South Carolina Breakfast Club in Orangeburg

The day after the Trenton Flyers candy drop I got to attend my first South Carolina Breakfast Club (http://www.flyscbc.com/) "meeting". This is a great group that is very active. Weather permitting (and last year it doesn't look like there were many they had to cancel) they hold a breakfast and short meeting at a different airport in the state every other Sunday. Attendance is typically very good, with there commonly being over 100 attendees.

The morning of the breakfast, I awoke early to be there and tied down for the 9 AM start. It was a beautiful morning, but with patches of fog in the low-lying areas. The Trenton airfield was clear and I elected to go. Apparently, attendance at this breakfast was hurt by a report of Orangeburg being IFR due to fog. Supposedly, they got about half of the attendees they were expecting (I heard there were around 70 attendees). The SCBC president drove in too due to the reports. I guess now they know which half of the attendees call for weather briefings before leaving!

The flight to Orangeburg was beautiful, and I experienced one of those aviation rarities - a good tailwind! I averaged about 115 mph in my champ for the flight there! It was clear and quiet with the sun rising directly in front of me and the hollows filled in with patches of fog. It was definitely worth getting out of bed early for!

Fog was covering the low-lying areas

My only complaint about the flight there is that it was directly into the sun

I arrived around 8:30 and there was already a good crowd there. They were another welcoming group of aviators. Breakfast was in a large hangar and had quite the variety. Afterwards, there was a brief meeting. Prizes were given to the people who flew the farthest to be there. One of the themes of the breakfast club meeting was to keep people flying. The president talked about how you need to keep practicing to stay proficient. In order to motivate people to do this, they used to have a tradition where the person who made the worst landing at the breakfast had to take a ball with them at the end and bring it back next meeting - a promise to come back and keep practicing. Supposedly, they lost too many balls that way, so now they just have people sign them. When they started talking about bad landings I got a bit worried, but nobody had a truly bad landing that day, so instead they recognized the guy who had the best landing. They didn't announce they were doing this though, so when they called out the N number, the room fell silent and everybody just started looking around. When he announced that he wanted to recognize a truly nice landing, the culprit fessed up to it being his.

Part of the aircraft line-up

Nice Sonex that attended

Another pretty attendee - a Swift

A very sparkly trike

If you couldn't tell before, the SCBC is mainly about friendship and camaraderie. People were greeting others as good friends that see each other weekly at these meetings. They really formed a supportive aviation community with the breakfast club.

After breakfast, I got Rudolph fueled and ready to go (they gave me a good discount, I guess for coming in for the Breakfast Club). While I was in the FBO paying, a government helicopter flew in with a surprised pilot. He thought he was going to a quiet little country airport and was greeted by a large crowd of GA planes. He flies VIP transport for government officials, and had dropped one off and was stopping briefly at Orangeburg to see his kids. It was a nice family moment.

Incoming helicopter!

On the way back, the tailwind had turned into a headwind. Since I didn't have any place to be and wasn't getting anywhere fast anyways, I used the time to practice some slow flight and ground reference maneuvers. Also, it was fun!

Orangeburg after the breakfast crowd left

The South Carolina Breakfast Club is a wonderful, welcoming organization. If you live within comfortable flying range of one of their events, GO! You'll be glad you did. 

Trenton Flyers Candy Drop

The Saturday before Halloween, the Trenton Flyers held their annual candy drop. This is a chance to get local kids out to the airport for some Halloween fun! An Acey Deucy, specially outfitted with a candy chute controlled from inside the cockpit made several low passes down the wide taxiway at Trenton, dropping candy each time. To ensure that no kids got left out, each drop alternated between the older kids and the younger kids. All appeared to have a great time, with many excited children and parents.

The Acey Deucy with candy chute

On the aircraft side, the Trenton Flyers have this well coordinated. They have a nice loop set up where the pilot can take off from the main runway, turn and drop candy over the taxiway and then land back on the main runway in a very efficient pattern. Volunteers on the ground keep the kids off the taxiway until the plane has cleared the drop zone, and then it becomes a race for them to go grab candy. While this is happening, the plane lands, taxis to a truck with candy laid out in bags in the right amounts to fit in the chute, and reloads for another run.

Candy drop!

A couple of my coworkers actually brought families to the event and were thrilled! They had a great time and said they would definitely be coming back next year!

After the event, all the kids and parents had a chance to meet the pilot and see the plane. He was mobbed!

Meeting the plane and pilot after the candy drop

Once all the excitement had died down, I decided to fly over to Twin Lakes Airpark (S17) with a Stearman. This was a neat little airpark with a vibrant and active flying community. Everyone rides golf carts around to go visit each other. If my dream of having a private airstrip on a ranch doesn't work out for me, this might not be a bad alternative!

Twin Lakes Airpark

Parked at Twin Lakes

Trenton Flyers Lunch in Sandersville, GA

The following Friday was a beautiful cloudless day and I had an invite to go to lunch in Sandersville, GA with the Trenton Flyers. For part of the flight, most of the group was in the air together and I listened to the radio chatter. Aviation is neat in that you can be alone in your aircraft and yet still enjoy the company of your friends who aren't even within your visual range.

Crossing the Savannah River

The scenery on the way to Sandersville was much more interesting than going to Greenville. The route crosses the Savannah River, which divides South Carolina and Georgia. Then it skirts Augusta, GA before getting into quarry country. The airport near Sandersville is called Kaolin Field (KOKZ). This name comes from the  Kaolin clay and the company there that processes it. This clay is very white and is used in many products from cosmetics and bath products to paper. The old quarries have the same square corners and bright water as the stone quarries I am used to seeing, but the water isn't clear.

Kaolin clay quarries

Kaolin airport with the factory in the back

When I arrived, there was already a decent crowd there. Turns out that in this crowd I am definitely not the fast one! The Trenton Flyers group has an interesting line up of airplanes, which includes another Aeronca (TAC)! The line-up also included an RV-12, Stearman, Tecnam and the newest addition to the Trenton Flyers fleet, a Socata Tampico.

Aircraft line-up (prior to Stearman arrival)

Aeronca 65-TAC

Billy, the Trenton Flyers' Social Director had arranged in advance with the FBO for crew cars to take all of us to the restaurant in town. It is a nice little town. The restaurant was right in the town square which seemed like it had quite a bit of parking, yet everything seemed to be full. The restaurant was a buffet and it was bustling. We managed to snag two tables together though and enjoy a nice meal. The Trenton Flyers are extremely friendly and welcoming. They also have tons of interesting stories to tell!

The restaurant in Sandersville

After lunch, one flyer had an issue with the key for the airplane. It had broken during shut down and he had gone to the local hardware store to get a new one made. Unfortunately, upon his return to the airport, it was discovered that the new key didn't work. Several of us waited around, ready to offer seats home should they be needed. Fortunately, one more trip to the hardware store and he had a working copy. After that, the flight back was uneventful, but the weather was still nice and it was quite pleasant. It was another wonderful fall flying adventure!

Arriving back at Trenton

Lunch in Greenville

The next weekend, my coworker was ready to go on another flying adventure. While looking up interesting places to fly to in the area, I stumbled across Greenville Downtown airport (KGMU) and their Runway Cafe (http://www.runwaycafegmu.com/). As Greenville is Class D airspace, this would be my first time flying into a towered field in ... well ... quite a while.

The first twenty minutes or so of the flight were just over pine trees, pine trees, and more pine trees. Trying to keep my passenger interested in the landscape, I diverted a bit to fly over a nice lake I saw off to our right. It was beautiful, and there was a nice private strip near it.

Lake on the way to Greenville, SC

The airspace around Greenville is crowded. Greenville Downtown lies under the outer ring of Greenville-Spartanburg's Class C airspace. Greenville Downtown is Class D. Approach to Greenville Downtown from the south is blocked by Donaldson's Class D. As I approached, I decided not to mess with it. I flew around Donaldson to the west and called Greenville Downtown to enter their airspace.

The airspace around Greenville, SC

As I was approaching the airport on the tower frequency I heard a strange radio exchange between the controller and an unknown aircraft (I don't remember the N number, so I'll just use N123 here):

CT: N123, you are probably used to it by now, but we saw a steady stream of smoke coming out of your number 4 engine. We did get some pictures.

N123: Thank you tower, but it is fine.

At this point I was extremely confused. What kind of aircraft was in the pattern there that 1) had four engines and 2) was not concerned about a steady stream of smoke coming out of one of them? I mean, I guess I would be less concerned about a smoking engine too if I had three others, but still...

I continued approaching the airport and was sequenced in behind an RV. As I approached and had the field in site, I realized what kind of airplane that must have been. Part of the field looked like a WWII base! What a nice surprise!

On my initial call, I had told the controllers I was coming in for some lunch. When I touched down on the runway, they gave me taxi directions to the parking on the grass right by the restaurant. The controllers could not have been friendlier or more helpful.

Parked in the grass

I parked the plane and walked over to see what was going on. The Collings Foundation (http://www.collingsfoundation.org/) was there with their B-17, B-24, B-25 and P-51D! They also had several period vehicles, and the Military History Center of the Carolinas (http://www.milhcc.org/) had set up a display of SC Military Aviation History. The only downside was that the restaurant was packed, but there was so much to see we didn't mind the short wait!

B-17

P-51D and support van

Period vehicles

I am very old! Please keep off.

Part of the display by the Military History Center of the Carolinas

After taking a look around, we went to the cafe for lunch. This is a great little fly-in destination. There are ample windows and a large patio area so you can watch the planes taking off and landing while you eat. The food was good as was the service. As a bonus, while we were eating on the patio we got to see the P-51D start-up almost right in front of us, taxi out and take off! What a treat!

The Runway Cafe

The flight home was uneventful. We made a quick stop in Greenwood (KGRD) for fuel on the way back due to lack of fuel at my temporary base. It is a big airport with a friendly staff and multiple runways, but it was practically deserted when we went there.

All in all, it was a great day of flying with some unexpected, but very welcome surprises!

Hamilton-Owen Fly-in

After hunkering down for a weekend and waiting out a hurricane, I decided to take advantage of the following weekend's beautiful weather and go to the Hamilton-Owen airport (KCUB) outside of Columbia, SC for their fly-in. Since I also believe in trying to spread the aviation bug, I brought my co-worker with me. He was a very pleasant and enthusiastic passenger, and the last I heard, he is working on his ground school and will start flight training soon! As an aside - give rides! Your passenger may become the next new pilot at your field! 

The weather was beautiful with light breezes and only a few puffy clouds. The only thing to watch out for was ensuring that we stayed outside of Columbia's Class C airspace.

Hamilton-Owen Fly-In

The fly-in was well attended, though most of the people had actually driven in. There was quite a good turn-out of non-aviation people. Many interesting planes were there as show-planes. Some of these were owned by local(ish) pilots and included vintage aircraft (such as a Champ and a Cub), experimentals (Starduster, Lancair, Rans Coyote), vintage warbirds (Corsair, SNJ) and other interesting planes such as a Phoenix motorglider.

Corsair

Starduster

One highlight of the event for many was the arrival of the University of South Carolina's King Air with their mascot, Cocky.

Local law enforcement and military groups also had a good showing. The Air National Guard was inspiring the next generation of military aviators with their Chinook by letting them climb up into the cockpit to take a look around. Their Apache also drew a crowd and its pilot, a female officer, was both very knowledgeable and approachable.

Chinook cockpit

Apache

The local sheriff was also there with his helicopter, answering questions from a seemingly endless stream of children. He was a good ambassador, not only for aviation, but for law enforcement as well. It was also great to show all the youngsters that there are jobs in aviation outside of the standard airline pilot job that people always think of.

Local sheriff and his helicopter

Another interesting plane there was the South Carolina Historic Aviation Foundation's B-25 Mitchell. The plane was left to sit and rot for years, but this group is now taking care of it and working on restoring it as a static display. From what I saw, the group is making great progress, but still has lots of work ahead.

The South Carolina Historic Aviation Foundation's B-25

Oh, and there were a bunch of vintage motorcycles there too...

Motorcycle line up

I did find one that I have to admit I kind of like.

Harley Davidson M-50

To emphasize what I said earlier about aviation jobs people don't normally think of, on the way back to Trenton we saw a helicopter flying low to the ground near some power lines. On closer inspection, we realized the helicopter was carrying a giant saw blade and trimming the trees. That is one aviation job I think I will pass on. For now at least.

South Carolina Bound!

I ended up needing to go down to South Carolina for work for a little under two months. Since the airports down there with commercial service are small and have only a few flights per day, which all require connecting through Charlotte, deciding to take Rudolph was an easy choice. This decision had the added bonus of providing me with plentiful weekend entertainment!

After checking out a couple of local airports by car, I found a grass strip not too far from where I would be staying that could rent me a hangar for a couple of months. The grass strip is Edgefield (6J6) and is located just outside the tiny town of Trenton, SC. This nice little airport was built by the military "back in the day" and has two wonderfully smooth grass runways. These days, it is maintained by a very nice gentleman named Johnny who keeps the place looking beautiful. It is also home to the Trenton Flyers, a friendly and active group of pilots and friends. They can usually be found hanging out on the porch of the club house on Sunday afternoons. They also hold several events throughout the year, such as a Halloween Candy Drop for local children and club parties. A group of them also fly to lunch every other Friday. They are a very warm and welcoming group of aviators.

Edgefield Airport

South Carolina has a very vibrant aviation community. There are numerous fly-in communities and active aviation groups. The South Carolina Breakfast Club (http://www.flyscbc.com/) holds a fly-in breakfast at a different airport in the state every other Sunday, and there is of course the aforementioned Trenton Flyers lunch trip. After learning about all of this I was really looking forward to spending some of the best flying weather of the year gallivanting about the state with Rudolph!

The fight to SC started off with beautiful views of the mountains

On departure day, the weather was beautiful! The route of flight would keep the mountains off to my right for much of the way down, with flat land below me. It was kind of the best of both worlds - easy flying and great views all at once! Flying further south, I saw some beautiful lakes. Passing near Smith Mountain Lake, I could hear several other pilots on the radio, enjoying the beautiful day.

Near Smith Mountain Lake

My last stop in Virginia was Blue Ridge Airport for some fuel before heading to the Carolinas!

Blue Ridge Airport (MTV)

Flying south, the weather remained nice with a slight headwind. As I passed near Charlotte, NC at 2,500 ft and into the flatlands I came across a cluster of towers that went up higher than I was! I made sure to give those a wide berth.

I made one last fuel stop at Union, SC (35A) since Edgefield doesn't have any fuel. The rest of the flight was uneventful and I landed a bit before sunset. I got Rudolph tucked away in his new temporary home full of gas and ready for some South Carolina adventures!

Sunset at Edgefield