Making friends at the airport is a natural occurrence. Sharing similar interests brings out the spark in each of us to get to know those around us.
Since moving to Dayton, I have made many special friends; my growing airplane family has encouraged and supported me while getting established.
The most organic of those meetings must be Finfinella, as she was learning how to fly at Waynesville (40I) while I was getting my tailwheel signoff.
Seeing another girl my age interested in aviation for herself is always huge! Learning as we got to know each other that we shared a spirit of adventure beyond flying was icing on the cake.
We had both been to Oshkosh and had separately participated in the WomenVenture photo the previous year was a wonderful surprise as it’s a yearly photo. That moment each year brings tears to my eyes as it’s a visual representation of women being an active part of the flying community.
Most tailwheel airplanes we are around require some forethought before climbing in; how to place feet on steps or braces to hoist into the airplane navigating around the stick used to control the airplane.
Consideration of what is worn while flying is delegated by temperature, size of shoes that fit on the rudder pedals and the seat belt keeping us in place.
While getting to know each other one of us jokingly said we should fly in dresses together – not sure who started it, but it made me smile to think about when life got me down.
Realizing we had mutual friends, including the plant-based barnstormer, was icing on the cake.
Amongst the plant-based barnstormer’s airplanes is a Champ that Finfinella has been flying regularly since getting her pilot’s license.
One warm day in July, we did it – flew in dresses.
Between the Barnstorming Carnival and Oshkosh, there is a series of smaller fly-ins leading from Ohio to Wisconsin.
One of those is the Hagerstown fly-in. Hagerstown is a grass strip (I61) built to support DC-3s using it over the years. As we both had to be back the next day, we decided it was the perfect day to have fun.
Taking off with the plant-based barnstormer’s airplane felt like cheating. Far from unhappy about the Champ going, he hand-propped the airplane for us and waved goodbye as we took off.
Both the plant-based barnstormer and our antique aircraft friend were going to be staying overnight at Hagerstown before flying on to the next fly-in.
Our antique aircraft friend took off in a 1929 New Standard just after us, also on the way to Hagerstown. The plant-based barnstormer would be following soon after in a Fokker D.VII replica.
The leisurely pace of the Champ and New Standard encouraged slowing down to enjoy the flight; it was pretty fun. Altitude rarely got above 3000 feet, and the cruise airspeed was around 85 miles per hour which depending on wind, would allow cars below to be faster.
On our way, we stopped at Waynesville to meet for lunch with others on the way to Hagerstown.
Finfinella flew both to Waynesville and to Hagerstown. I flew the flight back to the plant-based barnstormers afterward.
The hour flight to Hagerstown was only pleasantly eventful. Still getting used to the area, using the iPad to navigate felt like cheating, but it was effective. The Champ does not have a radio on board, so we stayed out of the airspace of a towered airport along the route.
Landing at Hagerstown in the early afternoon, we enjoyed the airplanes and people there.
One of our friends was already giving airplane rides, which is what the fly-in is known for. The town is close, and people arrive from near and far on a summer weekday for rides. The plant-based barnstormer and our antique aircraft friend would also give rides upon their separate arrivals.
I grew up going to pancake breakfasts and more controlled airports. This was yet another reason this had been an entirely new way of life, more relaxed.
Our antique aircraft friend and the plant-based barnstormer arrived several hours after we did. As the day was getting late, we realized it was time for us to go.
Heading back to the airplane, Finfinella and I got in, and our antique aircraft friend propped us. On our flight home, she mentioned there were more than a few looks we got while getting into the airplane – yes, girls fly too!
Sitting in the back seat of the Champ, I was looking outside more than at the instrument panel in front of Finfanella for cues to altitude. The altimeter was the only real indicator of our altitude – other than cheating and looking at the phone.
So much fun getting to know another way of flying, less structured than flying around Chicago.