Lots of toys and goodies on their way

Santa's flight was a bit late, but the kids never seemed to notice.

When the open-cockpit 1942 Boeing Stearman finally taxied in a little before 11 a.m. yesterday, a couple of dozen youngsters lining the tarmac at Chesterfield County Airport gave a hearty cheer.

"I was worried," cried out Jon Brown, a particularly cheery-faced 5-year-old sporting a floppy red felt hat. "I thought you were lost at the end of the runway."

A little chilly, perhaps, but definitely not lost, the rosy-cheeked Claus climbed from the plane and began tossing candy canes to the children.

The kids, and dozens more adults, were on hand for the Christmas Toy Airlift. A production of the Virginia chapter of the flying group the Ninety-Nines, the annual event combines fundraising and fun. Pilots from Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina and Pennsylvania were scheduled to land their fourto six-seat planes and disembark bearing gifts.

The toys, gift cards and other goodies were headed to Fort Lee and other area outposts serving veterans. Last year, the group collected more than 350 toys, organizer Betty Vinson said. She said she was expecting more than 400 this year.

Once the pilots dropped off the goodies at a National Guard truck parked at the end of the runway, they were headed in for a cup of hot coffee and, in some cases, back out with a plane load of children.

The 20-minute flights were offered free to children 8 to 17. Twenty-five or so youngsters flew last year, but Vinson said she was expecting as many as 100 during yesterday's five-hour event.

Any reason was good reason, it turned out, to get some of the pilots back in the air.

Jenise Guidry and Stewart Purvis were pushing their 1957 Cessna 172 into place for a quick break after coming in from Hanover.

"We're always looking for excuses to fly," Guidry said.

Louis Ridley didn't need an excuse. He and his wife, Carolyn, and friends Peggy Doyle and Richard Koehnke had just flown in from Culpeper with a bag of toys.

Little Jon, making a quick check to ensure the white ball was still dangling from the end of his Radio City Music Hall souvenir hat, summed up the excitement in two words: "It's cool."

He, though, wouldn't be taking off.

His grandmother, Joan Barton, said Jon was off to be the ringbearer in an afternoon wedding.

"At first, I thought I was going to be the ringmaster," he said.
Contact Zachary Reid at (804) 775-8179 or .