Well, Cliff and Carol Biggs have set another standard for VMG Fly-Ins.  We had 29 Mooneys fly to beautiful Page, AZ and the Lake Powell area.  We had planes from all over the western USA including several new VMG members.  More than half of all the Mooneys arrived on Friday to have an extended weekend.  Even the weather cooperated with "severe VFR" all weekend.  It all got started with the usual ramp time on Friday afternoon followed by a $1.2M houseboat tour and dinner at the Antelope Point Marina.  On Saturday morning, more ramp time with new and old VMG friends.  We had 4 new members join us for the first time.  Then lunch in a hangar.  Right after lunch, many members went on the tour of the Antelope Slot Canyon led by Navajo guides.  Then an impromptu party at Gary and Maryanne's suite on Saturday night with appetizers, wine, and beer.  On Sunday morning, folks had a leisurely breakfast followed by a rafting trip down the Colorado River through the Glen Canyon Dam.  Most of us also took advantage of Cliff's "Flightseeing" trip over Lake Powell which was simply stunning!

Right Base to Runway 33 at KPGA

On Friday afternoon, we all took a tour of a $1.2M houseboat at the Antelope Point Marina.
We figured that at a cost of 2 Acclaims.  I'd take the Acclaim any day!
Take a look at Ozzie and Gary taking advantage of our "limousine" that shuttled us everywhere all weekend.
Cliff and Carol sure know class!

After touring the marina, we settled in for a wonderful dinner at the restaurant overlooking Lake Powell.
That's Tower Butte in the background just before sunset.
In the lower left is Vera, Ivan's Mom who joined us from the Czech Republic.  She won "farthest away" participant.
Lots of jokes about "My Czech, please"

More arrivals on Saturday morning and Mooney tale tellin'
Checkout Dave Morris' leatherwork which was nicely hung on his cargo door.  Great handwork Dave!!!
Dave Enoboe brought "Mooney" again who was our official mascot for the fly-in this time.
Dave brought "some girl" who turned out to be RaeDene, who was way cool and a great co-pilot (lower left).

Lunch in the hangar!
If you didn't taste Greg Jacob's homemade Biscottis, then you missed out.  They were fabulous.
We will post his secret recipe later.

We had door prizes for this fly-in since we did not hand them out at Lake Tahoe due to weather.
Ann, Christian, RaeDene, and Maryann were among the many winners of clothing, hats, and an Aircraft Spruce certificate.
The rest of the door prizes will be handed out at a future fly-in.

After lunch we were shuttled by the Navajo over to the Antelope Slot Canyons.
We raced over a dry arroyo to the beginning of the Upper Canyon.
The Slot Canyon was nature at her most artistic best!  Simply breathtaking.  You could not walk more than 3 feet without awe!
There were so many of us that we had 2 separate parties.  In this party, Chief Slowhorse, aka Leonard was fabulous.
When we asked if Leonard lived at the Canyon his whole life, he replied "Not Yet".
He was knowledgeable, funny, and shared his Navajo beliefs with us along with a song he composed.

We had an impromptu party at the Best Western, hosted by Gary and Maryann.
The place was packed and we all enjoyed appetizers, wine and beer.
Sometimes the best things in life just happen spontaneously.
What wonderful new and old friends celebrating a wonderful fly-in together.

So we weren't done.  On Sunday morning, we took a shuttle bus to the base of the Glen Canyon Dam.
Then we boarded a 22-person raft and went down the Colorado River for 15 miles to Lee's Ferry.
With every turn, even more beautiful scenery bombarded us as the cliffs rose from 800' to more than 1500'.
There's Cliff, our host, in the lower right picture with his patented "smile" he had all weekend long.

On the cliffs was naturally occuring manganese called "desert varnish"
Can you see the Mooney logo?

No words can express everyone's appreciation for all the planning and work that Cliff and Carol put into this fly-in.  But we'll try!

THANK YOU
for memories that will last our lifetime!

Photos courtesy of members Phil & Gary