The restaurant, with a nice patio area, is closed. It is a shame that it is not open and working. It would seem to be an ideal place for a restaurant, great views, plenty of parking, free entertainment and easy access. Also just across the street is the Thunderbird Inn.
Our timing for seeing the planes come in was a wee off. We arrived at 9:00am with nary a soul about. Went up to the airport operations on second floor and asked if they knew when the planes would be coming in. The best guess was "around noon." After a little more touring of the terminal area we went over to Kierland Commons to kill some time.
I headed for Barnes and Nobles while Talbot's was targeted by Mon Cheri. I kept busy there until I was rounded up to go over to Cold Stone Creamery. With an ice cream cone we sat and watched the kids play in the courtyard water spouts.
Close to noon we headed back to the Scottsdale Airport where there was a mini crowd waiting to see the planes come in.
All men, I would guess between 55 and 90. "around noon" turned at to be closer to 2:00pm. The wait went fast enough talking with the others waiting too. It helped that Mon Cheri was one of the few (only?) females around most of the time.
Everyone was watching for the planes to come in over the McDowell mountains to the northeast but they sneaked in form the north and was on the runway before anyone saw them. First to come in was the B 24 Witchcraft followed by the P 51 Betty Jane and eventually the B 17 showed up. See the slide show of the visit to Scottsdale Airport below.
