Happy birthday Barbara!!

After lunch with Charissa today, all six of the PA ladies went for well-deserved spa treatments, then reconvened in the evening to go back out to Sportys for the evening party. This event was to celebrate Sporty's fiftieth birthday, and was thrown by Hal Shevers the founder and chief of the organization. It was also a celebration for Barbara, since today is her birthday also! (happy birthday Barbie, 19 again!). There was a free bar and great food in a hangar; a great jazz band; a set by three fabulous opera singers from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music; and as soon as it got dark, a spectacular firework display right on the airport. We had a great time. This seems like a great community of pilots in partnership with the city, and we really appreciated the welcome.

The Eastern PA gang joined a distant member, Charissa Dyer-Kendler for lunch. Charissa used to live in eastern PA but moved to Cinncinnati where she works for Sporty's as their only female flight instructor.

She gave us a tour of Sporty's during the evening celebration...the lobby

The distribution center

The "tower" that overlooks the airport

Back to the party in the hangar right next to Sporty's

Students from Cinncinnati conservatory of music performed during the evening. One of the flight instructors at Sporty's is also a voice professor at CCM

The team from Metropolitan College (soon to be university) of Denver were absolutely adorable...we hope to see them back again next year

Minetta and Barb find a home at the tiki bar.......it was Barb's birthday and it was nice if Sporty's to throw such a big bash for her

A view from inside the hangar

Barb opens a birthday gift...HAPPY BIRTHDAY BARB!

It was a beautiful evening

It ended with some fireworks

Fireworks and airplanes...two of my favorite things!

Here are some more of the performers from CCM...they performed numbers from La Boheme as well as  the song O Sole Mio

These two performed My Funny Valentine and Unforgettable You. All the performers were really fantastic.

We wrapped up the night with a photo with our baby birds Ester and Mollie