January 7, 2012 - Dragon Flight to Cape
May |
| What a mild winter
we are enjoying this year! The weather was perfect on this Saturday
for flying. Dragon Flight rendezvoused over Ridgely at 0930AM at
2500 feet and headed for Cape May Airport (KWWD), doing some formation
practice along the way. We had a 4-ship today: Chef, Mugsy,
Fernando and myself. |
|
 |
|
Unfortunately the Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum
is under winter hours and is not open on weekends. They are
undergoing a major renovation project this winter so I'll have to check it
out later this year. They did have this big F-14 Tomcat
with a fancy paintjob parked outside. |
|
 |
|
| Looking at the
tower building which is where the all important airport restaurant
is. It's a nice place to stop for that $100 breakfast or
lunch. The food is good and inexpensive. I like
Cape May. They have the restaurant, museum and it's fun to fly along
the nearby Jersey Shore. |
|
 |
|
|
Dragon Flight checking out the
Tomcat. |
|
 |
|
| Last of the Big
Fighters. |
|
 |
|
| Wildwood Naval Air
Station was where the US Navy trained its dive bomber pilots during World
War II. |
|
 |
|
| The Trunk Monkeys
-- South Jersey Airport contingent -- showed up in force for a $100
breakfast as well. These are probably the four nicest Citabrias you
will ever seen. |
|
 |
|
|
Check out that glass panel on this
Super Decathelon. |
|
 |
|
| Like the
paintjob! The Dragon Flight and Trunk Monkey pilots swapped
lies on the warm, sunny ramp for a few minutes before heading for
home. |
|
 |
|
|
Not all airplanes have great
paintjobs. |
|
 |
|
| The Trunk Monkeys
taxiing for takeoff. One of them has its cloaking device on.
It's a new feature. |
|
 |
|
| Dragon Flight took
off and we did a little rejoing practice, then Chef and Fernando had to
head for home. Mugsy and I headed north up the Jersey Shore for some
sightseeing. Visibility was excellent -- you can see Atlantic
City up ahead. |
|
 |
|
| Mugsy was getting
some practice staying in close. |
|
 |
|
And there is Lucy the
Elephant, built in 1881. I've heard about the famous
elephant on the Jersey Shore, but never noticed her from the air
before. |
|
 |
|
| Getting closer to
Atlantic City. |
|
 |
|
|
The now-closed Bader Airport still
looks like you could land there. |
|
 |
|
| A new hotel/casino
going up. It will be the tallest in Atlantic City for sure. |
|
 |
|
| North of Atlantic
City is some rare undeveloped beach area. |
|
 |
|
| |
| Heading back south
along the beach. |
|
 |
|
|
We climbed to 4000 feet before
crossing the Delaware Bay from Cape May to Cape Henlopen. Along with
a string of merchant ships, there is a lot of really cold ocean down
there. Fortunately we are only over the water for about four minutes
thanks to the RVs speed. |
|
 |
|
| Heading west
across the Eastern Shore, Mugsy was nicely lit up by the sun streaming
through the cloud layer. |
|
 |
|
|
Mugsy broke off for Easton and I headed
back across the Chesapeake Bay to Essex Skypark. You can see the
Chesapeake Bay Bridge in the center of the picture. I logged two and
a half hours today flying with other RVs, talking flying with other RV and
Citabria pilot friends, and enjoying some great scenary. It doesn't get
much better than that! |
|
 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|