I's going to be quite an event this year with seven aircraft coming from Gillespie Field (San Diego) alone. Hopes are high that Eastern Bucker people will arrive in droves too
Not only is the fly-in wonderful, but the cetral coast of California is an absolutely beautiful place to visit. Mountains, beaches, fresh delicious produce, the artist community at Ojai, Hearst Castle, and Pacific coast wildlife. How can you resist?
Bucker fly-ins took place in Santa Paula as early as the 1970s. Aviation author Ernie K. Gann bought a Bucker, C-104, N121U at Santa Paula. He, with his son George came to pick it up. TWA Captain, Perry Schreffler created a party for the occasion. Most of the attendees were Airline pilots and Bucker owners. The party was so successful that Perry made it an annual event, and named it "Band of Brothers" after Ernie Gann's newly released book of that name. In 1984, the "National Bucker Fly-in" began as we know it today, under the patronage of Joe Krybus.
"The National Bucker Fly-In would like to invite you to the 27th anniversary edition of the longest running Bucker Fly-In in the country. Conceived in 1984 as a 50th anniversary tribute to possibly the greatest biplane ever designed, Joe Krybus promoted this event by calling every Bucker owner he knew to invite them to Santa Paula. This commemoration has continued yearly and still is the largest gathering of Bucker aircraft in North America.
This is the time and place where you can find most any information you ever wanted to know about Bucker airplanes.
The 2002 Fly-in
This year’s fly-in is going to be held on June 23 ~ 26, 2011 at Santa Paula Airport in Southern California. The early birds should start to arrive on June 22nd. The parking for fly-in aircraft will be on the large ramp in front of Joe Krybus’ hangar at the west end of the airport. If you plan to drive, please call for directions and parking or Map Quest the physical address at 340 Santa Maria Street, Santa Paula.
The popular motel used by the fly-in pilots in Santa Paula is the Ocean Gateway Inn at 350 South Peck Road. Their phone number is 805-525-1561. If you should like to try a restored historic hotel in Santa Paula, try the Glen Tavern Inn at 134 North Mill Street. Their phone number is 805-933-5550.
If you are bringing your spouse, the recommended hotel is the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 15 miles to the west in Ventura and owned by Bucker pilot Steve Craig. It sits on the beach and the room views are spectacular. It is actually possible to see dolphins, whales, seals and sea lions from your room or from the nearby pier. The C street Café in the hotel serves excellent meals and the breakfasts are reported to be superb. Adjacent to the hotel is the Aloha Grill and their food is really great. Four blocks away is the building where the Perry Mason series was conceived and written by Earl Stanley Garner. The characters were Ventura locals. From this hotel, you are only 30 minutes from Santa Barbara or 20 minutes to the neat little village of Ojai with it’s movie stars and celebrities. Their phone number is 805-933-0068. The address is 450 East Harbor Blvd.
For auto rentals in Santa Paula, try Enterprise at 805-933-0068.
Santa Paula is located about 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles. If you fly the airlines into LAX or Burbank it is an easy drive. Try driving north up I-5 to Highway 126 west and travel through the beautiful Santa Clara River Valley. Delta offers flights into Santa Barbara and the drive down the coast is very nice in spite of the recent fires. Take Hwy 101 south to Ventura, merge to the right and take Hwy 126 east to Santa Paula.
This is a very laid back affair and lots of time is spent talking about Buckers and show and tell. The general public is not invited although they are welcome, so this is a special way to see Bucker Jungmanns and Jungmeisters on the ground and in the air."
Contacts: Pat Quinn-Cell: 805-208-4589 Home: 805-642-3315
Joe Krybus-Office/Shop: 805-525-8764