April 28, 2018 - Taking Joe (RV-7 owner) Flying

An RV-7 builder named Joe contacted me.   His plane is done, passed the DAR inspection, and is ready to fly.  He's made arrangements to do some transition training down by Atlanta in an RV-6,
but wanted to fly some in an RV-7.  I said sure, and headed down to Culpepper Airport, Virginia which is on the opposite side of the SFRA from Essex Skypark.

I decided to go around the southeastern, Chesapeake Bay side.  Here I'm crossing the Bay from Tilghman Island towards the Patuxent River and St. Marys Airport while a merchant ship makes its
way up the bay.
   
Flying over the Patuxent River.
   
Looking down at St. Marys Airport from 4500 feet.
   
Passing by Stafford Regional.
   
I arrived at Culpepper Airport and met Joe, pictures below.  That is his RV-7.
   

He shares a hangar with Bob who built an RV-8.  It passed its DAR inspection on the same day as Joe but hasn't flown yet either.  Joe and Bob built dollies so they can push their RVs
sideways in and out of the hangar.   Clever!

Joe and I went for an hour flight in the RV.  Joe got a lot of stick time doing turns, slowflight, stalls and pattern work down to short final.  I think he's looking forward to flying his RV!
   
Inside one of the hangars was this Airdrome Aeroplanes World War One Kitplane.  Not sure what it was; I'm guessing a Sopwith Camel?  Or maybe a Nieuport?  It does have a Rotec 3600 Radial engine on it.
   
I had to look this one up when I got home.  It's a 1956 Percival T-56 Provost.  The Provost was a 2-seat British basic trainer -- side-by-side seating -- that was developed for the Royal Air Force in the 1950s.  Looks pretty rugged.
   
I flew the same route home.  Here I am passing over Tilghman Island.
 
A month of so later Joe texted me that he had successfully flown his RV-7!
   
 
   
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