Vero Beach Aviation Day

The Flagship Detroit was the hit of the day at the Vero Beach Aviation Day last Saturday.  We had a large crew, some who flew over from Stuart with the plane and some who drove. Stuart locals Tony and Judy DeSantis were there, as was Dennis Puglsey and Bill and Michelle Brooks who made a brief appearance in spite of having a recent spell of illness. Stewardess Peggy Fairchild was up from Jupiter, Gene and Sheryl Christian were down from Georgia, and Jim Skelly was over from Tampa. We welcomed several newcomers to the crew. Scott Main, a new pilot member, was everywhere, helping in any way he could. His energy, piloting and mechanic skills will be a great addition to the crew. His Aero Commander was on display just on the other side of the Flagship.  Gladys Goedhart, American Airlines flight attendant, debuted her stewardess uniform and was a big help giving tours. Dick Grady came and spelled Judy's singing performance with his baritone. His wife, Alyce, also an American Airlines flight attendant, will soon join the stewardess line up.
We were surprised at the turn out for the event in light of the fact that the predicted high of 68 only made it to 57, cloudy and very windy.  For south Florida in March, this is tantamount to a blizzard in other parts of the country. In spite of the chill, folks were lined up well past the wing length all day, waiting patiently for the chance to see the interior of the 1937 vintage restored aircraft. We met many interesting people who had a history with aircraft like ours. One woman was mother-in-law to the granddaughter of C.R. Smith. Mr. Smith was the president of American Airlines in the early 30's who convinced Donald Douglas of Douglas Aircraft to modify the DC-2 to create the legendary DC-3.
There was a large selection of aircraft on display. Rides were being offered in a vintage bi-plane, as well as in a helicopter. There were also some aerial demonstrations.
The next public event for the Flagship is the Florida International Air Show in Punta Gorda March 21-24, followed by New Smyrna Beach Balloon and Skyfest April 4-7.