August 13, 2005 - Flying Hat Trick

Despite the terrible visibility today -- five miles, if that -- I logged four hours in three different airplanes:  the Citabria, the Corben Baby Ace and a Schleicher Ka-8 glider. 

The plan was to fly the Citabria out to Jan Scott’s Flying Cow Glider field and meet Bruce there.  The sky was very hazy; maybe five miles visibility.  Without the GPS, I wouldn’t have flown.  I transitioned north through Martin State, then landed at Fallston and Hartford County, two airports I’d never landed at before.  Hartford County was really nice, with a lot of airplanes, including gliders.  After takeoff, I saw a Stearman down low, then passed a Challenger ultralight, obviously heading for the UltraPig fly-in taking place at Harrison’s Farm -- near Easton -- around 12 noon.  There were only about 10 planes.  I was hoping Bruce and I would come back to the UltraPig with the Ace and Citabria later but we ran out of time.

At Jan’s, Bruce flew the K-8 twice and me once.  His new K-8 canopy came out really nice and Bruce did a great job of installing it.  The K8 flew sweet.  I dropped off at 2000 feet, slowly descended to 1600, then surprisingly was able to climb to 2300 considering the crummy hot, muggy weather.  Bruce flew the Ace twice and I flew it once.  It started right up and flew fine.  Flying the Ace gives one a taste of what the flying pioneers experienced:  down low, open cockpit, just a simple plane. 

I offered to give Bill Burner a ride in the Citabria but he asked me to give his daughter Guinevere one.  She’s a pilot, so I had her sit up front, and I flew from the back, something I haven’t done in years.  The takeoff was bumpy but I after that I was OK.  We flew through the mountains at Harper’s Ferry and I gave her a taste of low and slow.  There were hundreds of people tubing the Potomac River and Butts Tubes parking lot was filled.

We took the K-8 apart and put it in the trailer, got something to eat at Howard’s place, then I flew back to Essex, just making my two hour ADIZ window.  I flew four hours for the day, in three different planes, despite the crummy air.  Good day!

I was too tired from flying to work on the RV that evening

Overhead Harrison's Field, site of the annual Capital Area Light Flyer's UltraPig Fly-In.  In previous years they have had over 100 planes show up.  I'm only 1000 feet over the field and you can see still see the haze in this picture.  The flying conditions this summer in Maryland have been horrible.