Back to Vintage Mooney Group Home Page Sedona, AZ Fly-In
April 28, 2012
Hosted by
Ozzie & Jo Kaufmann
 

 

Every once in a Blue Moon, the weather, time of year, and the destination combine to make the VMG monthly fly-in perfect. This month our destination was Sedona, AZ, and the conditions were absolutely great. Sedona airport, known out west as the U.S.S. Sedona because of its aircraft carrier image, is located on a mesa in the spectacular Mogollon Rim country. The beautiful views of the rosy sandstone bluffs that surround the town make Sedona a favorite fun destination for pilots.

   

Originally, we had been promised exclusive use of the corporate jets ramp right in front of the restaurant for our Mooney group but it was not to be. It seems there was a large all white Gulfstream jet parked there and no other planes were to be allowed near it. Later conversations with the line crew revealed that it was a Counter Intelligence Agency jet that came in on Friday carrying Leon Panetta, Secretary of Defense. It seems he was in Sedona visiting Senator John McCain who lives just a couple of miles from the airport. Odd, I always thought that CIA planes would be painted all black?

 We had 17 planes and 36 people attending. The unannounced arrival of a Bonanza group who was having a fly-in breakfast overloaded the ramp. We Mooniacs had to park wherever we could fit in.

    

    

The beautiful new restaurant at the airport had a separate patio for our Mooney group to luncheon at. This restaurant is starting to be known for its chef and the daily crowds are almost making reservations necessary. We all had a excellent lunches with much chatter. After lunch, I made a presentation on our recent Mooney trip around the Caribbean all the way to Curacao, off the coast of Venezuela, and to Panama, and then back to Tucson. It was a 9650-mile trip.

All in all, I think everyone had a good time and were happy to visit with other Mooniacs. 

Ozzie Kaufmann
N1157A
Tucson

Photographs courtesy of VMG Member Paul Kortopates

See you at our next fly-in!