October 29, 2023 - Burner Glider Fly-In
Today Gadget and I got an early start -- wheels up around 7:45 -- and headed for an EAA Pancake breakfast at Cumberland Airport.  I had a passenger with me -- Nhu-An -- who took this nice shot of Gadget.  Rich worked on the RV-10 all day while we were gone.
   
Gadget took this nice picture of me over the pretty fall foliage.
   
Well, it turns out the EAA Pancake Breakfast is tomorrow (Sunday), not today (Saturday).  Whoops!  Fortunately, the Hummingbird Cafe is on the field at Cumberland and it was open so we were able to get breakfast and everyone was happy.
   
 
   
Looking good at the Hummingbird Cafe!
   
Next stop was Burner Gliderport in Woodstock, Virginia -- right off Interstate 81.  Bill and I flew gliders at Jan Scott's Flying Cow Gliderport back in the day.  When that ended Bill towed gliders for the club at Front Royal for many years.  He now has fall and spring fly-ins at his grass strip here in Woodstock; the Front Royal glider club brings their operation over here.  Bill invited me to fly in so here we are.
   
Next to my plane was this immaculate Swift owned by Mr. Bryce of Sky Bryce Airport.
   
There were two tow planes and five gliders on hand.
   
A Super Cub prepares to tow a glider up.  It was an absolutely superb fall day, with light winds and clear skies.  It's still before noon so the cumulous clouds haven't started popping yet and there are no thermals; i.e., lift.
   
The big hangar door provided welcome shade as it was surprisingly hot in the sun.
   
 
   
Tow planes require refueling.  On a strip with no facilities like this one, refueling is done via five gallon jugs.
   
One of the two tow planes:  a Pawnee.
   
A Mistrel glider is in that cylindrical trailer, owned by Bill's daughter, who is a glider pilot.
   
Looking south down the long grass runway.
   
The Swift ready to take off.
   
The other tow plane: the Super Cub.
   
The Bills.
   

After leaving Burner Gliderport, we decided to check out the foliage on Skyline Drive, the 105-mile National Parkway that runs the entire length of the Shenandoah National Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, generally along the ridge of the mountains.

We had to climb up to 4,500 feet or so to get to above Skyline Drive.  Here you can see cars parked at one of the many overlooks.  We only flew over the northern third of the drive.
   
Skyline Drive runs north-south.  Here we are heading north looking down at Skyline Drive with the Shenandoah Valley down below to the west.  Foliage is past peak up here, but still pretty.
   
Skyline Drive descends and we start seeing more color.
   
One of the four access points to the drive down below.  As you can see, the drive is very popular in the fall.
   
The mountains to the east are very scenic.
   
We exited the northern end of Skyline Drive, descended and starting seeing foliage at its peak.
   
Flying along the western side of the ridge, it doesn't get much better than this.
   
Action shot of me flying the plane over spectacular foliage.
   
We flew north up the Shenandoah River all the way to Harper's Ferry, pictured down below.
   
I showed Nhu-An Jan Scott's Flying Cow Gliderport where I had so many good times.
   
Transiting back to Essex Skypark.  Nhu-An had a great time.  Me too, although you'd never know it from my expression in this picture.  A pilot is always worried about something, I guess.
   
 
   
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