Flying events are set to return to Triple Tree Aerodrome in Woodruff, South Carolina, in September after a year of cancellations because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We are planning on a full series of events for fall of 2021,” said Triple Tree Aerodrome Executive Director Robb Williams.
Meeting fellow pilots, watching one of Triple Tree Aerodrome patriarch Pat Hartness’s vintage aircraft take to the sky, and watching evening radio control demonstrations are highlights that routinely draw crowds to the pristine facility. Registration for the Triple Tree Fly-In opens in July.
Radio control enthusiasts longing for a return to the air can make plans for several upcoming events: The Heli Extravaganza is September 9 to 12, and the Nall in the Fall RC event is October 2 to 9. Registration opens in June.
In early June, J.L. Mann High School senior Ben Templeton will embark on a 100-airport, 48-state, 8,300-mile cross-country journey in a 1946 Piper J–3 Cub to raise awareness for aviation. Shortly after the youth ambassador returns from a mission to “ignite and expand the passion for aviation,” the private pilot and RC enthusiast plans to pursue aviation management at Middle Georgia State University.
Though it will be Templeton’s first trip to California as pilot in command, it will be the Cub’s second trek from the East Coast to the Pacific Ocean. Hartness’s stepson Ryan Miles stopped at 40 airports during a 73.4-hour round trip in 1999 shortly after earning his CFII at age 18. The current Boeing 777 air cargo captain is serving as a mentor for Templeton, who has similar career aspirations.
Greenville Technical Charter High School science teacher and AOPA High School Aviation STEM Curriculum advocate Doug Adomatis will be recognized during a South Carolina aviation breakfast club event August 23. Triple Tree’s Aviation Centered Education GA scholarship winners will be announced on the same day to coincide with other state aviation week activities.