FCAP spaghetti dinner draws 90 attendees

Friends of the Fallbrook Community Air Park (FCAP) held its 10th annual spaghetti dinner Aug. 8 at Ed Murray's hangar.

FCAP served approximately 90 people, which is believed to be a record. "We had a good turnout," said FCAP secretary Tom Wilson.

Last year's spaghetti dinner, which commemorated the 50th anniversary of the first flight at Fallbrook Community Air Park, drew 81 people. Wilson believes that the highest attendance at any FCAP spaghetti dinner was 84 people. "One of these days I'll make 100," he said.

Wilson and his family have automotive interests as well as aviation interests. His son owns a 1950 Mini, and the San Diego Mini Club was invited to the spaghetti dinner.

Bob Hume provided the noodles for the spaghetti dinner and Wilson made the sauce. Multiple volunteers brought salads and breads, and the dessert was a pot luck item. FCAP provided soft drinks. "Everything there is pretty much hand-made," Wilson said.

The spaghetti dinner traditionally includes a trivia quiz. This year's theme was general Fallbrook history. Wilson's wife, Jan, is a math teacher at Vista Murrieta High School and brought electronic responders from her school so that the results of the multiple-choice quiz could be projected onto a screen in real time.

Harry and Yvonne Aberle owned Fallbrook Community Air Park, Inc., which had the lease with the county to operate the airport. The county took over operations of the airport in 1998 after the Aberles' 30-year lease expired. FCAP was retained as a legal entity but became Friends of the Fallbrook Community Air Park. Although the county spells "Airpark" as one word, the air park's founders had used separate words for "Air Park" to promote the community aspect in addition to aviation convenience.

The spaghetti dinner has a $10 charge to cover expenses but is a social function of FCAP rather than a major fundraiser. "It doesn't seem like we've gone 10 years, but we'll do it again next year," Wilson said.