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IMG 7426-8195San Luis Obispo welcomed 19 DAFers with blue skies and warm weather for the April Fly-in. After some mild bumps on the way up, it was smooth going for the cocktail hour out by the pool. Complinmentary wine and beer from the hotel and our own snacks and appetizers; all a Flyer could ask for! Afterward, the group split up for dinner to try some of the many great restaruants in SLO.

Saturday, we met up at Wolff Winery for a picnic lunch and wine tasting. Clint Grubb was our knowledgable and gracious host, and provided not only information on the wines and the winery, but spoke about the Edna Valley, other local wineries, and the California wine industry. Jean-Pierre Wolff, the owner and winemaker, joined us as well, and explained their techniques of dry-farming as well as their habitat restoration and aquifer recharging programs. Clint poured a great selection of wines; all were well received by the Flyers, and some quick weight and balance recalculations were needed as the purchases added up!

After exploring the town, we met up again for dinner at Cafe Roma. Good food, good wine, good company, and at the end we were joined by our host, Marco Rizzo. A pilot and owner of a B36 Bonanza, he had just flown back from Bermuda Dunes. He joined the conversation for a while, then gave us some of his own Zinfandel Port as a gift. All in all, a lovelyt day.

After breakfast Sunday morning, the group split up for departure. Some headed up to Morro Bay for lunch, while others headed straight back to Torrance. The weather continued clear and warm, and there were even tailwinds on the way back. Special thanks to Clint Grubb at Wolff Vineyards and Marko Rizzo at Cafe Romo for their help!

PortugueseBendReserveAerialDue to illness, Alan Black was unable to present his talk on the "Water Molecule" ... So, our own DAF Photographer (last years Programs Chair), Steve Sappington, presented a beautiful DVD showing aerial views Over California. We enjoyed seeing many of places we have all flow to or will fly to this coming year. Thank you again Steve for "stepping up" at the last minute. We wish Alan a speedy recovery and hope to re-schedule him to speak later this year.

The airport at Furnace Creek was filled to overflowing as the DAF arrived in force for a lunch/overnight/whatever fly-in. 32 people and around 13 aircraft showed up, some arriving Friday afternoon, some just for lunch on Saturday, and others staying until Sunday to enjoy the heat. There weren't any flowers, unfortunately, but the weather was great. The people at the Inn were very helpful, with the shuttle ferrying people back and forth, and the dining room there was quite nice. That evening, the overnight crowd had cocktails in Roger and June's room, followed by dinner at the steakhouse. Evindently there was some problem tracking down the cow, as it took quite a while for our orders to show up! Once it arrived, though, it was very good, and everyone had a great time.

Thanks to Laurice for putting things together. Another resounding success!

The February fly-in got a bit of a rocky start, with marginal VFR weather in the morning. Many of the group made the decision to file IFR for the trip, although a few decided to make it VFR. Once near Flabob, conditions were lovely, with a view of the mountains and lots of sun. About 24 DAFers made it to the restaurant, in eight aircraft and two cars. One group made the decision to stop at Fullerton for lunch instead, looking at the overcast.

The lunch at the Flabob restaurant was excellent, and the staff did a great job getting everything out quickly and to the right people. We can highly recommend a trip there if you're looking for a nearby destination. Thanks to Linda for getting things set up!

At the February dinner meeting we were delighted by a talk given by our own DAF'R Dan L. Delane, USAF L/C, Retired as well as the presentation of the club's first Special Aviation Milestone Award.

We learned all about F-5 which was created by Northrop here in Los Angeles and the special meaning it has to many of our DAF'Rs who worked on or flew in the program. We also were entertained by the film that accompanied it which was created at the Western Museum of Flight at Torrance Airport. Special thanks went to DAF'R Cindy Macha and her staff for allowing the use of the F-5A to complete the filming and commentary. Thanks also went to the film's Producer/Cinematographer/Editor DAF'R President Larry Chapman.

In addition to the F-5 program, Skyor Piper became the first recipient of a new type of recognition from DAF - the Special Aviation Milestone (SAMi) Award. The SAMi is intended to recognize special and significant accomplishments in the aviation world by a club member. Skylor was recognized for his achievements at the 2015 and 2016 Reno Air Races which included being first DAFer to race at Reno (just qualifying is difficult) and winning the 1st SLALOM Match Racing Championship (undefeated in 16 head-to-head races). Congratulations, Skylor! (Additional details and photos here).

video 1January's showing of the film “A Gathering of Heroes: The Last Reunion” was a rewarding experience for all. The film celebrated the highly decorated 352nd Fighter Group in WWII who the Germans called the ‘Bluenosed Bastards’. We learned about these special veteran’s as they told their story's in their own words with archival P-51 gun camera footage and some home movies and photos. The film was both informative and inspiring . Afterwards, Brent Wilson shared his experence in making the film and answered a few questions.

Future Programs: If you have any ideas for a program or you would like to present a program, please call Maggie Smith at 310-408-2592