And They Flew
by Randy Turner

Until September 11, 2001, we never gave a second thought to climbing into the cabin of our favorite airplane to punch holes in the sky and gaze down upon God's creation. Wherever the little engine wanted to go, we would follow, flight plan or not. We took it for granted that what has always been, is what will always be. Then came Tuesday, the day our lives changed, the day our emotions were shocked, the day our love for this country and our fellow man was suddenly rekindled.

The attack on our nation occurred ten days before the scheduled EAA Southwest Regional Fly-in and Air Show in Abilene, Texas September 21st and 22nd. A large committee of volunteers had everything in order, ready to host the hundreds of pilots hoped for. It wasn't clear until September 20th that the event would be held at all.  But, as the nation began recovering, the decision was made to fly; the show would go on.

Not even a thunderstorm the night before, which destroyed countless tents, turned back the determination of the Texas EAA chapters. It turned out to be the only aviation event in the nation that weekend. On Friday, about 50 airplanes found their way to Abilene Regional Airport. Soon it became clear that some very special men and women in some special machines wanted to resume their lives. Saturday, well over 50 more craft touched down becoming part of the 128 planes officially registered for the two-day show, but another 20 were thought to have come and gone without registering.

Organizers had to jump through hoops the day before the event to help many pilots and the majority of the air show performers out of enhanced Class B airspace, such as the Dallas-Fort Worth area. VFR pilots had to be led out of Class B by IFR pilots.

They came from near and far, as far as West Bend, Wisconsin. An RV 6A, belonging to Chris and Sue Good, was completed last year. The Goods put 2,500 hours and three years of their life into the project, most of which was done in their garage. That meant leaving the family cars outside during those cold Wisconsin winters. N86C6 certainly attracted a large group of lookers. Chris was happy to share details of his very first project, which comes complete with IFR instrumentation and autopilot. Since the first flight on June 3, 2000, Chris has seen much of the nation, having attended Sun 'N Fun earlier this year, a 3,051-mile trip. Chris left Abilene with the Kitbuilt Workmanship and Distance Awards.

Another crowd favorite was an RV8 belonging to Greg Hale of Tulsa, Oklahoma. His 215 hp engine brought him to Abilene at a quick 188 knots. The wild paint scheme stood out like none other and earned him a Grand Champion award in the Kitbuilt Custom category. His plane certainly had people talking.

Homebuilts weren't the only attractions. Walking the flight line, you couldn't help but be fascinated with a 1936 Gullwing Stinson belonging to David Mason of Reklaw, Texas. His 300 hp gave him a cruising speed of 112 knots and, like the RV 8 of Greg Hale, landing speed of 75 knots. David was presented the Reserve Champion award in the Antique category.

In a class by itself was the 1993 Contemporary Grand Champion of Osh Kosh, a 1959 Piper Comanche belonging to Jerry Ross of Weatherford, Oklahoma. Cary and Linda Carson of Arlington, Texas brightened the airport in their yellow 1931 Monocoupe, powered by a 185 hp Warner engine.

On Saturday afternoon, an impressive group of air-show performers such as Randy Henderson and Debby Rihn-Harvey gave their award winning programs. A fly-by by a MATS CONNIE Lochheed C121A and Debby's aerobatics closed the Saturday show prior to the arrival of an all too common West Texas severe thunderstorm. A mass departure of aircraft went without a hitch until the last one was a faint speck against a backdrop of lightning and rain. A few planes were rolled inside nearby hangars.

Saturday night, around 135 people attended the banquet. The EAA's Paul Poberezny addressed the audience via telephone. Chapter 19 sponsored a 50's band and numerous awards were presented. Plans are already in the making for the 2002 edition of SWRFI scheduled for September 27th and 28th.

Maybe Terry Cole of Lubbock, Texas was on to something when he painted his RV 6A in a patriotic red, white and blue U.S. flag scheme. It fit perfectly with the new patriotism that has returned to our nation. Through adversity, our country has set aside some differences to appreciate the little things that we often take for granted. Flying is one of those things. Hearing a hangar door open and the sound of an engine coming to life mean more now than ever.