Published: June 15, 2009 11:02 am      

Airport welcomes antique planes during annual fly-in

History speaks, and Saturday at the Gainesville Municipal Airport (GMA) antique aircraft and airplane enthusiasts gathered to tell their tales. Locals came to ogle and learn about the planes and to just have a good time.

The 47th Annual Fly-In was hosted by members of the Texas Chapter of Antique Airplane Association, a group of aircraft enthusiasts whose monthly meetings bring them to sites around the metro-plex, and in June, to the GMA.

Dwayne Weger of Muenster said he joined the membership of Texas Chapter of Antique Airplane Association yesterday. “I just love old aircraft.”

Weger said he has been into airplanes a good while and now they are a major hobby.

Weger has had his pilot license for four years and besides being a pilot, he is a highway contractor and flies to his job sites all over Texas. He said there is no comparison between traveling by car or by plane. Flying wins. He said flying is more expensive but ‘time is money’.

Roger Tollefson, a member of the Texas Chapter of Antique Aircraft Association said be has “been into airplanes 15 years.”

Tollefson lives in Argyle and flew-in because he has a lot of good friends in the chapter. Tollefson said, “they are a pretty good group. A lot of us have grown up together.”

Tollefson now owns a Bonanza. “I started out with a $400 airplane in 1958, a Cessna 170. Then I went to a Cessna 182 and then to the Bonanza in 1960.”

Tollefson said he was watching the weather yesterday with the stormy weather in the area, but made it in to the hamburger cookout last night.

Sixteen year-old Alexandria Reetz’s event duty for the day was to drive a golf-cart throughout the crowd to make sure pilots were replenished with plenty of water, which she carried around in a cooler in the back of the cart.

Reetz said she comes from a family interested in airplanes.

“I was very young when I started coming to these events,” said Reetz. “Now we own a Stinson. We like talking with the people and getting to know them.”

Ron Melugin of Gainesville attended the show and said “I just like to look at old planes. I’ve come out here for years and when I have grandkids around I bring them.”

“I’m chairman of the County Historical Commission and I just like old stuff.”

Melugin came with his wife, Claudia, grandkids Scarlett and Jesse and Scottish Terriers Gracia Allen and Harry Potter.

Scarlett said her favorite plane at the show was the yellow Piper Cub where she and her family were sitting in the shade under the wing.

Pilot Tom Schad and friend, Jim Harper flew in with a Cessna O-1A, also known as a L19 Cessna and nicknamed “Bird Dog.”

Schad said this model plane was originally built in 1951 and shot rockets during the Korean and Vietnam Wars.

Schad is from Gainesville and owns at least several planes. “We just never seen to sell any,” said Schad.

“It’s a neat thing to get together and sit around and talk about airplanes,” said Schad “There is a lot of commradere here.”

On his rear window are stickers for each year he has attended the Annual Antique Airplane Association Meeting in Blakesburg, Iowa. “People come from all over the world to attend the meeting,” said Schad.

Don Biship of Bowie was settled in the shade beneath his 1941 Porterfield L-P 65’s wing with several friends, some from the Texas Chapter of AAA. He said he has owned his plane for 2 1/2 years and is selling it for $16,000.

Jerry Pockrus of Justin was busy telling locals about his 1942 Stearman.

“I’d always wanted a Stearman,” said Pockrus. “I’ve had it five years.”

Pockrus said the Stearman aircraft were used in World War II to train many pilots. New cadets would start out learning to fly in a J3 Cub, and then progress to the Stearman. “George W. Bush Sr., learned to fly in this plane,” said Pockrus.

Pockrus said the authentic color of the Stearman is the camouflage, as it is a military plane.

He said the previous owner of this particular plane used it as a crop-duster from 1954-1984. He bought the plane is 2004.

“I started flying in 1965,” said Pockrus, who got his pilot’s license in 1966.

The recently renovated P-40 Curtiss Warhawk used in World War II was also on display at the event.

Entertainment for the day included the air traffic patrol continually herding a determined skunk off the airport runway.

The day ended with the Texas Chapter of Antique Airplane Association Banquet, which included an awards ceremony.

For more information about the Texas Chapter of Antique Airplane Association go to www.texasantiqueairplane.org.