Jellystone Air Park: Sweet Potato Run

Test-fitting the sides of the Jellydrop Camper.

Brother Barbeau's highly modified Teardrop Camper project is coming along nicely. The base is up on wheels, and the sides and doors have been stained and poly-coated. It has been a fun project to work on. Sunday evening Gary and I received the following text message from Brother Baker: "Any plans for tomorrow? I'm off. . . Flying? Trailer hitching?" (Previous attempts to help install the trailer hitch on Gary's car have been interrupted by crew scheduling.) I replied: "I already have a hitch, so I vote flying."

Two of the three stooges.

The Directions for Instillation (English, French and Spanish) touted a thirty minute instillation time. The Jellystone install crew finished the job in twenty-seven! The wiring harness took an additional twenty-five minutes to install---not mentioned in the Instructions pour L'installation.

A test drive was in order. . .

In the parking lot at the local Jersey Mike's sub shop.

So what does any of this have to do with sweet potatoes, or Champs?

Well, it was the Monday before Thanksgiving. . . One dish that I especially enjoy is my bride's sweet potato casserole. I can't imagine Thanksgiving dinner without the savory orange colored delicacy. I just love the stuff! So where can you find fresh sweet potatoes? How about the Bush-N-Vine Produce Stand in York, South Carolina---just ten minutes (in a Hatz or Luscombe) west of Jellystone Air Park. Leaving the house Monday morning I said to my wife: "Don't buy any sweet potatoes, I'm hitting the Bush-N-Vine!"

The temperature Monday afternoon was somewhere in the mid forties. Perfect for Luscombe flying, but maybe a little uncomfortable in an open cockpit Hatz biplane. Still "chilled" from the morning hitch instillation, Gary decided the hangar needed cleaning more than he needed to freeze on the way to the Bush-N-Vine. So while Brother Barbeau swept the hangar floor, Brother Baker and I set out to save Thanksgiving dinner at Casa La Cottom!

The produce stand sits on the northwest corner of the York airfield. The winds were favoring a south operation, so we landed on Runway 18, and then back-taxied to the Bush-N-Vine. As we were making our one-eighty we noticed a bright yellow Aeronca Champ beside the hangar on the southeast side of the field---then watched it depart as we walked to the sweet potato stand.

Ten minutes and eight sweet potatoes later the Champ was on downwind. Sensing a photo opportunity, we stashed our produce in the baggage compartment, and positioned ourselves for the Champ's landing. . . After a nice touchdown, the Champ made a quick one-eighty, and then back-taxied and parked next to Four Three Bravo on the Bush-N-Vine ramp.

Photo by Joe Baker

The Champ driver was local celebrity, Bobby Woodson. Does the name sound familiar? It should. Bobby had a small part in a video that was making the rounds last year.