Pat Hartness

Pat Hartness laid aside his logbook at age 75 after a remarkable life in aviation.“It was the perfect opportunity to start driving a tractor and still stay actively involved in aviation,” he says. It opened a new chapter of his passion to inspire others. After 8,000 VFR hours in everything from PiperCubs, an AirCam, Stearman, to a P-51, and a lot of grease under his fingernails, he gets just as much pleasure sharing the joy of flight from the right seat, or terra firma.


Both his parents had flown for the Civil Air Patrol, which ignited Pat’s early interest in aviation. Now he finds joy in his family partnership – that includes friend and pilot Pat Derrick – managing Triple Tree Aerodrome in Woodruff, South Carolina. Along with his wife, Mary Lou, Pat gave the land to Triple Tree Aerodrome, the 501c3, that now includes an aircraft museum and seven thousand feet of groomed turf in the middle of their 400 acres of beautiful South Carolina. During scheduled events, they invite everyone to land, camp under their wing, stroll through their remarkable collection of aircraft, or enjoy their four-star Hotel Hartness just a few minutes from the field. Who wouldn’t be excited to stay in the resort that Travel and Leisure rated “First in the State” – and Number Three in the nation?


Pat explains that, “Our partnership set up the charity in order to continue maintaining it all as ‘Everybody’s Airport’. We’re boutique,” he added. “We’re not interested in commercial development, or hosting vendors, just interested in people.” He pointed out that they’ll host 80,000 visitors a year. They state that the place is “two-and-a-half times the size of Disneyland,” and his wife Mary Lou and their entire family all take part in the aerodrome business, and managing the hotel. 


A large part of Pat’s joy comes from mentoring young people. “We’re passing the torch to these young people,” he said proudly. Pat encouraged one youth to fly Triple Tree’s Piper Cub to each state in the Lower 48. “He had to wait for thermals to make it over Homestake Pass,” Pat said, “but he said the scenery was awful pretty on the way down. We challenge young people like that. We believe in them, they are competent,” he added. A man of his word, in July, he sent that young man and three other young pilots off in the museum’s 87-year-old 450-hp Spartan Executive to AirVenture, to negotiate the hubbub of mixed aircraft, all arriving at OSH at different airspeeds. “Their combined ages were less than the age of the airplane,” he exclaimed.

Another way Pat inspires others is by hosting a huge group of radio-controlled aircraft enthusiasts. He trains and mentors them, and says that probably 70 to 80 percent go on to fly powered flight, many commercially. “You can learn an awful lot flying a radio-controlled aircraft safely. It teaches the principles of flight, and an RC aircraft requires every input, accurately,” he said. Annually, RC enthusiasts comprise about half of Triple Tree’s total attendance.


Pat met the RAF at Lakeland, FL around 2006, about the same time Triple Tree started their full scale fly-ins, and he immediately became a supporter. “We have similar missions – people who are putting airports together. It’s what we are all about,” he said. Like the RAF, Triple Tree welcomes volunteers who often use their vacations to pitch in maintaining the place in pristine condition, and it’s obvious they come and work for something more than Pat and Mary Lou’s free lunch. 


To ensure that passion for aviation continues, Pat points out that profits from aerodrome activities go into flight scholarships, amounting to $25,000 each year. Pat is working toward expanding their on-site education center for folks of all ages to embark on aviation’s learning path. The aerodrome hosts summer camps for both GA and RC students, an entire portfolio of learning opportunities in its Aviation Centered Education, or ACE programs. Pat supported the development of AviCom – the first ever simulated flying competition for high school teens.



In closing, Pat invites everyone to Triple Tree’s annual week-long fly-in September 23-29. “It’s like no other airport. Bring your fishing pole, hiking shoes, and plan on making some friends,” he said.


See ww.tta.aero for details, and scheduled events.

Submitted September 17, 2024
By Carmine Mowbray

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