09/14/2026
Well, it sounds like most everyone has made it home or is getting pretty close on those final return flights and drives.
Mandy, Colten, and I finished the last cleanup and packing from the fly-in and finally walked back into the house tonight. We did make a stop at West Side for supper because absolutely NONE of us felt like cooking. 😂
Bill came out and finished up the EAA inventory, we packed the supplies back into the trailer, and did the final cleanup of the hangar so we could turn it back over to the airport.
And just like that… another Tandem Wing Fly-In is in the books.
What a great time.
I'm sad the weather stole a day from us, but it was obviously the right decision, and I think we made the absolute most of every day we did have together.
We sure enjoy all of you, and our family genuinely enjoys hosting this group. This fly-in and this Q family have been a bright beacon for us during some gloomy days, and I hope the joy we feel when all of you are here shines just as brightly back at you.
We're thankful most everyone has made it safely home, and we'll keep watching for updates from those of you still flying and driving your way across the country.
My family thanks each of you for giving us the honor of being a small part of the history and family surrounding these airplanes. Being around all of you has me more eager than ever to get back to building and get our Q in the air so someday we can experience firsthand the joy you wonderful people have flying your own airplanes and displaying the incredible talent it took to build them.
And I especially want to say something about Colten.
He gets more out of these gatherings than you probably realize. All of you have contributed to his confidence and his growing love of aviation.
Jon — you absolutely made his year by asking him to share some time in the air with you. He's done almost nothing but talk about it and ask when we can fly again. Your kindness, patience, and interest in him are things I can't really repay.
But I can promise you this: as the years pass, I'll pay it forward to the next generation. And I'll keep doing my best to be the best dad I can be for both Colten and Barrett.
I'll gather my notes and sort through what feels like several days' worth of pictures and put together a summary of our fun sometime this week. Thank you to every single person who contributed another chapter to this story, and let's also keep in our thoughts the members of our Q family who weren't able to be with us this year. They were missed.
Good night, everyone.
Barry and family are officially outside radio range for the night… but every one of you remains in our hearts and minds.
Safe travels to those still making their way home, and thank you for another unforgettable week.
The hanger is cold a d quiet and the ramp is lonely looking without our friends here......let's see what next year brings!
— Barry, Mandy, Colten & Barrett
