this year featured live entertainment by non other than our own Mark Smith. Mark plays a mean guitar and sang many songs while folks ate, talked , watched fly-by's and just enjoyed the pretty Idaho sunset. A special anniversary cake was unveiled and quickly dispatched commemorating this milestone in the life of a great aircraft. Those that flew in were adorned in a soon to be collectors yellow 25th anniversary shirt. They were everywhere. As with all the fun things in life this event went by way to quickly. Sunday morning lots of friends headed back to their lives , happy , rejuvenated and talking about next year already. Some went away seriously contemplating a purchase in order to fully join this great community with all it's rights, privileges and benefits. Who could blame them?
Like so many others at this fly-in, I spent as much time flying as I could. I apologize to any of our members who I did not get a chance to meet or visit with. I hope you were flying also. We'll meet next year.
Thanks again to Steve Wilson and his wife for the opportunity to take the controls of 85DD. What a great flying jewel of Kitfox history.
A big thanks to my wingman Dan Billingsley. After 3 years of attending this function I'll miss having him in the right seat next year but will enjoy seeing him and Wendy off my wing in their beautiful Model 4.
Of course I have to thank our gracious hosts John and Deb McBean along with Jud and Clarissa Parker , Mark and Renee Smith and everyone else that had a hand in making this the most exciting factory fly-in yet. I overheard many nice comments about the way this event is handled.
Also to all our members, if you want to experience the very best this "family" has to offer, just have an equipment problem at this event. You will soon learn why we enjoy being a part of this unique group of aviators. Dan and I landed with a minor problem Thursday afternoon and barely mentioned it and 6 fellow Kitfoxers were all over it. Tools and meters ect. came from every direction. Thanks so much guys. I know of this being repeated a couple times throughout the event. One incident involved a precautionary landing 40 miles out from Homedale. No injuries but a Kitfox in need of rescue and minor repairs. The calvary was dispatched and the aircraft and crew were brought in to Homedale on a flatbed trailer well after midnight and many folks pitched in to get the aircraft back in the air by the end of the next day.
If you couldn't attend we hope you have the chance next year. I'll try to gather more photos and post soon.
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Re: Happy 25th Anniversary Kitfox!
Re: Happy 25th Anniversary Kitfox!
