We managed 4 flights in March, and also did some “fly to lunch” adventures!
On March 3, I allowed myself to start feeling a bit safer since it was now two weeks past my 2nd COVID-19 vaccination shot. So, to celebrate, Amy and I flew together to Angelina County Airport to have lunch at the diner there. She was still not inoculated, so I ordered while she found a spot outside. (I was still wearing a mask.) We sat outside in the still chilly-but-not-terribly-so temperature and had the tiny thrill of eating out again, after so long.
Amy gets her 1st COVID-19 shot on March 15.
On March 19, I again flew to Angelina County Airport to have lunch, but this time my brother, Jim, was with me. On our return flight we did a stop-n-go at Groveton Trinity County airport [33R], then a fly-by of Frank Toole Memorial Field [57TX] (near Trinity, TX). and we eye-balled Grand Rock UL airport [XA52]. Things were starting to feel semi-normal again. Eventually, someone would start having fly-ins again!
![Grand Rock UL airport [XA52]](https://i0.wp.com/www.texas-flyer.com/newblog/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/4N1A2604.jpg?w=218&h=140&ssl=1 "4N1A2604")
![Frank Toole Memorial Field [57TX]](https://i0.wp.com/www.texas-flyer.com/newblog/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/4N1A2605.jpg?w=656&h=290&ssl=1 "4N1A2605")
Dinner Flight
We had been talking about how nice it was to take the plane to an airport to have lunch, and it occurred to me that we might even be able to do dinner! Being a sport pilot, I’d have to be sure we were back to our home airport before the end of civil twilight, but a quick look showed it was doable. On March 20th we decided to give it a try and flew to Hilltop Lakes [0TE4] to eat at their restaurant. We left at 4:25 pm, arriving about an hour later. It was a 5-minute walk from the parking area to the restaurant. We were seated by 5:40 pm.
We didn’t rush but enjoyed our Italian dinners. We had a great seat overlooking the gentle hills, the lake, and the swimming pool. The food was good and we felt safe wearing our masks (we took them off to eat, of course!). We then headed back to the plane at about 6:25 pm. After takeoff, we circled the field once for a nice photo, then headed back. We were wheels-down at the home airport at 7:26 pm, about 31 minutes before the end of civil twilight. Success!
We were very happy that we were able to “fly to dinner” in the Cavalon. It was a good meal and a nice little adventure!
Nine days later — March 29 — we decided to do another “fly to lunch” and picked the airport at Cameron, Texas. I looked at Google Maps and saw that there was a Mexican restaurant only a few hundred yards away from the airport at Cameron. So, happy to be heading out again, I just blithely looked at the hours of operation on the web and we headed out. That turned out to be a big mistake.
An hour and nineteen minutes after we take off, we’re in Cameron and walking toward the restaurant. As we approach, we notice the parking lot is empty. Ugh. We get there to see that they are closed on Mondays. Nuts! I had checked the hours of operation, but not the days. We discuss various options but decide to just head back home. Amy had the foresight to bring some energy bars, so we’re not famished. It was a good lesson to be more careful about ensuring our destination is open.
An interesting side note: as we were announcing our landing on the Unicom frequency, we heard on the radio the voice of my gyro instructor, Dayton Dabbs. He was out with a student at a nearby field (with the same frequency, of course), and he heard us announce. That was a fun coincidence!
On departure, we had to wait while two helicopters danced around the pattern and the runway. The pilots were training… I heard something on the radio about a simulated failure of the tail rotor. It was fun to watch them. One of them complimented me on my craft, which I appreciated!
The primary goal for this trip was a bust, but I got a lot of nice photos.
March was a great flying month…. four flights and each one to a destination (at 3 of the 4 we got to eat lunch or dinner). Generally, the SE and central Texas area we fly around seems to be opening up a bit more. It feels like we, perhaps, have turned a corner on the pandemic. People are still cautious — especially those who are not yet vaccinated — but life in the small towns is stirring again.
It was nice to fly along with you again.
Nice to see you guys are out and about enjoying aerial views all over the place!