Flying high on our first really warm day

Note the 83-degree temp. (The speed limit here is 75)

One thing we’ve noticed since we’ve been here is how accurate the weather forecasts are. Now that may be more a factor of geography than any extra human intelligence in the Southwest, but when they tell you it will snow or rain at noon on a given day, you can set your watch by it. (OK, I don’t wear a watch, but it’s a figure of speech)


When the weatherman says the low tonight will be in the low 40s, they are always very close to the actual low temperature. Unlike Michigan, which through the fickle finger of location, can have weather that varies greatly from the forecast from the night before.

One of the beautiful aircraft

With outstanding weather today (our first day in the 80s since we got to Tucson), Joan – and I know this is hard to believe – urged me to take us to the Cactus Fly-In in nearby Casa Grande today. Boy, was I glad she talked me into the trip. I also got a good workout in at the fitness center this morning.

After finishing the laundry we headed north on I-10 for Casa Grande about 1 p.m. About an hour later we were at the Casa Grande Airport and what I believed was going to be a lot of flight line displays turned into a pretty good air show.

A lot of the antique aircraft were flying and my biggest surprise was that there were two DC-3s on hand and two of them flew while we were at the show. Not sure if my father would call the DC-3 his favorite airplane, but I know he has a great affection for it, having once actually flown it.

Me in the DC-3 doorway

One of my prized photos of my Dad is a picture of him with his arm out of the pilot’s window of a DC-3. My brother, sister, stepmother and I used to fly with my Dad when he was a general aviation pilot.

My only regret today was that Dad was not here to see these fine airplanes, but I’m sure he has seen all of them once or twice or 100 times before.

I brought a folding chair for Joan and she found some shade and watched the flying from the comfort of her chair.

DC-3 cockpit

I wanted to get up close and personal so I walked the flight line snapping way too many photos and then to my utmost excitement learned that for a $2 donation I could board one of the DC-3s and walk through it. The nice lady who took my donation was kind enough to take my picture at the door of the airplane.

The interior of the airplane made me long for the days when every seat on an airplane was first class and flying was a joy instead of a Greyhound bus-like pain in the butt.

Further down the flight line, the pilot and crew of the other DC-3 were kind enough to let me board that aircraft as well. Both of the aircraft had interesting histories dating to military service during World War II.



A view from the back of the DC-3

The second DC-3 (the two on the ground, there was another who kept doing low level passes and touch-and-go landings at the airport but it never came to the flight line) was painted in a military configuration, but the interior still retained the seats and appointments from its time as a corporate aircraft for the Hoover Vacuum Company.

One of the crew said the plane was built in Long Beach and then used to drop British paratroopers during the Normandy Invasion. They have a photo of the plane painted in the D-Day style. Following the war the plane was mothballed for a time in Arizona and then later purchased by the Hoover Vacuum folks in the mid-1950s.

Later the plane was retired to a couple air museums, but eventually was purchased and restored to flying condition and it travels the western part of the U.S. attending airshows.

The "Heroes" truck

The pilot is a retired airline pilot and he was kind enough to let me shoot some video of the plane as it revved up and taxied out to take off. I got some great video of the takeoff and then the pilot came back around and did a wheels-up, low level fly by on the deck to give the photographers one more good look and photo op.

What a joy and honor to see these wonderful aircraft still flying and giving pleasure to so many people.

Because I waited so long to shoot the DC-3 departing, Joan missed the shuttle back to the car so I hoofed it back to the car and then came around and picked her up at the front door of the small terminal building at the Casa Grande Airport.

Our dinner stop

Also on hand at the Fly-In was the “Heroes Truck” which was an incredible pick up truck with a paint job that is hard to describe. There are a couple pictures below, but this is one you would have to see in person to truly appreciate. It honors the fallen from 911 and the military who have been fighting the War on Terror. Well done.

 On the way home we had dinner at a Cracker Barrel Restaurant something we have not done for a long time.

There were many other aircraft there besides the DC-3 and you can scroll down and see some additional photos of the DC-3 and the other aircraft. (Note to my Dad: You will be receiving at some point in the near future a disc with all the photos and videos I took today).