Fly-In Breakfast

Last week I experienced a whole new spin on breakfast. Sue and I met up with a fellow EAA pilot at Gallatin Airport at 8:00am, and hopped in his single engine four-seat Piper Archer to fly to a mystery location for breakfast!

We headed west over the pretty rolling hills of Middle Tennessee, the first time (unbelievably!) that I have flown in this area that has been home for the past 23 years. Since I’m about to get current flying again, this is a great opportunity to start recognizing landmarks and learn my way visually from the air. This was so much fun!

I love to think of all the times Bill flew home to Hendersonville, landing on the Martin’s field next to his family homeplace. He nicknamed it Hendersonville International Airport, and often talked of the time he took his Mom for her first airplane ride out of that field. She came out all dressed up in hat and gloves, and he dropped her off at Berry Field (now called Nashville International Airport), where she caught a bus into the city to go shopping.

Now, ironically, his aviation artwork has virtually taken over the Gallatin Airport, inspiring many up and coming pilots. I guess I’m one of them!

Forecast to be a clear day for flying, but cloud cover was already moving in from the west, making visibility a bit hazy. We flew along the edge of the restricted Fort Campbell airspace (on our northern edge), and after 53 minutes flying reached Houston County airport on the Tennessee River. Made our approach across the middle of the field to join the downwind leg of the circuit pattern.

As we rolled to the end of the runway, there were already about 9 other airplanes parked in the grass off the end of the strip.

We parked in the grass and walked through a gate to the nearby restaurant for a wonderful breakfast. I had Bill’s favorite. Bacon, eggs, crispy hashbrowns & coffee. Delicious!

We met up with a bunch of other pilots, many of whom Ray knew. The EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) members often meet up in various locations for fly-in breakfasts on a Saturday morning. It’s a great excuse to go flying, make new friends, and explore new locations around Middle Tennessee. Maybe this dream of barnstorming America will actually come true one day!

On the return trip I got to fly co-pilot, but since Ray used the GPS and had it on autopilot, there wasn’t much to do!

We did find my house and circle overhead for a few photos, so that was fun to see it from the air for the first time (Google Earth isn’t quite the same!).

Interesting to see the winding Cumberland River where we have spent so much time sailing the Wanderin’ Star.

I can tell that I’m going to want to start keeping Saturday mornings free – just in case! This could get addictive!