By JOE FERNANDEZ
Santa Claus was getting ready in the North Pole for his yearly trek around the world, but decided to leave early because it got too cold up there.
So he traded in his famous sleigh for a beautiful vintage Waco UPF-7 and headed for the sunny Texas Hill Country.
On Dec. 21, 2024, Gillespie County Airport (T82) held its traditional Santa Fly-In.
At the yearly event, which was started in 2019, hundreds of families from all over the region eagerly waited for Santa’s arrival.
Once he greeted the crowd, he positioned the aircraft so that everyone had a chance to pose with him for a memorable photo opportunity.
Not always does Santa take images while inside an airplane, a rare occasion!
A number of pilots also flew into the airport for the fly-in and enjoyed the beautiful afternoon.
The airport staff handed out hot chocolate and Christmas cookies to all the guests.
The day started with a breakfast in the morning followed by a live presentation and briefing on the activities for later that day.
A special thanks goes to Gillepsie County’s Airport Manager, Tony Lombardi, airport co-chair Gwen Fullbrook of Crosswind Aviation, and Kris Finkbeiner of TacAero for providing the aircraft and meeting facility, and to all the volunteers who made this happen.
Planning for next year’s event is in the works.
And Santa is now back at home at the North Pole enjoying some much needed rest.
Leave a Reply