Photo courtesy of Jay McBurney
I want to share a trip my Dad took me on when I was 8 years old to Mexico to go fishing (back in 1973). My dad and I departed from Tyler, Texas on July 7, 1973 en-route to Oshkosh for the airshow. While there, we met Pappy Boyington and had a great time camping out for the show! We then left Oshkosh on the 29th and flew another 12 hours, stopping back in Tyler to pick up gear, to arrive in Brownsville on the 31st. We then entered Mexican airspace on August the 1st and flew to Tampico and played golf. I remember the caddies at the golf course were much taller than me! The next morning was off to La Pesca for fishing. When we found the old shell strip, we had to buzz it to get the livestock to move. Once on the ground, the Mexican folks invited us to stay in their three room, dirt floor house. As you can imagine August in La Pesca, it was incredibly hot! I remember that the lights in the house were gas lamps which added to the heat! That was a hot long night of sweat and snoring!
However, the next morning was glorious! We awoke to a cold misty rain and walked to a nearby shell beach on a bay. The cool rain felt so good and as soon as we had a line in the water, the fun began! We proceeded to catch a ton of trout! It was an incredible morning of father son camaraderie.
In an effort to avoid another hot night, we then loaded our gear and took off for Texas. It was a whirlwind trip that I'll never forget. General aviation was always a part of our life and facilitated numerous memorable hunting and fishing trips. That old 195 was a comfortable and reliable chariot that we fell in love with! I'll always appreciate the time my Dad took to spend with us while growing up! Later in life I got my licenses and currently flight instruct as much as I can! I thank my Dad for the introduction to aviation!
Thanks for the memories Dad!
