With a plate full of pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, and hash browns, I’m a happy boy. A Styrofoam cup of coffee completes my All American Breakfast. The space around me buzzes with activity. Every seat is filled, every table occupied. The low clamor made by dozens of conversations going on simultaneously takes nothing away from my enjoyment of casual chatter with my tablemates.

There is nothing subtle or retiring about the monthly pancake breakfast at EAA Chapter 1240, in Sebring, Florida. A dedicated team of volunteers have food and beverages ready to go by 8 a.m. The hangar fills quickly, tables turn over at an impressive rate and, as if by magic, the hangar is nearly empty again by 11 a.m.

Regardless of the weather or the time of year, each gathering is a winner, by design.

Held in the chapter’s 60’ x 70’ hangar on the southern end of the airport’s expansive ramp area, space is not a problem. Or at least it wasn’t.

Now plans are afoot to expand and the need for a larger hangar isn’t because the pancakes are so big or the kitchen staff requires more elbow room. The chapter’s needs are spreading out because kids are taking over the place. [Read more…]

To the average general aviation enthusiast, there is nothing all that remarkable about jumping into a single-engine aircraft and pointing it over the horizon for a trip from here to there and back again. Maybe it’s a day-trip. A simple out-and-back. Or maybe it’s a bit more ambitious. A trip of a hundred miles is enjoyable, but not exactly earth-shattering. Extend that cross-country by twice as many miles, or 10 times as many, and it merely becomes a series of hops that add up to the full distance. [Read more…]