One big aviation family

Sometimes a fly-in plan comes together perfectly as was the case for the Carolinas Virginia Antique Airplane Foundation 2025 fall fly-in at historic Woodward Field (KCDN) in Camden, South Carolina. After nearly a week of mixed weather, 87 aircraft flew in for the Oct. 2-5 event under good conditions and warm temperatures.

Buoyed by the abundance of aircraft and more than 200 weekend participants, leaders of the Carolinas Virginia Foundation announced plans for a membership drive to revitalize the 61-year-old organization.

“The fly-in weekend was one of the best attended in years,” said Susan Dusenbury, longtime president of the group.

“Looking at the good turnout, we definitely want to refit and bring in members,” echoed veteran aviator Jim Wilson, editor of Antique Airways, the foundation newsletter. “We would like to say to everyone, if you like aviation, if you’re doing something, anything with flying, we want you.”

Membership was once heavily weighted toward those with an interest in pre-World War II aircraft, but the range of planes at the 2025 fly-in spanned the aviation spectrum from the 1940s to the present day.

Arrivals began on Thursday, Oct. 2, followed by a fly-out and luncheon the next morning at Huggins Memorial Airfield (58J) in Timmonsville, S.C.

The big day was Saturday, Oct. 4, when visiting aircraft completely filled the ramp at Woodward Field. With the ramp full, the parking guides directed aircraft onto the grass beyond the pavement until all 87 planes were tied down.

On Saturday, the prime parking spot in front of the meeting hangar was occupied by Rick Maury of Rock Hill, S.C., and his 1943 Howard DGA 15P. Maury, a retired American Airlines captain, offered a lawn chair under the wing of his Howard to visitors who wanted to know more about the plane.

“It’s powered by a Pratt and Whitney 985 radial with 450 horsepower,” he said. “It cruises at 130 knots, uses about 20 gallons per hour in cruise, and I flare for landing at 80 knots. Stall speed is 60 knots.”

Maury, a Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award recipient, said the aircraft is a pleasure to fly.

“But you have to watch the landings,” he cautioned. “One bounce is all you get and after that you go around.”

Steve Hawley, 88, of St. Matthews, S.C., who flew his 1942 Interstate Cadet S-1A to the event, is a longtime member of the Carolinas Virginia Foundation.

He shared that his Cadet was used in the civilian pilot training program in World War II. The plane is hangared at SC90, Do-Little Field, near St. Matthews.

“Do-Little Field is a 3,200- by 100-foot grass runway and I have seven acres and a hangar there,” he said.

He added that this year’s fly-in was one of the best ever.

“I’m very pleased with the turnout,” he said. “Lunch was excellent and I hope they will do this again next year.”

Typical of the fly-in visitors without a Carolinas Virginia Foundation tie were Tyler and Ashlee Fisher and their daughter Layni, 3. They arrived in N5019E, a 1958 Cessna 180. Tyler, a newly-promoted A321 Airbus captain for American Airlines, said they flew over from his home airfield, York Airport (01SC) in South Carolina.

“We came in about 20 minutes and flew formation with a couple of other people,” Fisher said.

He added that Ashlee and Layni enjoy flying, as do the couple’s other two children, sons Landon, 12, and Grayson, 8. They also enjoy attending fly-ins, according to Tyler.

“We like Oshkosh and SUN ’n FUN and local fly-ins,” he noted.

The fly-in finished strong with a well-attended meeting of the South Carolina Breakfast Club on Sunday Oct. 5. More than 40 Breakfast Club aircraft flew in, filling the ramp once again along with the remaining Carolinas Virginia chapter aircraft.

The success of the 2025 fly-in encouraged Dusenbury, who is a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Vintage Aircraft Association Hall of Fame.

“It was a really good fly-in,” she said. “The weather cooperated and although there was a little wind it was straight down the runway.”

The Carolinas Virginia Foundation, which has about 200 members, is Chapter 3 of the Experimental Aircraft Association Vintage Aircraft Association, which lists 15 chapters nationwide.

“We want to find other aviation enthusiasts to join us,” Dusenbury said. “If you have an airplane, you need a place to fly and our fly-ins are a great destination. We are just one big aviation family. We have members with homebuilt experimental aircraft and those who fly model airplanes. They’re all aviation enthusiasts, so they’re welcome to join us also.”

Dusenbury added the organization is focused on holding costs down for fly-in participants.

“We know it can be expensive when you attend an event like this,” she said. “For Camden, there was no charge for tent camping or for recreational vehicles, or camping beside or in your plane. There was only a $5 registration fee. And we provided showers and a kitchen and coffee at no charge and a clubhouse to meet.”

For those who want more information, newsletter editor Jim Wilson encourages them to check out the Carolinas Virginia Antique Airplane Foundation Facebook page. He added the foundation’s website, VAA3.org, is being reworked.

And he’d be happy to send you a copy of the newsletter, which has a membership application, if you email him at [email protected]. Yearly membership is $25.