2023 End O’ Summer Fly-In & Car Show

 by Simon Cooper 

A group of VBAC members, just shy of a dozen, ventured out to a great local area event that we’ve enjoyed attending in years past. The 38th Annual End O’ Summer Fly-In & Car Show, hosted by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter 376, was held Saturday October 14th, at the Sierra Sky Park, in Fresno, California. Created in 1946, the Sierra Sky Park was the first of its kind, residential/small aircraft aviation community in the world. A total of 110 homes, covering an area of 130 acres, make up the community, where residents can land, taxi down extra wide avenues, and pull up and park in the driveway of their home.

 VBAC members displayed their vintage British iron alongside machines from all walks of automobile and aviation design. Included amongst the road worthy machines were vintage race cars, muscle cars, hotrods, a few one-offs, and even a couple of vintage fire engines. Many different air worthy machines were on hand, including a few of the Piper Cubs, a beautiful Kodiak 7 passenger. Most notable was the experimental airplane that, piloted by Fresno’s Tim Cone at speeds in excess of 240 knots, won the Thailand Air Race 1 World Cup, in 2017.

 A great pancake breakfast was enjoyed by all in attendance and we even got a chance to take advantage of the open space of the Sky Park, to take in the partial eclipse. Great to be in the right place at the right time… As with all car shows, and in this instance airplanes too, one can truly appreciate the all love (and MONEY) that goes in to the restoration and preservation of these fine automobiles and aircraft. It’s days, and shows like these, that we all hope will never come to an end. “Safety Third.”