Only poor weather to the west prevented even more skiplanes from arriving, but not the ground-bound: Cars, trucks and vans filled the ramp in front of Pioneer as well as the Air Academy Lodge lots and others all the way down past Fergus Chapel.
Long, but fast-moving lines formed for piping hot chili and homemade chicken soup in the Pioneer hangar. For dessert, a piece of birthday cake in honor of Audrey Poberezny, who was celebrating another "39th" birthday. "39 and holding," she said.
Pilot, Rick Kluver, longtime EAAer from Belvidere, Illinois, flew in with his Cessna 180 that on warmer days is configured with floats. "If I only land on hard water or soft water, it's a good year," he said before saying farewell and departing for yet another fly-in in the early afternoon.
The mid-winter respite provided hours of hangar flying, as well as a chance for old friends to catch up and new ones to get acquainted. At the end of the day, it was as much about the people as it was about the aircraft…but isn't that the way it's always been with EAA?
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