September 7, 2019 - Wings Field, PA Fly-In

There was an abundance of Fly-Ins today to choose from.  Clearview (northwest of Baltimore). Wings (north of Philly).  Keller Brothers, a beautiful grass field just north of Lancaster.  And Flying W Airport, east of Philly which featured an Airshow.  I had been to all of the airports except for Wings, so I decided to go there.

Transitioning through Martin State, then flying northeast up the west side of the Chesapeake Bay, by Fallston, Hartford County, and Aberdeen, is boring, frankly, so I crossed the Bay and took the longer route up the Eastern Shore, which is always scenic and fun.
   
A nice estate on the Eastern Shore.
   
Vine-covered trees.
   
Many years ago I flew low over this delta area in the Corbin Baby Ace at the peak of folliage.  I've never seen anything as beautiful.  And, although I have tried many times, I've never seen it that good since.  Maybe someday I'll see it at peak again.
   
Flying up the Elk River.  Looks like we're going to have an outdoor wedding down there!
   
Passing by Claremont Airport (58M), the airport formerly known as Cecil County.   They have a courtesy car.  I'll have to keep that nugget of information in my back pocket for future use.
   
Big Elk Mills rock quarry.
   
Very unusual architecture on this estate house.  I think it is a house.  I'm pretty sure that blue U-shaped thing is a pool.
   
The city of brotherly love visible in the distance.
   
Visibility was excellent.  That's Wings Airport ahead and I'm still five miles out!
   
Entering a left downwind for Runway Two Four.
   
A closer look at the Fly-In area.  I circled in yellow where I parked my plane on the ramp.  The ramp was actually cordoned off from the spectators.  So no one got to see my beautiful plane!
   
There it is, in all its glory.  It's been over two years since I polished it.  It really needs a polishing.
   
Entering the Fly-In area.
   
There were a lot of high quality cars at this Wings and Wheels.  Here is a beautiful early Corvette.
   
The car that changed history:  the Ford Model T.
   
They had a nice area for kids to have fun.
   
I haven't seen too many polished RV-12s.  This one was polished beautifully.
   
One of my favorites:  a first generation Ford Mustang.  A 1971 Mach I like the one pictured here was featured in the James Bond movie "Diamonds Are Forever".
   
The Boy Scouts had a neat pioneering display.  Here they have a tower lashed together.
   
And here a rope bridge.  You could do quite a bit with wood logs and rope.
   
Paul C. got here early and was showing his Super Cub in the show-plane area.
   
A big Cadillac El Dorado lead-sled.  Luxury cars sure have changed, haven't they?
   
The always impressive big T-28 in U.S. Navy training colors.
   
This big hunk of airplane deserves another look.
   
A coupe of some sort.
   
A couple driving into the show in their Factory Five kit car.
   
A Super Cub under construction in one of the big hangars.
   
I don't know what this is but it looks fast.
   
Conversely, on the opposite end of the spectrum from "fast", is this Ercoupe named "Mr. Clean's Flyin' Machine".
 
From Wikipedia:  "The ERCO Ercoupe is a low-wing monoplane aircraft that was designed and built in the United States. It was first manufactured by the Engineering and Research Corporation (ERCO) shortly before World War II; several other manufacturers continued its production after the war. The final model, the Mooney M-10, first flew in 1968 and the last model year was 1970. It was designed to be the safest fixed-wing aircraft that aerospace engineering could provide at the time, and the type continues to enjoy a faithful following."
   

Are my eyes deceiving me?  It's an airworthy Yankee!  Loyal readers may recall I have commented a number of times on the continuous derelict Yankees that have been tied down outside at Essex Skypark the entire 20+ years I've been coming to the Skypark.

The AA-1 Yankee has an interesting history:  Link.  Quite a few were built:  1,822.
   
A classy Thunderbird.
   
A 2008 special-edition version of the famous dark green Mustang Steve McQueen drove in the movie "Bullitt".  That movie had what is considered one of the greatest car chase scenes ever filmed.  Check out the license plate!
   
The owner of this car really knows how to show it off.  My brother-in-law Bruce has one of these also.  Nice car.
   
1985 Ferrari.  I say again, cars have changed quite a bit in 35 years.
   
Now take a look at a 2019 Ferarri.  I'll take the 2019.
   
You don't hear much about the Icon A-5 amphibian Light Sport anymore but here is one.  The A5 was supposed to be this incredibly fun, easy to fly amphibian.  They had the slick marketing campaign and luxury display tent at AirVenture.  But I just read Icon Aircraft is slashing its workforce by 40 percent.  The retail price for this Light Sport plane is now $389,000!!!  Only 100 have been built and delivered so far.  Aviation is a tough business.
   
I was parked down at the end of the ramp with the helicopters.  I should have known better.  When I came back to leave, one of the helicopter was taking off and my RV-7 was really rocking and rolling in the prop wash.
   

Leaving Wings, I looked down and immediately recognized Valley Forge.  Our family had visited here many years ago so I recognized some of the things on the ground.  I remember enjoying visiting Valley Forge.

Valley Forge National Historical Park is the site of the third winter encampment of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, taking place from December 19, 1777 to June 19, 1778.
   

From December 19, 1777 to June 19, 1778, the main body of the Continental Army (approximately 12,000 troops) was encamped at Valley Forge. The site was chosen because it was between the seat of the Second Continental Congress in York, supply depots in Reading, and British forces in Philadelphia 18 miles away, which fell after the Battle of Brandywine. This was a time of great suffering for the army, but it was also a time of retraining and rejuvenation. The shared hardship of the officers and soldiers of the army, combined with Baron Friedrich von Steuben's professional military training program, are considered key to the subsequent success of the Continental Army and marks a turning point in the Revolutionary War.

Here is a good look at the National Memorial Arch which is dedicated "to the officers and private soldiers of the Continental Army December 19, 1777 – June 19, 1778." The arch was commissioned by an act of the 61st Congress in 1910 and completed in 1917. It is inscribed with George Washington's tribute to the perseverance and endurance of his army:

Naked and Starving as they are
We cannot enough admire
the Incomparable Patience and Fidelity
of the Soldiery.
   
The Washington Memorial Chapel and National Patriots Bell Tower carillon sit atop a hill at the center of the present park. The chapel is the legacy of Rev. Dr. W. Herbert Burk. Inspired by Burk's 1903 sermon on Washington's birthday, the chapel is a functioning Episcopal Church, built as a tribute to Washington. Burk was also instrumental in the development of the park itself, including obtaining Washington's campaign tent and banner, which used to be on display in the Visitor Center, but now in the collection to be showcased in the new Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, starting in 2017.  The chapel and attached bell tower are not technically part of the park, but serve the spiritual needs of the park and the community that surround it. The bell tower houses the DAR Patriot Rolls, listing those that served in the Revolutionary War.
   
The Visitor's Center is at center left -- those triangular shaped buildings.
   
Looking east across Valley Forge with Philadelphia visible in the distance.  While the British spent the winter comfortable in America's largest city, the Americans suffered out in the open.
   
Passing by Brandywine Airport.  Brandywine was the site of another Revolution War battle.  In September, 1777, the British had landed at the head of Maryland's Elk River, on the northern end of the Chesapeake Bay near present-day Elkton, approximately 40–50 miles southwest of Philadelphia and marched towards Philadelphia.  Washington tried to stop them at Brandywine but lost the battle, although not his force.  The British took Philadelphia and wintered there while Washington's Continental Army spent the winter at Valley Forge.
   

Passing by a football game.  Must be the Golden Rams of West Chester University of Pennsylvania.

 

 
   
Now I'm heading down the Elk River into Chesapeake Bay.  This trailer park has been here a long time.  I can remember seeing it from the Citabria.
   
Not all waterfront houses are deluxe mansions.  Not yet, anyways.
   
A favorite spot for boaters on the Sassafras River.
   
 
   
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