Hood River WAAAM Antique Airplane Fly-In

Dave Baxter · Sep 23, 2021

I have been bemoaning for the last year or so the fact that one, especially with a new airplane have been unable to attend any fly-ins, as most have been cancelled. However as in my previous post we were able to attend and EAA chapter 292 fly-in at Independence Oregon several months ago, and the last month the Madras Airshow Of the Cascades and this month was able to have all three airplanes at Hood River, thanks to my airline buddy Steve. For me this was a big deal, especially at my age, and have really enjoyed attending this fly-in, over the last dozen yrs. It was a little scuzzy going, about 40 minutes over and 50 or so on the way back. I have also bemoaned the fact that over the last half dozen years or so almost no one seems to ask anymore about owning or building one. In the past at the dozen or so fly-ins we usually attend there was almost always a number of people that either were building or wanting to! Its hard for an old guy that has been involved in this sort of endeavor for over 50 yrs to finally figure out the dynamics of pilots and builders these days that seem to be considerably different than in the past. Many do not belong to kind of aviation organization such as EAA Aopa Oregon Pilots or other antique or warbird clubs or groups. They like airplanes, and love to fly but just seem to not want to be a part of what was once a movement where many seemed to have an interest for the home built biplane. Maybe it is just me as an old guy that is still stuck in the mud?

We did have quite a number of people that really liked our airplanes, and thought they were cool, one said they were the best looking airplanes at the show! They also had four OX-5 airplanes fly during the show, three biplanes, and one Curtis Robin! Their are some great video of most all of the antique airplanes, a bit disappointed that ours were not included in any of the videos, but then it was an Antique airplane fly-in, and they let us crash it and park with the real antiques so I can't really complain.

Along with the video I have posted a number of pictures that were taken over a four day period. Some were of an OX-5 engine that was all apart and being rebuilt, others were of the gate guard named "The Rat Cat" that for some reason I was quite taken by? It was a Stearman with metal Ag Cat wings with I think a 450 PW and a BT-13 canopy I thought the thing had some real potential? As I could just see it as my new airplane, dumping all of the spray booms and equipment adding wheel pants and converting it back to a two place! I even inquired with Terry Brant the museums founder for lack of better sense if it was for sale! Thankfully it was not, they had just recently acquired it and liked it out front as a gate guard advertisement for the museum. Apparently, if donated they have to own it for at least three yrs before they can sell donations. But it was appealing to me and one has to have crazy ideas like that to keep him interested in getting up and going? Dave

There were several more videos on YouTube featuring the Hood River Fly-In if anyone wants to overdose, as I only linked these two...