History Page
I started this group (BVdT) in the last century (sounds old and odd, putting it that'a way, huh!) after seeing how much fun the Cessna 180/185 owner's had each year flying into a remote Texas airstrip called LaJitas, TX.,(say La-He-Tass) for their annual New Year Day Fly-In.
My wife and I own a ranch (LTM Ranch) near LaJitas (our connection to this remote desert). Anyway, continuing the story about the fun these C-driver's were having didn't seem fair. So after I had terrorized them with a few blinding speed fly by's, complex aerobatic's, giving'em a real time demonstration of what a high performance, complex, retractable legend could do when it wasn't looking for cows (remember our ranch)...I landed to what I thought would be oohs and aahs, applause, fawning, etc., and was all set to go to their party.....OOPS! they were NOT amused and I wasn't invited...Isn't that just like a bunch of senior citizen C-driver's (I'm old too :-) but I'm not cranky) in high wing aiplane's?.....Hey, I even knew some of these C-driver's personally!
At this shindig they were having oyster's on the half shell,(flown in from Corpus Christi, TX) by one of their own; they had those French hors d'oeuvre (that was uh big word for a cowboy) too, they had champagne (it was the cheap stuff but obviously, these piloto's weren't flying that day) and they had a bunch of planes (about 3 dozen) and alot of people (some trying look look like cowboys) but all their patches from where they'd been sewn onto their jump suits, which they were wearen over their new boots....gave'em away. They had a dance, flying events and so on (sorta felt like I oughta bought a Cessna) but hold on buck-a-roo's....I'd been scorned...meet me in the street at high noon, partner!
Anyway, deciding against "high noon" gun-play....all this excitement had got me to thinking about the old adage "birds of a feather...."
So, in late February 1998 I started looking up Bellanca Viking (Viking's only, please) Owner's in Texas (Tejas..say tayhoss..it's for the Mexican in me) and I sent out the founding letter to the small group of owner's I had found on March 2, 1998.
Well now, I hadn't given this a second thought but we'll soon be 3 (March 2, 2000) and from that humble, un-pretentious start, fellow owner's we are where we are today!
Who was the first person to respond to the invitation to join? It was a fellow named Vernon Brinkley, from Stephenville, TX (who doesn't own his Viking any more) and he faxed back a copy of my original letter at 1035 hours on March 6, 1998 saying, "he would be interested in a Viking only club"....well that did it buc-a-roo's, BVdT then had 2 official members! We currently have membership from many states, we have well attended fly in's, this group costs you nothing in dues, newsletter's or the like, (however, the cost of owning a Viking to join is steep!) and most importantly a week or two doesn't go by that we find another bird of the same feather wanting to join our group.......
The crowning blow was placed upon those C-driver's this year, when we held the 2nd LTM Ranch Fly In......In......yep! you guessed it....right in LaJitas (former sacred home of C-planes & drivers)BUT NOW...no more!
Own a Viking? Wanta saddle up with this outfit? Email us and Join Up! Return to the HOME PAGE