Columbia Father’s Day Fly-In by Jerry Maxwell
This Father’s Day weekend at the Columbia Airport many people went to see one of the best air shows in our area.
“There couldn’t have been better weather for the Fly-In, and our thanks goes out to all who helped this happen,” said Jim Thomas, coordinator of the Columbia Father’s Day Fly-In as well as the airport manager. “A lot of people made this happen. I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to see this happen because it is such a good cause every year…”
I asked Jim whom to thank for the event and he named many people. First and foremost to thank were the volunteers (100 of them this year), the fans, the 50 private plane owners and the 30 show airplanes that attended, and all of those who showed up to support the event.
This was the 43rd year of the Father’s Day Fly-In. Way back in 1966 some people got the idea of having this event and from that day on it has only grown stronger. To see it today is to see what you might have back in 1966 because the airplanes that are shown are history. You can go to Columbia to see the twin-engine silver Beechcraft fly or the Stearman biplanes with their 9-cylinder radial engines made by Pratt & Whitney.
Four P-51s were there this year. P51’s use a different kind of engine: the Rolls-Royce Merlin. Developed in the 1940’s when England joined the United States in airplane production, the Merlin has yet to be outdone for it’s sheer power and the ability to rip through the skies at over 300mph and 50 feet above the runway. What an incredible sound it makes… A P-51 nowadays would cost about 1.5 million and about $1,000 an hour to operate.
The CDF also provided some spectacular aviation with several flyovers of various kinds of aircraft, including a C131 in an open bay-door flyover. Most exciting as the crowd could see the crew waving as they flew over the airfield. Who was flying? Well just kidding. We all know they have good pilots and they demonstrated that well in several exhibitions. I even have a video of them coming in from the south in several big airplanes and doing a nice cutaway over the runway. It was a sight to see. A sight you can’t see everyday indeed.
Nearly 1,500 people came to see this year’s event. Children under 12 were welcome at no charge. All in all it was a great weekend to see some aviation history. Much thanks to all the volunteers and the participants; The Sonora Vietnam Veterans, the Navy, the Marines, the CDF, WW2 Jeep enthusiasts, RC Club of Sonora, and the Columbia Airport; the employees of our Tuolumne treasure; and last but not least all the fans and supporters of aviation who keep coming every year.
Fly you here, fly you there; you can go most anywhere. But to fly to Columbia this very week was among the best of anywhere! We look forward to next year again when we can hear the sound of the best aircraft ever made ripping through our skies once again.
Thanks again to all who made Columbia happen this year. See you again next year under the wings of angels….
