SOUTH CAROLINA’S GOT IT GOIN’ ON
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I have represented AOPA in South Carolina for 30 years and have never ceased to be amazed at the general aviation energy in the Palmetto State. This past weekend I had the pleasure of enjoying an aviation tradition that I have somehow missed until now. It’s the incredible “South Carolina Breakfast Club”, a real southern breakfast, with everything, including grits, biscuits and gravy, great fellowship and flying! Every other Sunday since 1938 (that’s 76 years) pilots & aviation enthusiasts in and near South Carolina have met for breakfast. There are no dues and no meeting requirements! Breakfast costs about $6 – $10 a plate – its ready about 9AM and there is always plenty to eat. Fly in or drive to the airport, have a great breakfast and talk flying until your hearts content! Pilots or non-pilots it doesn’t matter… everyone’s welcomed!
The South Carolina Breakfast Club is led by President Gerald Ballard who has been visiting airports around South Carolina and a few surrounding states every other Sunday since 1938. He only missed events during World War II when fuel was not available. The SCBC has no dues — you join by attending your first one and the only rule is to “fly safe.” Gerald wasn’t at the one at Rock Hill (UZA) this past Sunday but Stoney Truitt made me feel right at home real quick. He even made me a
“Life Member”; gave me a patch to prove it as well as a nice gold SCBC pin and last year’s 75th anniversary patch. I suspect that everybody that attends for their first time gets the same but it was only me on Sunday. I’ll have them sewn on to my vest along with all that other stuff that proves I’m a real pilot.
Yes, there a lot of fly-in breakfasts going on in the South but this one is exceptional. It’s an established tradition, all year round, on Sunday mornings, every other week and it moves all over the state. Valerie Anderson is the current “historian”. She takes lots of pictures during each event, turns them into a nice video that is accessible on-line. You can check it out further at the SCBC website: www.flyscbc.com . The annual schedule of locations is right there. You ought to try and get to of these breakfasts sometime soon.
I moved on to Spartanburg after the breakfast club on Sunday to meet with theSpartanburg Pilot’s Association on Monday evening at Spartanburg’s Downtown Airport (SPA), the oldest airport in South Carolina. The SPA now boasts more than 70 members and there were two new ones who had just soloed recently there too. My gracious host was association President, Terry Connorton and I think everyone there was an AOPA member. Thanks! The Spartanburg Pilots Association was organized about two and one-half years ago and is clearly prospering. I was impressed by their busy activities schedule… lots of events to attend around the region and fly-outs to other airports. Terry said they would plan to arrange flying to our AOPA Southern Region Fly-In at St. Simons Island on November 8th. This local pilots association is a perfect example of one way we can make flying fun again. It establishes a nucleus where pilots can gather and feel welcomed to be around people with the same interest. The activities add even more enjoyment. And what a great place to bring friends to introduce them to flying! I began this blog by mentioning the extraordinary general aviation energy in South Carolina. These two examples are just the beginning. There is so much more: The Triple Tree Fly-In in September 3-7, 2014 – www.tripletreeaerodrome.com ; The Southeast Aviation Expo at Greenville Downtown Airport – September 26-27, 2014 – www.scaaonline.com/southeast-aviation-expo , the South Carolina Aviation Association’s Annual Conference, Feb. 11-13, 2015 – www.scaaonline.com/sample-page/scaa-annual-conference and more I am sure.
We could all learn something from the GA activities and energy in South Carolina. Fly over there sometime soon and enjoy some real Southern Hospitality.
