Some People Are Pilots... And Some People Love To Fly

photo: Richard Hallman via AntiquAirfield.com

Rob Bach/Carolyn Applegate via AntiqueAirfield.com

 For some people, flying is a great way to get from point A to point B.  It's fun, convenient, and gives them a sense of accomplishment.  That's all good.  But for others, flying is a foundation.  It's one of the building blocks of their life.

 To these people, an airplane isn't a machine to be conquered, but rather a deeply trusted friend with which the incomparable beauty and wonder of flight is shared.  It's a relationship.  One that changes who you are as a person.

 Some of these people are very passionate about antique airplanes... the kind that came from an era when pretty much everything was different than it is today.  Many of them work extremely hard keeping these airplanes doing what they were meant to do: fly.

 You'll find a lot of these people in the Antique Airplane Association.  The AAA began the same year that the EAA did, way back in 1953.  But the two organizations have taken different paths to wing up where they are today, which is decidedly two very different destinations.  For the record, I'm a pretty big fan of both destinations.

 The AAA is not a huge powerhouse group, but rather a much tighter knit group of extremely passionate people that have a really deep love for antique aircraft.  A trip thru their official website at AntiqueAirfield.com puts it nicely on display.  Once there, just start scrolling to see the people, the projects and the flying experiences that come from people living the life of aviation love.

Rob Bach/Carolyn Applegate via AntiqueAirfield.com

  The AAA, along with their sister organization APM (Airpower Museum), has an annual Fly-In as well, but it's technically ‘invitation only' for anyone who is a member of the association (or a guest of a member).  And of course, you can join on the spot.  The 2009 AAA/APM Fly-In will take place September 2-7 in Blakesburg, a small town in rural southeastern Iowa about 260 air miles mostly west of Chicago. 

 However, it's not the kind of event where general aviation aircraft swarm in to participate.  Their Antique Airfield airport (IA27) where the event is held, is private, with two grass runways, the longest of which is only 2350'.

 They have relatively limited facilities overall at the airport, but in the long run, this all serves to enhance the grass-roots feel of the event. This IS the way it was.

 If you only know the last 50 years of aviation, I encourage you to experience the first 50 years.  It's an amazingly rich heritage with the ability to inspire in a way that modern aviation rarely can.

 The pictures above, from the AAA's AntiqueAirfield website, give a little sliver of the feel of what antique airplanes are all about.  The sights, the sounds and smells, and of course the feelings that these airplanes inspire in people are truly amazing.

 And that last pic, taken leaning out the open door of a Piper Cub on final to a beautiful grass runway pretty much brings it all home for me.  I saw a lot of sights just like that back 30 years ago when I was a young kid flying a 1941 Clip Wing Cub around rural Indiana.

 It's when I learned for sure that I wasn't just a pilot, I was someone who loves to fly.