Commander Owners Group Fly-in

Wow, what a great weekend. Susan and I finally returned from our long weekend retreat to Jekyll Island, Georgia. The primary focus of the trip was to meet Commander aircraft owners, but we also had our own agenda - we were celebrating our 16th anniversary.

The planning started months ago, when the Commander Owners Group (COG) finalized the date for the fly-in. Since it was so close, I knew for sure that I wanted to go. The first concern was Andrew. We thought about taking him, but then thought it would be nice to have a weekend free of parental responsibilities. Luckily, Aunt Cathy and Uncle Dave accepted when we asked if they could watch Andrew for the weekend. Our plan was coming together: leave home Thursday after work, spend the night at the C&D B&B, take Friday off school and work, and drive to Georgia early enough to make it before the afternoon barbecue at the airport.

About a week ago, the plans changed for the better. Our friend Pat called to see if we were going to the fly-in. I told her yes, that we planned to drive up Friday morning. She asked if we'd like to fly up in her Commander. Absolutely!! I told her that we planned to drop off Andrew in Sanford, though. She talked it over with her husband, Kiko, and said they'd pick us up at the Sanford airport at 8:30AM.

Thursday night, we drove to the B&B. Cathy and Dave had meatloaf and mashed potatoes waiting for us. Andrew fell asleep in the car, as usual, so he missed dinner. Luckily he had a snack in the car on the way. Susan carried him into the house and lied him down on the couch for the night.

The next morning, we woke up early - but not as early as we would have had we been driving to Georgia - and got ready to go. We drove to the airport with Dave and Andrew so we wouldn't have to leave the car at the airport all weekend. We were almost out of gas, so we left Dave a $20 bill and hoped he'd have enough gas to make it to a gas station after we left.

We arrived at StarPort, on the north side of the airport, a little early. The place was very nice, which is pretty common for General Aviation fixed based operators (FBOs) at large airports that service business jet traffic. We were delighted to find an old NASCAR-themed pinball machine sitting in the corner. Better yet, it didn't require any quarters. The game was very confusing and spent a lot of time counting down from 20 as it searched for all of its balls.

By 8:40, we started wondering about our ride. They hadn't arrived yet and we started to think that maybe they were leaving Melbourne at 8:30 rather than Sanford. A minute later, they pulled up on the ramp. Kiko came in to file a flight plan as we carried our stuff to the plane. We loaded the plane, then said our good-byes to Dave and Andrew.

The flight to Jekyll Island was more exciting than expected. The weather was unusually cloudy. As we climbed to the northeast, air traffic control (ATC) routed us around traffic and eventually had us flying due west. Finally they turned us back to the northeast and gave us clearance to our final altitude, which put us right in the midst of the puffy clouds. The windshield beaded with tiny water drops each time we passed through a cloud. Once out of Florida, the weather cleared and it was smooth sailing directly to Jekyll Island.

We arrived at Jekyll Island airport around 10:30. The flight line was already gleaming with shiny Commanders. We were lucky to get the last parking spot on the ramp. As we climbed out, other owners came up to great us and help secure the plane. I was happy to see a few familiar faces from other events we've attended together.

By now we were all getting pretty hungry. Sid gave us a ride to the Jekyll Island Club Hotel in his six seat Red Bug (an electric car, similar in size to a golf cart). Our room at the hotel was not ready for us yet, but we were able to check in and store our bags behind the counter. We had lunch at the cafe with Pat and Kiko. After lunch, the front desk called us to let us know our room was ready, so we grabbed our luggage and the room keys and found our room in the Annex. Up to this point, I was feeling a bit like Pat and Kiko's kids who were finally given free reign to go exploring on our own.

After settling in, we walked back to the airport to see what was happening. We met more owners and walked the flight line, taking pictures of each plane. Afterwards, we caught a ride back to the hotel to get our name tags and relax before dinner. While picking up the tags, we met the Looses from Texas.

The COG planned a barbecue cookout under a large, white tent for our first dinner together. When we arrived, the grill was pumping out smoke and the aroma of chicken and pork. As we sat and waited, we were tortured by the smell. Oh, but it was well worth the wait. The members knocked off the chicken in a flash, and the pulled pork went quickly, too. We sat with the Millers from New Jersey, the Hopkins' from New York, and the Bunns from Maryland. I also finally got to meet Dave Kalbach from Pennsylvania. I've talked with him several times over the past two years about my experiences becoming a flight instructor.

After dinner, those of us staying at the hotel found rides back. Once there, many stopped at the poolside bar to continue catching up with each other. And somehow, several of the women ended up in the pool. We called it quits around 11:00.

The COG plan for Saturday morning was seminars in the white tent, starting at 9:30. We decided to take advantage of the free breakfast, then rented a pair of bikes to continue our exploration of the island. We stopped at the flight line tent for a few minutes, then continued on along the bike trail circling the island. The trail wound its way along the river, through old growth oaks draped with Spanish moss. It was very pleasant and relaxing. When we rounded the corner at the north end, we turned into a headwind and the going got a little tougher. Turning south, we left the cover of the trees and were exposed to the direct sunlight. We quickly got hot and were looking for places to refill our water bottles. One place we passed was the Jekyll Island Club Beach Pavilion, the site of the COG dinner yet to come. From our vantage point, we were not impressed. It seemed run down and not at all attractive. We decided to skip getting dressed up later and just wear shorts instead.

Back at the Club, we rode around the historic area and took pictures of the beautiful, old cottages. The grounds were fantastic. The area was closed to motor vehicles and was criss-crossed with wide trails for riding or walking. As you might expect, many wedding ceremonies are held there. There were two or three setting up as we rode around.

While riding around, I heard the sound of airplanes. I looked up and saw six Commander fly low over the Club to the north, then return and fly over to the east. I found out later that they were asked by the couple to make the sign of the cross over the wedding party.

At 6:00 we caught a van to the Beach Pavilion. To our surprise, it was much nicer than we anticipated. The open patio was covered with linen covered tables with nice centerpieces and there was a room to the side where the catered dinner was being arranged. Dinner included shrimp and crab leg appetizers, followed up with salads and vegetables and another fish that I didn't have room to try.

After dinner, an FAA representative gave a talk about owner performed maintenance. He went through the Federal Regulations Section 43 with PowerPoint slides. I imagine the wives were about to fall asleep by the time he wrapped up his talk. He did make a comment that I found interesting and must pursue before my CFI certificate expires next summer.

Finally it was time for the awards and door prizes. The president of the COG passed out awards for best panel, best paint, and best interior for the various Commander models. Of course, the plane had to be present to be judged, so our plane didn't win anything. ;-) Dave Kalbach of New Horizons brought gifts from his vendors and passed them out as door prizes. We won a very nice clock that looks like an altimeter. (We gave it to Andrew. He now goes to bed at 8 thousand feet and wakes up at 6 thousand 600 feet.) Mark Breimeister, an onion seller, won a tow bar. Bill Hopkins told him that he could use it to pick onions. Greg Walker won a very nice set of headphones, to which Mark quickly offered to trade for a finely made tow bar. The offer was kindly refused. David Loose handed Commander COG to Pat, who was unfamiliar with its meaning. Commander COG is a stuffed animal dressed like a pilot, complete with logbook. He is handed from member to member and must fly along on all flights and have his logbook maintained. I'm looking forward to getting my turn with the Commander.

The next morning, we ate with Pat and Kiko. The discussion covered ideas and plans for Commander COG. Some ideas included buying him cute little outfits and a little suitcase. Pat had already found a tiny Jekyll Island sticker to affix to the suitcase. After eating, we said good-bye to all the other members that were still eating. I'm especially going to miss the Fergusons from England.

After breakfast, we caught a ride to the airport to begin our journey back to Sanford. Our first stop was actually to the north for gas, then back south along the coast towards Daytona Beach, then finally across to Sanford.

Along the way, we experienced a near emergency. It wasn't our emergency, thankfully. Another pilot was reporting low oil pressure and was trying to get back to St. Augustine. He was ten miles out at 1000 feet, flying over the marshy inter-coastal waterway. He was handed off to the tower, so we couldn't follow the progress, but shortly afterwards, we saw a low-flying plane land at St. Augustine, so I think everything turned out fine.

Back at Sanford, we were joyfully welcomed by Andrew. It was so nice to see him again. This was our first time away from him - other than when he was in the hospital his first month - for more than a few hours. He had a great time with Cathy and Dave, but was disappointed that he didn't get to go out in the boat.

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Interesting stories we heard while at the fly-in:

• Ken Andrews' plans to turn a farm field into a residential airpark, complete with two highly manicured and lighted grass runways
• Jim Richards' modification kits for various Commander models, including engine replacements, fuel extenders, and tail plane enhancements
• Pete Sattig's unfortunate muffler destruction and subsequent forced landing
• The man from Seattle (forgot his name) who is working on wing strength improvements for the 112 models
• The Ferguson's tales of getting their pilot licenses in England and the cost of flying over there
• Don Hoover's description of the best pizza place in Akron, OH, and his shock that I'd never heard of it, let alone ate there

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Description from Rob Rother of Scotland:

For those of you who couldn't make it the setting was magnificent. Mature trees were draped in green lichen and surrounded by well planted gardens. We strolled or rode around in electric cars just soaking it up, gently cooking in the sunshine and humidity. The buildings were indulgent and comfortable. Beer and wine flowed and in the evening we told lies under the stars to the sound of the surf.

This is a place where special moments happen. People start their married lives in the gardens and on the lawns and beaches. The COG obliged a couple who were marrying and it was a major hit. A fly-past and return. Sid, Pete and I joined Rich and his wife Lynne for dinner on the pier and met up with one of the couples. Enthusiastic !!! Commanders in the wedding photos. It added to their memories and I was pleased that the guys were able to give something back like this.

Some moments you just had to witness. The planes are all lined up getting polished and prepared for judging in the concours d'elegance. Two rowdies rolled up and liberally dusted the windshields with smoke and oil from their smoke systems. Some folk will do anything to get an advantage!

If the COG returns to Jekyll Island don't miss it second time round !

Next year, the fly-in will by in Sedona, Arizona. Oh, how we'd love to go again!