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EAA Arlington 2002 by Percy G. Wood
It has the right number of tails! And the landing gears are all in the right places!! There must be some more Ercoupes around here somewhere!!! Such were my thoughts as I taxied from the active at Arlington (AWO). I had just arrived from Monroe to take part in the EAA Experience there. I had taken the Eastern Route through the Class C airspace to the EAA fly-in. The last time I had tried it, I got good and lost! There are no really good course lines, like rivers, to follow along the eastern side of Seattle. This time I used the GPS that I had bought in 1995. The Magellan is a real good unit - very cost effective at the time. It just does not have a 'database' of way points, however. I took a day before EAA Arlington to put them in. I programmed Chehalis and the corner points. Also AWO and another point about half way along the 122 degree meridian. From them, I constructed my route. Flying the route reminded me of June of 2001 - when Opal and I flew his Ercoupe from Roswell to Terrell, Texas. He handled the GPS and I flew the plane. He'd motion with the GPS which way I had to modify course. We stopped a couple times on our way to Terrell, and I was impressed with how the GPS kept us on track. It was especially handy when the nose tank fuel indicator started down due to an ill-attached wing tank cap! On this flight, I had stopped for fuel at Chehalis - for both 29H and myself. By the time I was ready to roll, the hours had slipped to where we would arrive during the air show. So I selected Monroe as a nice place to stop. I had never been there. After passing the time pleasantly, it was on to Arlington. One must prepare one's self mentally for any EAA fly-in! There are lots of planes coming in, and the controllers are calling you out by color and type. I became 'silver Ercoupe.' There was also 'yellow Cub.' The controllers were playing with him as he was trying to depart. He was cleared to go, then held in position for a landing airplane - over him. Finally he was cleared to go. This was all between the end of my down wind and short final. I landed and left the runway onto the taxi way. Contacted Ramp Control and waved my Ercoupe Parking sign. Picked up a follow-me and hoped that they knew where the Ercoupes were parking. I had emailed to the EAA web site but had no response. Lucky me! Two planes were already there. I parked next to them. . Darrel had come in from Victoria to secure our row. Linzy and Marcy bought their plane ('Bad Girl') over. With me, an Ercoupe presence was well established. It has taken me years to educate the parking persons. Before I go any further, I want to thank Linzy and Marcy Johnson. They served as Mission Photographers. All these lovely pictures you are enjoying are their work, for which I am most grateful. Short History of the Ercoupe Fanciers Gathering I had heard about EAA Arlington right after joining the EAA. When I purchased 2129H and joined the Ercoupe Owners Club, I found that there was not an event specific to that type in Arlington. Reading in the Coupe Capers about the good times had at the Sun `N Fun and Oshkosh fly-ins, I was determined to set something up at AWO. I returned to the NW US in 1994 and finally made it to EAA Arlington in 1998. That was the 'prototype' of the flocking. I can't call it the 'first annual' because there was no advance plan. We just parked together and met in the food vendor area. Between myself and the twenty-some others Ercoupe fanciers there, we decided to try again the following year. 1999 was the 'First Annual Ercoupe Fanciers Gathering' (EFG). We actually had a dinner. The place was named Porky's then, and was the local motorcyclist's hangout. Enjoyed ourselves despite the company! The restaurant is now called The Stump, and claims to be a family place. The bikers have moved down the way - guess we scared `em off... One of the 'perks' of Regional Directorship is the swanky accommodations at the EAA fly-ins - see below.
Camping under an Ercoupe wing is fraught with peril. Pick the wrong wing, and you'll do a number on your back. Not to mention the pitot-static tube! Speaking from experience... The next morning I survey the encampment. Darrel is taking in the scene from a comfortable seat - his cockpit!
Looking farther, I see Paul has come in.
Bob, from Montana, has also joined us. The parking persons managed to get him "shuffled off to Buffalo" somehow. As if we look like your average flying machine...
I wandered around the show. Besides the Ercoupe crowd, I meet up with another member of my EAA chapter. He is there sitting a booth, and I agree to sit it for him while he does a forum presentation. As I return, I see Maynard (ol' Straight Line) has gotten in from California. Always good to see him!
Steve has also made it in.
One of the real pleasures of the Internet is the people you meet. You'd guess that some one nicknamed Flak Magnet would have a good sense of humor. You'd be right! And yes, Jon's plane is painted just like his T-shirt.
"Call me anything but late for dinner" could be Dave's line. He parked just as we were gearing up for dinner. "Traffic was terrible!" Next time, fly!
"Man doth not live by bread alone." Or by only flying, either. After a hard day walking EAA Arlington, there is nothing like a fine meal with delightful company. The Ercoupe Fancier's Gathering banquet has become the heart of our participation there. We gathered, as usual, in the Ercoupe parking area at six o'clock or so. Then wander towards the gates six-thirty-ish. The EFG serves as the kick-off for the activities in the NW for our type. We have the Evergreen Fly-in in Vancouver in August, and the Weenie Roast in September. Bob Saville has hosted the Roast for the last eight years or so. Bob has done a superb job as Oregon Wing Leader for the Club, and the EOC has shown it's appreciation by helping fund his Weenie Roast. Hot dogs and pop are free to Ercoupers (and all others flying in). So it was with great pleasure that I presented Bob with his honorarium for this year. Talk about Christmas in July! I was joined in the presentation by Meg of the General Aviation News. Needless to say, the EFG always gets a lot of 'good ink' in that publication every year.
Bruce and Candy have been part of our group for the last couple of years, but Bruce has never gotten a `coupe ride. Well, today's your lucky day, Bruce!
And I'll have you know, Bruce passed his pilot's check ride just a week or so later! See what just one Ercoupe ride will do. Thanks to Andy for bringing another one into the flock. And they just kept arriving! Alan made it in on Saturday. He flies from a private airstrip that is adjacent (as in you can taxi over to) Evergreen, and will be hosting a 'do' in August. It will be part of the Evergreen Fly-in, so put 17 August on your calendar.
Now for the statistics. I got a better listing this year. I walked the camp, and passed a sign up sheet around at the banquet. Here are the planes, through about noon Saturday: Ercoupes Flying into EAA Arlington 2002
Thursday, July 11
CF-SIT Darrel Hanson Victoria, BC
N3048G Linzy & March Johnson Snohomish, WA
N2129H Percy G. Wood Vancouver, WA
N2417H Andy Pomeroy Arlington, WA
N2735H Bob Morris Great Falls, MT
Friday, July 12
N94805 Robert Davis Anacortes, WA
N2273H Paul Anton Tacoma, WA
N93788 Steve Lewis Seattle, WA
N99843 Maynard Smith Truckee, CA
C-FALN Larry Beaudry Victoria, BC
N9518V Dave Perosec Arlington, WA
N2545H Richard Chaws Port Townsend, WA
Saturday, July 13
N3408H Alan Lail Vancouver, WA
Now for the persons who graced our roster at the banquet:
Ercoupe Fancier's Gathering - EAA Arlington, 2002 Name Home Town/Field Darrel Hanson Victoria, BC Bob Morris Great Falls area, MT Mike Nichols Eagle River, AK Grant & Theresa Edwards Remond, OR Ron Burke & Bethaney Jinkins Spanaway, WA Paul Anton Spanaway, WA Lynda & Lance Fergusson Penticton, BC Steve Lewis Kirkland, WA Linzy & Marca Johnson Snohomish, WA Andy Pomeroy Arlington, WA Bob & Jim Davis Anacortes, WA Joe Meehan Ocean Shores, WA Lonny Gunther Ocean Shores, WA Maynard Smith Tahoe City, CA Cindy & Bruce Hughes Yelm, WA Bob Saville Eugene, OR Cristi Austin Tacoma, WA Meg Godlewski Tacoma, WA Dave Perozek Arlington, WA Percy G. Wood Portland, OR The next day was the last day for me. I just didn't want to fight the crowds going out, so I took the opportunity to depart with Maynard. I don't call him 'Straight Line' for nothing. He has the equipment to go straight through the Class B airspace around Seattle. He was kind enough to alter course so we went by Evergreen. It was a lovely flight, although I did get concerned about the few clouds we had en route. I just had to trust the weather and Maynard's GPS. Sure had a nice look at Mt. St. Helens as we went by. That is another flight I should make this summer. I haven't flown around it since the early 1980's - after it went off! I remember it was like flying over the moon. As the territory started looking familiar, I bid a farewell and descended. Less than two tach hours and I was home again. Epilog And here is the real icing on the cake. My Mission Photographer, besides providing all of us with the foregoing swell pictures, also took home an award. Congratulations, Linzy and Marcy!
I would like to see any of you out there in Internet land next year. This event comes every July. Please consider adding it to your busy flying schedule.
Percy G. Wood |
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