Bruce Fall cannot fly, at least not on his own, and it bugs him, even as he helps to run the 24th annual West Coast Cub Fly-In this weekend.

The fly-in is expected to attract a record 90 planes and pilots at Lompoc Airport, most in Piper Cubs.

The 80-year-old Fall, who founded the fly-in with former Martin Marietta co-worker Monte Finley in 1984, suffered a stroke in August 2007.

His recovery has been strong — he can live on his own, and even drive.

“All in all, things are pretty good,” Fall said, sitting in his Vandenberg Village home.

However, difficulty getting into and out of a plane cockpit, a loss of feeling in his left hand, and Federal Aviation Association rules that forbid him from flying solo for two years from the date of a stroke have grounded Fall.

“I have my plane up for sale, which is heavy on my heart,” he said.

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While Fall said he would usually be active in many of the events and in the organization of the fly-in, this year he will greet the incoming pilots but be able to do little else.

Fall grew up in Grants Pass, Ore., his house under the flight path of a nearby airport. Even as a child, Fall said, he felt “mesmerized by airplanes” and knew he wanted to fly.

Flights at the local airport cost $2, which Fall recalls trying to raise by collecting beer bottles in his neighborhood for pennies.

As a teenager he would work at the airfield, earning either

$5 a day, or one hour of flying.

“Most of the time, I flew,” he said.

Fall had his first solo flight at 16, and was a full-fledged pilot a year later, in 1946.

His first plane was a Piper J-5 Cub Cruiser, and the Piper Cubs were to remain his favorite planes — he’s owned five of them. Fall recounted restoring a 1940 Piper J-3 that now is on display in an aircraft museum in Modesto, Calif.

“They’re responsive, light, and can take off anywhere,” Fall said in praise.

Asked about his favorite flying adventure, Fall listed his 2001 flight around the continental United States. The trip took 31 days, and 65 flying hours.

Grounded for the foreseeable future, Fall said he is still enthusiastic about the West Coast Fly-In.

“It’s kind of cliche, but the camaraderie, all the nice people you meet is what makes it special,” Fall said.

One of his duties during the fly-in will be to have a friend take him up in a plane to photograph the Piper Cubs parked on the airfield.

Having been a photographer for Martin Marietta for decades, Fall has also done countless school dance and wedding pictures for Lompoc citizens over the years. With a “commingled love of flying and photography,” Fall has also taken many aerial pictures of Lompoc and the surrounding Central Coast. For his work, the Professional Aerial Photography Association gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award this year.

“I’m grateful to have been able to fly as long as I did,” he said, flexing his left hand in hopes of regaining feeling.

Glenn Wallace can be reached at 737-1059 or gwallace@santamariatimes.com.

July 12, 2008