September 20-21, 2019 - Easton Airport Day Part I

Last year's Easton Airport Day was cancelled because of an impending hurricane.  But the weather forecast looked fabulous for this weekend.  I took Friday off and flew over to Easton in the morning.

Then all the RVs headed over to Miller's Field, to practice dropping rubber chickens.  In this picture, if you look closely, you can see seven RVs.
   
An RV making a practice chicken drop run.
   
Chef makes a practice drop.  You can see the released rubber chicken just under the rudder.
   
Starting up to make my own practice drop.
   
I followed Jim R. in his good-looking, yellow checkertailed RV-7.
   
Zack, Chef and Big All taxiing for takeoff.
   
There goes Zack.  The tailwheel comes up quick on the RV-8s.
   
 
   
Chef on takeoff roll.
   
There goes Big Al.
   
We returned to Easton in a 4-ship with Mugsy in the lead.  Someone captured this excellent shot of our flight.
   
Later on Friday afternoon we went out on a form practice flight.  While we were holding short, this A-10 came in for landing.
   
Just about to touch down.
   
Riggo, who has an RV-8, acquired this nice-looking T-34 for some reason.
   
This beautifully polished P-51 Tiger's Revenge would also be flying in tomorrows festivities.
   
After our practice flight, my RV was parked next to this sad-looking straight-tail Cessna, which judging from the flat tires, has not flown in quite a long time.
   
There were over 30 airplanes -- T-34s, T-6s, RVs, Epsilons, plus various cats and dogs - P-51, Twin Beech, CJ, Yak-52.  Our base of operations was this spacious and luxurious hangar.  Dinners and
lunches were provided by a caterer, cooked on site, and first-rate.
   
The right side of the hangar.
   
Saturday morning.  The big day.  Mass formation flight.  The official brief starts at 10:30 sharp!  Smitty is leading the flight and conducting the brief.
   
The line-up.
   
Smitty briefing the flight.
   
We had a few minutes to take this group shot of the RV drivers before manning the planes.  Top row left to right:  Mugsy, Zack, Pablo, Jolly, Big Al.  Bottom row left to right:  Claw, Chef.
   
Easton Airport Day is very popular with the locals.  Apparently today was the biggest crowd ever with over 7,000 people on hand.  I heard Highway 50 was backed up for miles prior to the airport exit.
   
The Easton Airport icon -- the static display F-104 Starfighter -- sits in front of the terminal building.
   
A Spitfire on static display.  I heard it is being sold.
   
The P-51 Mustang, Tiger's Revenge, doing some flybys for the crowd.
   
A very nice-looking Stearman.
   
In years past, there used to be lots of CJs, but this year only one.
   
The T-6s shortly before the Mass Formation.
   
The many T-34s are lined up ready to go.
   
And of course, the little RVs.
   
Pilots who flew in for the show were parked out back behind the Tower.  A couple of Essex Skypark pilots flew in.
   
My nephew Nick (on right) standing in front of the biggest, baddest gun of all:  The A-10s 30mm gatling-gun cannon.
   
In previous years, there were also lots of Yak-52s, but this year only one.
   
 
   
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