09/29/2015
Fly-In, Eat-In & Cruise-In
aka Pigs, Planes & Mets
The end of the summer for most people in Nashville means back to school preparations, the end of vacation, and the beginning of the football season. (Go Titans!) For Bobbi and Dale Weakley, it means polishing the plane, firing up the barbecue, and setting up the biggest party Pleasant View has ever seen!
Each year, Bobbi and Dale Weakley throw their Annual Weakley’s Field Extravaganza, a party is now into its seventh year. Weakley Field is a privately owned airstrip that was the dream of Dale Weakley for years, and he made it into a reality, and each year he celebrates and invites all who will come to visit.
Some of you may know the town of Pleasant View, TN from its fame as the home of Shannon and Dick Crutcher, the famed restoration duo that has been in the Met business for over 30 years. (correct me if I’m wrong, Shannon.) Dale has been a friend of the Crutchers for many years, and when I restarted the Nashville Chapter of MOCNA (the Metropolitan Opry), Shannon told me that I had to get the group to the “Fly-In”. Not only were there over a dozen private planes of all shapes and sizes, but a half-dozen Metropolitans showed up, along with a ’57 Chevy Bel Air, a ’66 Dodge Polara Convertible, a ’54 Bel Air Convertible, a classic Corvette, among others, and a real show-stopper - Allen Eversole’s 1951 Triumph Mayflower; a real classic British Car that was complete with Carriage Lanterns, All-Original paint and interior, and a crank-starter as a backup just in case your battery goes dead! Of course, like any good contributor, I completely forgot to get a picture of the Mayflower, but have included a picture that I found online.
As soon as I got there, I knew that this was going to be a special event. Already, planes were flying in low overhead, the smell of barbecue (two whole pigs smoked overnight) permeated the air, and people were watching as skydivers parachuted in from above, applauding as each one came safely to the ground. Among the beautiful planes in attendance were restored and replica bi-planes, ultra-light planes that were built from home-grown kits, and a couple planes were giving rides to attendees patient enough to wait their turn. Our own Bobby Hamm was the first of our group to go up in a plane labeled “Air-Cam”, which was described to me as being an ultra-light built for doing low-flight camera work, and used originally by National Geographic for safari-style flights over Africa. Watching the plane take off was a sight, with Bobby in the front seat, sporting an intercom headset, and his trademark Santa beard. He waved enthusiastically as he flew overhead, only 100 or so feet off the ground before ascending to 500 feet. I can honestly say that I saw Santa Claus fly over Pleasant View that day, and I now know what Santa does on his off-days.
After Bobby came safely to the ground, I took my turn to go up, and it was quite a ride. A couple figure eights is all we were afforded, but it was quite a thrill seeing the air-strip from above, with a row of beautifully-polished Metropolitans looking much smaller than usual glistening below.
The food was fantastic; barbecue, hamburgers, hot dogs, beans, potato salad, and every other picnic-style meat, side and dessert you can think of. Bobbi and Dale were quite the hosts. Dale even had one of his Metropolitans on display, a nicely restored red-and-black model.
The party started officially at 10am, and rumor has it that it didn’t end until late into the night. Live music, a bon-fire, and even though I wasn’t able to stay late, I have heard that some years they even have fireworks.
Long story short, it was a fantastic way to celebrate the coming of the fall season. And if you have a small-format plane and happen to be coming into the Nashville area, dial your radio to 122.75 and call out to 6TN1. You might just find some friendly faces, good food, and a fellow Met-owner to welcome you.
Carson Parks, President
Metropolitan Opry
MOCNA Member 8594
https://www.facebook.com/MetropolitanOpry
