By Kayla Floyd, EAA 879397
Note: All locations followed proper CDC, local, and state guidelines and masks were removed only for photos. – Ed.
EAA headquarters is probably just like you all imagine, a bunch of aviation enthusiasts in one building working to share The Spirit of Aviation. On Friday, August 17, my friend and coworker Lily Johnson, EAA 1274875, one of our government advocacy specialists, took the afternoon off. We decided to use a few hours of vacation time to take advantage of the perfect weather and explore Wisconsin’s Door County area in the RV-12iS known as the One Week Wonder built at AirVenture 2018.
The Ephraim-Gibraltar Airport (3D2) is located about 6 miles south of Sister Bay, a popular Door County spot for vacationers in the summer. Famous for their fish boils, state parks, and easy-to-access beaches, this scenic area creates the perfect day trip for any Wisconsinite. The flight is a short hour (61 minutes to be exact) trip from Oshkosh, or 93 miles after taking some extra time to fly around Austin Straubel International Airport’s class C airspace, made easier with the RV-12iS high-tech avionics. The scenic views from the airplane only get better the closer you get to the harbors filled with sailboats and beaches packed with people enjoying the sun.
After landing at Ephraim-Gibraltar we were immediately greeted by the friendly face of Dave Thomas, who was excited to see the famous airplane that was built in only a week. Dave quickly gave us recommendations for activities and restaurants in the area, as well as the keys to a spunky courtesy van. Courtesy cars truly do come in all shapes and sizes, but after seeing the hills in the area, the van seemed to be a better option than the courtesy bikes also located at the airport, even with the lack of AC and a driver’s side window that we were cautioned not to open.
From the airport Lily and I made our way to Sister Bay to enjoy a relaxing outdoor lunch next to the water at Wild Tomato, a popular pizza joint in the area. After enjoying some traditional Wisconsin cheese curds and a delicious pizza, a walk along the marina was necessary to snag some photos for social media, eye up what kind of boat I want to purchase someday, and, for Lily, to enjoy the many different dogs walking along the beach.
Dave was also kind enough to share the location of a ‘50s themed ice cream shop in Ephraim called Wilson’s where we decided to go for a last minute frozen treat fix before heading back to the airplane. A good note to also make is that the cell data service is quite spotty in these areas and the ability to read a map was needed to get back to the airport (after a few trial and error turns and one quick call back to Dave).
When arriving back at the airport Lily and I were once again met with an admirer of the One Week Wonder and were able to hear about his own future engine overhaul project and his excitement for AirVenture 2021. The flight back was just as smooth as the one there, other than adjusting to a headwind that added about 20 minutes to the overall time. Taxiing back to the hangar, cleaning the airplane (including disinfecting the inside), and fighting with closing the hangar doors created the perfect end to our Friday afternoon trip. This all goes to show that the freedom given to us by general aviation is not one to take for granted and that The Spirit of Aviation can bring people together and give new and exciting experiences every day.
Kayla Floyd, EAA 879397, is the production coordinator for EAA’s print and digital content and publications. She loves horses, once owned an ostrich, and is now determined to visit every small airport — and drive every available courtesy car — in the state.