May 15, 2010 - Pancake Breakfast, Fly-In,Soaring

The forecast indicated it might be windy today but everything else was good so I planned an a big flying day. First stop was a pancake breakfast at New Garden Airport (W57) in Toughkenamon, Pennsylvania west of Philly. Only a 30 minute flight in the RV.

The local EAA Chapter 240 put on the pancake breakfast in their hangar/clubhouse up on the hill.

The breakfast was well organized, well attended and the food was good. I talked to a guy at my table who flew in from New York in his Rutan Defiant. It took him 19 years to build the Defiant!

The Chapter Clubhouse was upstairs.

The airport view from upstairs.

They had a fairly good turnout. It's hard to make an estimate of planes at a pancake breakfast because I think you get a higher turnover -- people arriving and leaving -- than at a fly-in where people stay for a few hours.

This nice looking Pitts flew in.

This RV-8 had an usual paint job. British markings?

Here's a picture of the Defiant. Two engines -- front and back. Four seater. Big canard out front. The rudder is actually in front of the cockpit on the left!

A couple of Cubs were giving rides. The wind wasn't really a factor, although it wasn't calm either.

Nice looking RV-4.

Richard S. from Easton showing his RV-8.

Sleek, black Harmon Rocket.

Next stop after breakfast was the fly-in at Warrenton, Virginia. I've been wanting to get down there for years to visit my friend John C. -- he and I flew out to Arkansas in our Citabrias back in 2006.

First I had to fly over the scene Pennsylvania countryside.

Which is always beautiful.

To get to Warrenton, which is southwest of Washington DC, I had to fly outside the SFRA (formerly known as ADIZ) circle.

Here's a private, paved airstrip near Warrenton.

The flying at Warrenton was really jumping. There was a Stearman doing acrobatics west of the field as I landed. Most of the activity was in front of the FBO building -- where the food was. They had a moonbounce for the kids.

Pretty good number of planes.

The RV fit right in.

This Stearman is used for a wing-walking act. Wow, it's hard to imagine standing on top of the upper wing in flight.

This Extra did some aerobatics to the west during the fly-in as well. He had a guy on the ground with a handheld radio giving him feedback on his maneuvers.

Probably the nicest Sonex I've ever seen. The polished aluminum job was flawless. He had a neat bright yellow panel as well.

John C.'s Citabria. That's his hangar in the background too.

John build this 80% World War I SPAD 13 replica.

He has a kit company called Clifford Aeroworks if you want to build one.

The hangar includes a collapseable paint booth.

He even has a Xenos wing hanging on his wall -- storing it for a friend.

A Lake amphibian out front.

There was even a band near the FBO building playing bluegrass music!

A Titan ultralight taxiis by.

P20

Interesting nose art on this Stearman. The owner runs a little business with this aircraft: you can buy rides in it or even take Stearman flying lessons.

I had the obligatory burger and baked beans at the food tent.

Everywhere I go, there sits a yellow Cub. Chip Lock -- the Vans Aircraft Company East Coast Rep -- and his blue RV-12 is in the background.

Leaving Warrenton, I retraced my circular route which just happened to go right over the Flying Cow Farm. So I stopped in and made my first glider flight of the year. I got off the tow at 2000 feet. I was soon down to 1300 feet and thought I would be on the ground soon, but I happened across a thermal and soon regained my altitude. I flew for a little over an hour and soared as high as 4300 feet.

Looking at the Potomac River and the town of Brunswick from the south.

The Flying Cow airstrip is in the center of the picture.

Brunswick off my right wing. The visibility was outstanding today. Flying back home in the RV, I was able to see the Baltimore skyline from Frederick.

Harper's Ferry, just left of center.

Overhead view of the Flying Cow. My little RVis parked by itself in the ramp area. After landing in the glider, I gave Bill B. a ride in the RV. He had come over to the house a couple of times to help me build the RV.

Flying back to Baltimore and Essex, I could see this black dot in my windshield. I as flew closer, I realized it was an Blimp. I put two and two together and figured out today was the day of the big Preakness horse race, and that blimp must be over the Pimlico racetrack. And sure enough, that was the case. It was the MetLife blimp.

Pimlico race track. It's a little blurry but you can see that the infield is a sea of humanity.

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