June 10, 2023 - Mifflin Co. Breakfast,
Antique Aircraft Assn. Fly-in at Massey Aerodrome

It's the second Saturday of the month.  You know what that means:  EAA Chapter 518 breakfst at Mifflin County Airport (KRVL), Pennsylvania.  This is no greasy pancake breakfast.  It's the most upscale breakfast you're ever gonna get short of the breakfast buffet at the Bellagio Hotel in Vegas.

This morning we had a nice turnout of fast RVs:  Gadget, Claw, Brian and Pyro.
   
The air was hazy but nothing compared to what it was mid-week thanks to all those Canadian wildfires.  The flying conditions were IMC Tuesday through Thursday.  It was ridiculous.
 
Because of a pretty good headwind, we had some time to do some formation practice:  gentle S-turns, close trail and crossunders.
 
Here we are on downwind at Mifflin County Airport.  There are a good number of planes already on hand.  Plus a lot of cars.
   
Safe on deck; parked on the grass.  Looking east down the line.
   
And west.
   
And looking straight ahead at the never ending line for the breakfast.
   
We waited for at least half an hour to be served.  But it was well worth the wait.  I estimate two-thirds of the people were local drive in traffic.  And why not?  It's a fantastic breakfast for $10.  There was even some live music playing while we stood in line.
   
Two Essex Skypark RVs and a little ultralight.
   
We're in the building!  Won't be long now.
   

PSeven EAA Chapter 518 volunteers, hard at work preparing the food.

You had your choice of sausage and vegetable omelet, sausage patties, bacon, scrapple, pancakes, french toast and two types of casseroles.  All cooked superbly.  Plus orange juice and coffee, of course.
   
We were all pretty hungry by the time we got our breakfast.  Here's the crew just about to dig in:  left to right:  Mugsy, Brian, Pyro and Gadget.
   
The room where you dine.
   

Leaving Mifflin County, we headed for Massey Aerodrome on the eastern shore for the Potomac Antique Aero Squadron's 51st Antique fly-in.  We climbed high to get over the Harrisburg TSRA.  Now the winds were in a favor and we zoomed along at over 200 mph.

That's the Susquehanna River down below in the haze.
   
Passing to the north of Aberdeen Proving Grounds, a big army base where they test guns and stuff.  Phillips Army Air Field is down there too.
   
The eastern part of Aberdeen Proving Grounds.
   
Soon we were on an upwind at Massey Aerodrome.  Looks like a good turnout for the fly-in.
   
Look at all the people on the "grassy knoll".
   

A nice look at Massey Aerodome with lots of colorful planes.

The Potomac Antique Aero Squadron's Antique fly-ins used to be held at Horn Point Airfield but moved here a few years ago.
   
Our five RVs were parked at the north end.  From the windsock you can see we had a little crosswind coming in.
   
I like the bright colors on these three biplanes.
   
A better look at our five RVs.
   
A beautifully polished Super Chipmonk.
   
People heading for the food line.  Our group wasn't hungry being still stuffed from the big breakfast we had.
   
Waco Model UKS-7
   

I was excited to see this very rare Meyers OTW.

I first saw one on my Santa Fe trail cross-country in 2011 when I stopped in at Stearman Airport near Wichita, Kansas. It belonged to a retired U.S. Navy Captain who had started flying in WWII and flown pretty much everything the Navy had during his career.  He had owned the Meyers for 50 years!  Home based in Illinois, he flew it all the way down to Wichita -- no mean feat in an open cockpit biplane.

The Meyers OTW (Out To Win) was designed to compete for lucrative military trainer contracts. Its all-metal fuselage was unique for a trainer. The design did win a contract, but only 101 OTW-145s were ordered and built between 1939 and 1944. The metal skin was harder to maintain and the larger contracts went to more conventional trainer designs.
   
A better look at the Meyers OTW's tail feathers.  Love the paint scheme.
   
Ah, one of my favorite planes:  the Cessna 195 with it's big, round radial engine.
   
And another one!
   
And another!
   
The PAAS's base of operations on top of the grassy knoll.
   
Spectators like to hang out on the grassy knoll and watch the planes takeoff and land.
   
A beautifully polished Luscomb.
   
Wow, what a polish!
   
 
   
Nice U.S. Coast Guard paint scheme on this RV-7A.
   
I liked the flourescent orange-red paintjob on this Cub.
   
I liked the panel too.
   
 
   
Possibly the only flying Hammond 100 in existence.  Based right here at Massey Aerodrome.   "The Hammond 100 "Sportster" was (and is) powered by an 100 hp Kinner K-5. This aircraft was originally known as the Parks P-1-H.  Only seven were 7 produced.
   
Paul's stealth Super Cub is on hand.  Paul has ordered an RV-14 empennage kit and should be riveting in a couple of months!
   
Immaculate classic Pietenpol GN-1 Air Camper.
   
Huge Antonov AN-2 outside on static display.
   
Vernerable DC-3/CH-47 also on static display in front of the Massey Air Museum.
   
Old Chevy Truck.
   
Flamboyant neon green Waco.
   
Immaculate 1941 Waco UPF-7.   This Waco was the grand champion at the 2015 Antique Airplane Association Fly-In at Antique Airfield (IA27) in Blakesburg, Iowa.
   
A Skybolt and Cap 10 preparing to go up and have some fun.
   
There they go!
   
The fly-in was winding down as Mugsy and I taxiied for takeoff.  Here, three high-wings fly by in formation as we do an engine run-up.
   
Doing a low-speed overhead pass.
   

Mugsy and I head for home in the haze with the Chester River in the background.

What a great aviation day.
   
 
   
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