2016 Fathers Day Breakfast pictures

A warm sunny day and light winds was perfect for our annual Father's Day fly-in/drive-in pancake breakfast!

Geneseo Fly-In Breakfast

No excuse or even a specific destination is needed to go flying, but having either of these does make it even more fun! Reviewing the list of upcoming events on upstatelist.org last week I found there was a pancake breakfast this Sunday at the Warbird Museum in Geneseo. This would be a fun place to bring my dad.

The weather was perfect for the flight light south winds at the surface and only a slight headwind for the flight out. Taking off a little after 8, the air was smooth as glass for the cruise west at 4,500 feet. 

Auburn and Owasco Lake beyond

Me and Dad

Cayuga Lake

Seneca Falls with Finger Lake Regional Airport beyond

Canandaigua Lake 

The breakfast was a bit quieter than I expected. Nowhere near the crowds at Weedsport's every other week breakfast and only a fraction of the attendance at the Marcellus Fathers Day breakfast (coming up in a couple weeks)

Dining area in main hangar

Enjoying breakfast

After eating we walked around the hangar and looked at a half dozen aircraft in various stages of rebuilding. We also toured the Warbird Museum.

Harvard

Scale P-51 (Stewart 51?)

I'll have to check out my reflection when no one with a camera is watching!

Beechcraft Super 18

DC-3 W7

This aircraft took part in the Invasion of Normandy

Pilot...Co-pilot...Hey! Where's mine?

W7 flew back to Europe to take part in the Return to Normandy ceremony last year.

Geneseo from the south

Montezuma Wildlife Refuge

Relaxing and enjoying the view

This guy flew into the window as I was taxiing out just a moment before I closed it for take-off. For the entire return flight it walked back and forth across the windscreen exiting the plane when I got out in Marcellus.

We had a nice flight and I was happy to have my dad along with me. 

(This flight was just a warm up for Dad and I when in two weeks we will take the Cessna to Charlotte, NC)

Morning Fog and Apple Blossom Festival Breakfast

Checking the weather before heading to bed the night before there was morning fog in the forecast. As long as it wasn't too widespread this would make for some interesting scenes as we departed Marcellus for a breakfast at Williamson-Sodus Sunday morning. 

I woke to a call from my dad that he wouldn't be able to join me for the flight. At first I considered staying in bed a bit longer, then I remembered the fog and was out the front door within 15 minutes. Coffee from the Express Mart as I pass though the village and I'm good to go...

The skies were mostly sunny but there were clouds to the south and some visible moisture in the lower atmosphere. 

Climbing out of Marcellus right off I could see Skaneateles Lake looked different. As I turned southwest and gained altitude I found the lake covered by a thin layer of ground fog.

Skaneateles Lake

Otisco Lake

After circling over the lakes for a bit I start thinking of where to go.  Over the radio I could hear almost constant transmissions from pilots landing and taking off at Williamson-Sodus. I'm already in the air and it is only 20 minutes away. I've got to go visit.

Even with all the traffic the timing was right so that I was able to fit right into the downwind leg for landing #3 behind a Bonanza and a Cessna.

 Our Cessna at Williamson-Sodus

The sign on the palm tree says:

"Margaritaville, It's 5:00 somewhere"

Cooking for hundreds...

A long, long line on this beautiful morning. I just grabbed some coffee and was happy with that.

Rides were offered in both the departing helicopter and the Piper on the right

A beautifully finished Challenger II owned by John Bailey

Willismson-Sodus Airport. As I was leaving the line still stretched for hundreds of feet.

Nine Mile Point in the distance appears to still be in the fog

The air was smooth as glass all morning and into mid day. Perfect flying weather!

And this is how I like to fly. Arm out the window. 

The open window has a speed limit of 100 mph. That's okay, as I am happy cruising along at 85-90.

(rather than spending time in Photoshop correcting my receding hairline, I just cropped off the top of my head!)

Cross Lake, Lake Ontario in the distance