I remember that one. You going to Oshkosh next year, let’s catch up.

Andrew

My 1929 Davis may be ready for Oshkosh 2024 - maybe I will se both of you there!

Sounds like a great plan!

Andrew

I've been avoiding flying the UBF2 in California since it's been in the 50's, flying my C120 instead. Then yesterday Bob Berwick went taxiing by in his Travel Air. It was 58 and sunny. Gotta go try!

EAA social media did a near post this weekend on my Waco UMF3 on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6DAmLKN ... AzMjNhZDdi

Fly in season is getting started in earnest! This weekend was a fly in hosted by a friend in Ione, California which is just southwest of Sacramento. I have been asking my IA here if my UBF2's annual would be done and he assured me it would be. Well, yesterday was a close run thing, but to his credit he got it done this morning (at 3 a.m.)! Oren is my hero!

A friend is staying with me and working on his tail wheel endorsement using my C120 but he had time to go to the fly in so we planned to get an early start and leave by 8:00. BRRRRR! It was 47 degrees, which may not seem cold to northern folks, but can be quite chilly in an open cockpit biplane! Last Sunday flying my UPF7 in upper fifties temps I froze. But the UBF has a much smaller cockpit and it turned out to be quite comfortable.

Our flight was just over an hour and we landed to park amongst a great collection of antique airplanes. There were several Stags, a couple of cool Ryan STA's, the usual collection of Stearmans, a bunch of Wacos including a UPF 7 in CPTP livery, an SRE, a couple of beautifuol cabins and my UBF 2. Also, a Beech 18, some T 6's, a gaggle of 1950's 2 seaters and lots more. Probably at least 50-60 airplanes and half of them biplanes.

Later in the morning someone was giving a brief airshow in a vintage jet when a small airplane decided to crash the party. It was the closest near mid air I've ever seen with the planes coming within 25-50 feet. Aside from that it was ton of fun.

On arriving back in Sonoma I prepared to make my second landing in this plane in eight months (the first being that morning). Unfortunately for me the winds had picked up and were now 15 gusting more and at 90 degrees to our 40 foot wide runway which has 150 foot trees on the approach end! The first 3 tries were ugly I'll admit. The 4th wasn't pretty but it worked. It just reminds you that you have to stay ready, proficient and practice in every airplane you fly. The 25 landings I did last week in three other airplanes didn't make any difference! It was a challenging ending to a really fun day of great airplanes, wonderful friends, fast disappearing California green and beautiful flying weather.

Last week I flew the GL in wonderful weather out of my home at NM05, in Southern NM. Three sessions of the IAC intermediate sequence to start preparing for the first contest in TX made me hungry enough to drop into the small restaurant at Las Cruces, NM.
Unexpectedly, a gent at the eatery asked me if the GL on the ramp was mine. When I responded in the positive, he said that he also owns one!
After a most pleasant conversation, we went out on the ramp, and he floored me with the UBF parked nearby. The man is Jared Calvert, a dedicated biplane guru, who was ferrying it from CA to NH. He is based in Ranger, TX, and is the main man for the Ranger classic airplane fly-in in the Fall. (http://www.RangerAirfield.org)
Shortly afterwards, a T210 taxied up to the flightline, and a gentleman and his lovely wife deplaned. They walked to where we were standing, and he asked if the GL was mine. When I responded in the positive, he said that he also owns one!!!
Turns out the couple was going from CA to Austin, with a load of the wife's show rabbits, headed for a championship rabbit event.
With that most auspicious meeting, we talked biplanes for a good while. Jared and I shortly departed in formation. He flew an expert left echelon, shot some pics, and soon peeled off toward the Antony Gap in the Franklin Mountains
Nothing beats flying an open-cockpit biplane, especially when it comes to making new friends. I plan to make the Ranger Airfield in the Fall.
Best,

TN