Myricks 2011
The annual EAA Chapter 196 (MinuteMan Airfield) fly-in to Myricks was held on Sunday, September 18. Myricks is a small grass strip directly south of Taunton. AirNav says it has a 2466 foot runway. The runway is generally in good condition, although there are some slightly nasty dips around the one-third point of the west end of the runway. Almost all of the rest of the airport has grass in smooth and mowed condition, allowing taxiing to park almost anywhere.
Unlike the Simsbury fly-in that is held on the same day, this one is much more low key. It has a real old-timey, down-home feeling. No special FAA procedures to fly in here, and no C-5 flyovers. There are fly-bys, but they tend to be planes like Stearmans and Super Chipmunks and Cubs (J-3s and Supers) and whatever else feels like showing up.
The Myricks event has been held just about every year for the last 40 years with only an occasional rainout. The event was started by Genno Tassinari, who EAA 196 member Charlie Smith had brought to the Myricks 2011 event. I had the privilege to get a chance to talk to the 95 year old Genno, who not only started the Myricks event but was one of the co-founders of EAA Chapter 196. (When I asked former Chapter president Bill Greenberg who I could talk to about the history of the event, he pointed on Genno sitting in the hangar, and told me to talk to him, saying he was the founder of the event.) Another EAA Chapter 196 member dedicated to keeping the event going is Mike Doyle, who continues to support the flying event even though he recently sold his Cessna 172XP.
Some of the unique airplanes that could be seen and even touched include a red Stearman (only one: last year there were about half a dozen); a very unique and unusual parasol-wing Fairchild F-22; a small single seat homebuilt; an old and slightly beat-looking two-place boat hull amphibian; and a shiny new Legend Cub on amphibious floats. Some of the less unique airplanes included Chapter 196 president Clyde Kessel’s Beech A36; Bill Greenberg’s Tiger; and three Cherokee 180/181s including my own N9040J.
One of the cute highlights of the event is held in the early afternoon. A crowd of kids is gathered near the midfield hangar, and a Super Cub makes a low candy-bombing pass. The kids then race across the field with a variety of bags to grab all the candy they can find. For those who are not so lucky the first time, the kids all get lined up again for a second candy-bombing pass.
It is a low-key, fun fly-in to an old time grass strip airport. Plan to attend next year: third Sunday of September at Myricks.
By Jim Ellis
