Fly-in breakfasts at airports tend to smell like av gas and maple syrup.

This morning I flew across the river to Mandan’s fly-in event in my Cherokee… Jeep Cherokee, that is, and not Piper. My dad’s airplane hasn’t been here since last fall.

The weather wasn’t too bad. There were some clouds and overcast moments, but the turnout was pretty good and it was better than last year’s weather, which was a torrential downpour and thick clouds which meant there was little flying in to the fly-in.

I took photos and videos of some of the planes with my phone. Duggy, a very happy DC-3 who I’d seen a few years back in the Fargo Air Museum, was there. Spray planes, pontoon planes, planes with huge bush tires, helpicopters, tail draggers, low-wings — all the usual suspects. You can see these photos here.

It was a nice morning. I haven’t been up flying for a long while, so it was nice to get a little taste of aviation, even if only on the ground. The breakfast line was hugely long and extended out of the hangar, so I never did get a taste of that maple syrup.