The Best Day Ever for Driving Air-Cooled Porsches

The Air Brigade October drive for Air-Cooled Porsches couldn’t have asked for better weather as 12 Classic Porsches cruised from Lake Lure to Little Switzerland. This drive consisted of primarily 911’s from the Commander’s early ’68 Hot Rod through every iteration of 911 up to two 993 Cabs. Mark and Amy’s Zambezi Green 914 helped to break up the monotony of a line of 911’s especially since Amy was behind the wheel on this run.

Air-Cooled Porsches at Little Switzerland

New members, Terry and Thomas joined us for their first Air Brigade drive and brought their Schnauzer, Titus to enjoy the open top touring up to Little Switzerland.

We actually had a 13th Porsche as charter member Carl von Schummer joined us in his Speed Yellow 996 driving Sweep for us. Carl and Janice had just sold their ’78 911SC so for the last drive of the year, an exception was made from air-only Porsches so Carl could join us.

The first leg of the drive left Lake Lure where we all enjoyed the high speed sweepers and pasture countryside of Bill’s Creek. Linda was urging the Commander on with every straightaway to “floor it” to give the line a little variety in the drive. I’ll have to say that was quite a surprise to have my navigator urging me on. The opposite is usually true.

All the Cabriolets had their tops down and it was the perfect day for it; sunny, 70 degrees and the smell of fall in the air. I tend to favor coupes, but this was one of those days that I was envying the Cab drivers.

The second leg of the drive took us the 226a, the famous Diamondback run of twists and turns that lead into Little Switzerland. The line held tight through the corners. After a summer of driving the Air Brigade formation driving is tight, fun and fast.

View from the Terrace of the Switzerland Inn in NC

Arrival in Little Switzerland at the Switzerland Inn is always majestic and on this beautiful day it was no different. The only problem was we weren’t the only ones thinking about lunch on the Terrace, as parking was tight. The line was long waiting to get a table but due to prior arrangements the Air Brigade jumped the line and got the prime tables overlooking the valley. I felt a little guilty jumping the line, but we were bringing them 22 people for lunch.

The view was great, the lunch was good and the company was the best. However, a highlight ensued near the end of lunch when two F-16’s buzzed the mountaintop giving us all quite a thrill to see them up close and personal with afterburners “full-on.”

Air Brigade Lunch on the Terrace | Switxerland Inn

It was a fitting end to the driving season for the Air Brigade to have a flyover send us into winter hibernation.

Enjoy the gallery of photos from Carl von Schummer, David Linton and Jim Moore. (Click side arrows to scroll through photos.)

Tags: Air Brigade Drive, Little Switzerland Drive, Classic Porsche Drive Blue Ridge Mountains, Air-cooled Porsche Drive Blue Ridge Mountains

Note: Title photo is a composite representing the day as opposed to reality.