October saw another successful DAF Fly in with 19 participants, 8 aircraft, and 14 lunch participants. This year included the second annual malevolent mystery mishap by the voltage-sucking battery vampire preventing one plane (not two like last year) from participating. Of those that flew to Brackett, it is worth noting that the first plane to arrive at the destination was Kel Vanderlip in his Cessna 150. A bit of a coup considering horsepower and cruising airspeed of the later arrivals! The lunch bunch enjoyed a sunny, if fire-induced hazy, view of the San Gabriel Mountains and the airfield traffic. The group was unexpectedly treated to the Brackett Antique Aircraft Display/Car Show which is normally held the third Sunday but for some reason was Saturday (contrary to their website and published media). A hardy few walked over to view the Puddingstone Reservoir before heading back to home base.
Prescott, AZ (September 2017)
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Some people went horseback riding, and the pool got a lot of use afterward. Dusty trails were the rule, so a good rinse was essential! At night, the pool provided a great location for stargazing, as the area is truly dark at night. No light pollution up here. The nightly campfire provided a great place for S'mores, nightcaps and a chance for everyone to share their adventures.
The food was excellent, and the service was ideal. The staff at Drakesbad were all friendly and helpful, and right there when you needed anything. They made everyone feel right at home.
A fantastic trip, with great weather to boot! Thanks to Steve and Nancy for setting this up.
There seemed to be a contest as to how many wineries could be visited during the weekend. As far as this reporter could tell, it was a neck-to-neck race between Team Frugal Campers (the pitch-your-own tent people) and Team Sedey/Sappington. The Campers went straight from landing at KIZA and drove to a couple of local wineries (not even taking time to set up camp - something they may have regretted later). Team Sedey/Sappington also visited a tasting room or two before getting to their Safari Tents (their only regret was missing the daily Safari Tent turn-down service).
On Friday evening, we had Happy Hour at the Safari campground fire pit followed by a great BBQ dinner, and a second Happy Hour back at the fire pit. On Saturday, most people drove into Santa Ynez to walk around the annual western-themed "Old Santa Ynez Days" street fair. The teams then formed back up and set off for an afternoon of more wine tasting. An early group dinner was held on the patio of the beautiful Vineyard House restaurant in Santa Ynez, followed by the mandatory Happy Hour meetup back at the fire pit.
It was a fun weekend attended by an enthusatic group of DAFers. Thanks to Larry and Jodie for setting everything up.
It was nice to see the lake so full, with lots of trees half underwater by the airport. The stream by the airport was going strong for the first time in years! Thanks to Jim Pavlick for setting the trip up.

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