01-13
Traveling on Interstate 10 to Casa Grande on my way to the 40th anniversary of the Copperstate Fly-in, I can’t help but wonder what it must have been like 40 years ago. What was the price of Avgas? The average cost of a Piper? VFR and IFR rules over the vast span of desert? Who came to the show?
I don’t know the answers, but one thing I believe must have remained constant at this fly-in over the years is the excitement. That never seems to change.
The first day at Copperstate 2012 was a bit windy, but the wind settled down after the morning hours and that was a blessing. The grounds were set up as always which created a warm welcome. (Funny how we can be creatures of habit.) Good food and a place to stand in front of the large cooling fans is a reliable comfort for the attendees and exhibitors alike.
Seminar tents were bustling and the large family of vendors under the big tent were hustling their wares. Being one of them, I had a wonderful time listening to many aviation enthusiasts and not just doing all the talking.
As I tended to my booth, I had a great view of the numerous planes tied down on the tarmac—everything from jets and biplanes to ultralights and of course Pipers. I was able to admire paint schemes and watch our friends peer into the cockpits with one hand over their brow. (That happens when it is always sunny… and it’s the kind of thing you notice when you are people-watching from a trade show booth.)
The three-day event in late October zoomed by as hundreds of people stopped at the PFA booth to talk about the association’s benefits.
We may be creatures of habit, but something new this year was our partnership with the Francisco Grande Hotel and Golf Resort. Wow! I had no idea they host a world-class youth soccer academy. They have scouts from around the world hand-picking elite young soccer players for future semipro and pro teams… right here in Arizona. I watched them practice into the late hours under sodium-bathed light.
What’s really special is Francisco Grande offered any Piper Flyer member a huge discount on resort accommodations. I stayed there myself, and would wake up with the sound of a million mockingbirds singing their multitude of choirs. Later in the evening when I would wander through the manicured garden and check the pool’s temperature, I would grab a bite to eat at Legends steakhouse located right on the grounds. How convenient!
On the final night of the show, Bob Hurni organized a great sit-down dinner/award banquet. This year Piper Flyer had the honor of sponsoring and presenting the winning awards for the Piper aircraft classes. Accompanied at a round table with fun-loving folks and going over some of the highlights of the show started the evening with a bang. Dinner was very good and conversation was great.
Then came the handcrafted awards that Bob and crew designed. They cut, stained, and hammered and sealed copper plates. The awards were very professional and looked beautiful; one would think they were laser cut.
When it was my time to get up on the stage to hand the award out for the best of class, I wasn’t as talkative as I had been the previous three days. Go figure…
After the awards were handed out, I was ready for the famous bread pudding dessert. To my surprise, I was a bit late. I was talking too much and all that was left were burnt crumbs sizzling over the sterno burners. (I was tempted to do the bobbing-for-apples maneuver, but didn’t think that would look very cool.)
The Copperstate leadership, along with a phenomenal crew of volunteers, had done it again—another great show in Casa Grande. So here I am, shaking hands with friends and looking forward to the 41st annual Copperstate Fly-in.
Yes, Avgas prices may rise, regulations will always be there, and toys will inevitably get more expensive. So be it. There will be new stories, new friends and the excitement will be back. I hope to see you there.
Kent Dellenbusch is vice president of the Piper Flyer Association and director of sales for Piper Flyer. Send questions or comments to editor@www.piperflyer.com.
