Florida club hosts annual vintage conveyance celebration
Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Florida, welcomed members and registered attendees to its four-day celebration of classic aircraft, automobiles, and yachts at its one-of-a-kind oceanside resort.
Ocean Reef Club, a members-only community, boasts its own private 4,500-foot runway; private marina; two private championship 18-hole golf courses; and a multitude of dining, shopping, and lifestyle amenities across its expansive 2,500-acre grounds.
Perhaps the most captivating part of the weekend were the day and night aerobatic displays by the Aeroshell Aerobatic Team, Patty Wagstaff, a North American AT–6 Texan from Race 90 Honda Generators racing team, two rare Grumman F7F Tigercats, and a Lockheed P–38 Lightning. All of this could be enjoyed by attendees from the comfort and beauty of Ocean Reef’s private beach on Buccaneer Island, and members who made the short trek to ”The Point” got an even more spectacular view of the airshow taking place just off the coast.
Following the oceanside airshow luncheon on Saturday, attendees trundled in their golf carts to the private airfield to get an up-close and personal look at the aircraft and a meet-and-greet with their stewards and pilots.
Ocean Reef Club resident, pilot, and chairman of the National Museum of World War II Aviation Jim Slattery, as well as the museum’s president and CEO, Bill Klaers, brought the P–38 Lightning White 33 and the two F7F Tigercats for their Vintage Weekend debut all the way from Colorado Springs, Colorado.
White 33, the only flying P–38 in the world with a combat record, drew a large crowd as attendees were regaled with the stories of the aircraft’s incredible history, including the downing of two Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero aircraft in 1942. The aircraft was dug out of the ground in New Guinea in the 1990s and restored by WestPac Restorations, co-owned by Klaers.
Lenny Sikora, who has enjoyed coordinating the aviation side of Vintage Weekend for the last 15 years, has been responsible for bringing most of the aviation entertainment to the event. Sikora said he and other members of the Vintage Weekend Committee work hand in hand with the FAA and participating aviators to provide the safest and best experience for attendees year after year.
On the other side of the resort, Vintage Weekend automobile exhibitors Ralphie and Mike Stowe, both pilots, came to Vintage Weekend to show several of their classic vehicles, including their yellow 1966 Chevrolet Corvair that to date has less than 3,000 miles on it. Ralphie explained that she and her husband don’t fly much anymore, but love that Vintage Weekend provides them the opportunity to celebrate both of their passions by combining classic cars and airplanes all in one place.
While Ocean Reef Club is private, nonmembers are welcome to purchase tickets to attend future Vintage Weekends. Those interested can learn more at the club’s website.
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