2nd Annual Cinco de Mayo Canard Fly-In Columiba, CA

[FlyingTiger]

Hi Everyone,

 

Boy is this event growing! At last count it looks like were going to have over 80+ attending the Canard Fly-In at Columbia, CA (O22) over the weekend of May 5th-7th and probably a whole lot more. I just learned that the word has now spread into the Velocity community and they, being Canards, are more than welcome. We had a few last year but it looks like we will have quite a few more this year and that's wonderful!

 

The hotels in Columbia are probably now booked up but Sonora is close by with plenty of lodging. Rental cars are available and Sonora is only 5 miles from Columbia. If you get a room in Sonora and you need to rent a car I'm sure you will find people who will want to share and split the cost with you.

 

But why hassle with that when the campgrounds are so big and beautiful. Most will only spend one night (Sat) so why not make it an adventure. Bring along a small tent, a sleeping bag for each of you along with pillows and ground pads. A rolled up piece of foam works great for a ground pad. Hot showers are right there along with both men's and women's toilet facilities. We even have the Tuolumne Airmen's Assoc club house rented which is also right there.

 

I just got off the phone with "SilverEagle" Don Denhard who is our point man on the ground at Columbia and he has negotiated a local Mexican restaurant to cater the event. They are highly taxed because that weekend is after all Cinco de Mayo which is one of the biggest Mexican holidays. Plus they will have a separate "sidewalk" outdoor set up in town since their restaurant is small.

 

Don tells me that he has received about half the monies for the meals from those on the list "committed" to attending. He has gone out on the limb and ordered 80 meals from the restaurant. The bottom line here is that if you do not remit him a check real soon you probably will have to walk into town to eat dinner on Saturday evening. That's not so bad as it is a beautiful walk but gee, why don't the those of you who know your coming just drop him a check?

 

We had intended to make this an "all you can eat and drink affair" but with the shear volume of people now planning on attending only the "all you can drink" we will try to make good on.

 

Here is the menu for the Fiesta Saturday night May 6th:

 

Burritos or Enchiladas dinner with ever flowing Margaritas............$20

Burritos or Enchiladas dinner with ever flowing beers....................$15

Burritos or Enchiladas dinner with ever flowing sodas or water......$12

 

Please let him know if you prefer Chicken or Beef in your choices. Please send your check to:

 

D.E. Denhard

15800 Cardinal Ct.

Sonora, CA 95730

 

The town of Columbia is a beautifully restored Gold Mining town turned State Park and there is plenty of day and evening activity and it's only a short walk from the airport over a lovely nature trail. If returning during the late evening be sure and take a flashlight with you.

 

You can check the Cinco de Mayo Canard Fly-In website for activities, hotels/lodging and other interesting stuff. http://www.haltonbrat.com/

 

The local theater company is well know for putting on outstanding plays and this year they will have a Friday evening and Saturday Matinee over our dates. The Fallon House is located in the town of Columbia which I already said was very close by. They are putting on a musical called "Back to Bacharach". Here is write up from their website...."BACK TO BACHARACH

 

Music by Burt Bacharach/Lyrics by Hal David

April 14-May 28 - Fallon House

 

Revisit the ‘60s in this sensational tribute to some of the greatest pop songs ever written. In the spirit of Beehive and Smokey Joe’s Café, this is a glorious collection of more than 30 hits by composer Burt Bacharach and lyricist Hal David. At turns sophisticated and satiric, this tribute celebrates with nostalgia and humor some of the best-known songs of the ‘60s, made famous by the likes of Dionne Warwick, BJ Thomas, Herb Alpert and Dusty Springfield: “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head,” “Walk on By,” “Close to You,” “Say a Little Prayer,” and more.

 

You can purchase tickets in advance by going to their website. The link is on our website above.

 

Please be sure and send Don a check now and don't wait. Fly safe and see you there.

 

 

 

Tim LoDolce

VariEze N26FM (155hp)

Co-Chair530-386-3100

tiger@telis.org

[Len Evansic]

This last weekend, thanks to a generous ride provided by Marc Zeitlin, I was able to attend a great canard fly-in at Columbia, CA. I don't know what the actual count was, but I had noted at least 30 canards by mid-day on Saturday. Just about every type of composite canard was represented. The actual number of planes was rumored to be close to 40.

 

For the benefit of those not in the Western U.S., Columbia California is an old gold mining town in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, near Sacramento. Columbia's airport is an uncontrolled field with available on-site camping. The town itself attempts to re-create the "feel" of the gold rush times by only allowing horse-powered vehicles in the town and having everyone who works in the local shops, dress in period attire.

 

Canards de Mayo is a young event, this being the third year. I am tempted to say that it is a miniature Rough River, but since I haven't attend that event yet, I won't go that far. I could see this event matching Rough River in size in a few years, possibly becoming the matching book end at the lead of the summer fly-in season.

 

I met a lot of great people at the event, and saw quite a few that I had met before at Oshkosh or at other airports. Of course there was a lot of hangar flying and perhaps a few people had too good of a time at the Saturday evening dinner (there was a little too much wine to drink). The presentations of some new canard aircraft designs were interesting, and informative. Likewise, the illustration of the dichotomy of brake and rudder pedal philosophy between that of most canard aircraft builder/fliers and the view from the Velocity spectrum was enlightening. All in all, it was a great event.

 

-- Len