Overcast skies kept some planes away, but Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 534’s Fly/Drive-In and pancake breakfast still drew about 60 aviation enthusiasts to the Leesburg International Airport on Saturday.
The event was originally scheduled for Oct. 1 but was postponed due to Hurricane Ian. Weather was a factor this time, too, as the airport was classified as Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) with the clouds just slightly above 500 feet.
Fortunately, the event had been billed as a Fly-In / Drive-In and people from across Central Florida who may or may not be EAA members were welcome. Because of the bad flying situation, only one plane show up for the pancake breakfast. However, the grass parking lot across from the EAA hangar was full of cars. Members mentioned they had never seen so many cars there before.
Most of the people who drove in had never attended before and knew nothing about what the chapter was doing.
This was a great opportunity to spread the word and find some new members. Some people were National EAA members who had recently retired to Florida and had not found a local chapter and others were aviation enthusiasts who were interested in what the Leesburg chapter was doing.
Chapter 534 president Steve Tilford said they were able to recruit three new members on the spot.
While handing out sumptuous blueberry pancakes, the chapter’s Vice President, John Weber, had a person walk up to him and anonymously donate $ 1,100. Visitors also donated another $400 to the chapter treasury.
The one airplane that braved the sky to attend came from Loves Landing in Weirsdale, which is about a 10-minute flight to Leesburg. They had to fly at 500 feet just under the overcast.
When they reached the airport and checked in with the tower they were given “special VFR permission” to land. When they left for home later that morning the ceiling had lifted considerably.
