We are looking forward to more fun day trips in 2026!
Contact Fly Out Coordinator: Barry Halsted
2026
January 17 – Forks Airport (S18)
The first EAA Chapter 430 flyout of 2026 was fantastic! The previous two months were filled with holidays, visitors, and crummy weather forecasts that made scheduling flyouts difficult. But this Saturday the weather was perfect and pilots everywhere went flying.
Blakeslees Bar and Grill, located just off the east end of the field, is the restaurant we chose for lunch. Not having a full list of people I could expect to attend, I waited until Saturday morning to advise the restaurant what they could expect. The restaurant, however, didn’t open until 11:00. Since I would be airborne by that time, I left a voicemail that was not picked up. I arrived at Forks about 12:45, called, and told Donna (restaurant owner) that she was about to have 21 luncheon guest. She said “WHAT??? HOW MANY??? WHEN???” “Twenty-one,” I said… “Now,” I replied. “OMG…” So she said she would do what she could. And DO she did.
This flyout set an attendance record for our chapter. Twenty-five people showed up in twelve airplanes and two cars for lunch, and Donna’s small crew did an outstanding job of providing food and service. We all sat at tables for and had lots of conversations about lots of things. This was a really cool flyout.
Who came? Jay Pearlman (Cub), Scott Alair (Lancair Legend), Emily Westcott, Captain Crystal, Ben Holt (C-172), Ken and Skip Brown (RV-9A), John Ward (Pipistrel Sinus), Ray and Lisa Ballantyne (Glasair Sportsman – flew in from Oregon), Tom Roorda (RV-6), Harry Cook (Piper Pacer), Scott Brooksby (Piper Comanche), Dana and Kinberly Terrill (Piper Pacer), Rebecca Graham (Bremerton Chapter 406, in her Acroprakt-32), and Tracy and I ( C-172). Gunner Rogers’ parents drove in, as did Dave and Joan Miller.
We all had a lot of fun. It was nice to have such wonderful weather, and it was nice to share it with other adventuresome people. More good weather is ahead and we’ll have more of these flyouts in 2026.
Barry
