2013 Annual Hangar party

This year's Hangar Party was one of the best attended that we ever had, with over 100 DAFers, guests, and prospective members attending. This year's theme was Castaways and everyone dressed in the deserted island best (or worst). Gilligan's Island was well represented, with multiple Gilligan's, Skipper's, Howell's and Gingers (this reporter counted only a single Professor).

As always, the food was great. Capt. Mitch and his crew (Curtis and Larry) offered up some perfectly prepared tropical pork and chicken. The range of side dishes brought by everyone was impressive, and there seemed to be plenty for everyone.

Once again, Capt. Mitch outdid himself with his Castaway-themed posters, which complemented the island motif table decorations and bar. Speaking of the bar, a big thanks to Craig and Jody Narr for all that they did in setting it up as well as keeping up with the steady demand throughout the night.

A successful event like this doesn't just happen, it requires a lot of planning, preparation and organization. A special thanks to some of the key people who made this happen, including Liz Broen, Joe Cogan, Mitch Taylor, Ray and Kelly Wolfbrandt, Larry Chapman, and Lori and Dan Delane. Also, the club would like to thank all of the members who showed up to help with setup and cleanup. And finally, huge thanks to Lambi and Sally for opening up their hangar to us.

Click here for the full photo gallery.

Gliders 'n Wings

July's dinner meeting on July 16 was one of the the best attended of the year with over 58 members and guests attending.  Our speaker was Captain Robert Meyers (US Army Air Force Retired), one of only 12 glider pilots who participated in all four glider campaigns conducted during WWII.  Captain Roberts gave a great presentation, speaking for over 40 minutes without notes - describing his exploits, both military and romantic, as a young glider pilot in Europe during 1944-45.

 

Wings were also awarded during the July meeting.  The recipient was Dan Delane, who was honored for creating and delivering an excellent presentation on the history of the F-15 Eagle to a variety of aviation audiences, including the Del Amo Flyers in November of last year.  As Dan related his experiences flying the fighter in both the Air Force and Air National Guard, DAFers were able to relive some of the exciting moments of Dan's fighter career, as well as reflect on their own meager, inconsequential lives.  Well done, Dan!

Fine Dining at L70

43 DAFers in 15 aircraft and two cars met up in Agua Dulce (L70) for another successful Flaming Brisket on Saturday, July 13.  Even the threat of a rumble with a local Boy Scout troop couldn't dampen the good spirits our group or create any clouds on a bright sunny day. (Curiously, this was not the club's first run-in with the Boy Scouts.  See the Nov. 20, 1991 issue of the DAF newsletter: "Fistfight at Furnace Creek".  We lost some good DAFers on that sad day my friends).  

As always, Mitch brought the perfectly-prepared brisket while everyone else brought plenty of side dishes.  Mitch and Jan were also the key organizers for this event - so a special thanks to both of them for everything they did.

Vacationing in Victoria

June 22-25, 2013. 24 DAFers landed on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Victoria, British Columbia for the club's second international outing in two years.

We stayed at Victoria's premier hotel: The Fairmont Empress (Liz Broen had negotiated a great rate for our group). Everyone met up for Happy Hour in Liz and Peter's room which had great views of the city and harbor.

Saturday night was the pub crawl, with Peter laying out plans for visiting up to 8 city pubs. (Un)fortunately, everyone really enjoyed the food and spirits of the first pub, the Sticky Wicket, and maybe we stayed a little too long. Only 10 hardy souls ventured to the second pub, and after that, it was just Peter and Mitch wandering the streets of Victoria.

On Sunday, we all went to the BC Aviation Museum (nice people, good exhibits) followed by Happy Hour and dinner at a nearby restaurant. After dinner, a few of us attended one of the concerts that were part of the ongoing Victoria Jazz Festival (really good music).

On Monday morning, we all caravanned via the scenic coastal route to the world-famous Butchart Gardens. The gardens were stunning - we lucked on the weather and had a delicious picnic lunch.

On Tuesday morning, some of us returned to the US whiles others waited out the weather in Victoria for a trip to Tsuniah Lake.

This trip took a lot of planning - a big thank-you to Peter, Liz and Lisa for putting together such a fun weekend.  Click picture for more photo's.