May 29, 2011 -  Formation Flying, Golden Age Air Museum Fokker DR-1 Triplane

What better way to start a three-day weekend and fabulous flying weather with a little formation flying practice?  Here I'm heading northwest to Carroll County airport.  Althought the skies were clear at Essex and over Baltimore, there was a scattered layer around Carroll County airport.
   
I met Mike and Arjan at Carroll County where we got caught up over coffee and then went flying.  Everybody flew well and we had a good time.  We split up in the air, then I headed north to Grimes Field (8N1) about 67 nm away to check out the Golden Age Air Museum Fokker DR-1 Triplane project which is nearing completion.
 
That's Grimes Field down below.   It's a long grass strip with no obstructions at either end.  The Golden Age Air Museum has two fly-ins and two airshows a year.  There wasn't anything scheduled today but I figured they would be working on the Triplane and I was right. 
   
 Another overhead shot of Grimes field.  You can see their three big hangars in the upper right. 
   
After rolling off the runway, I could feel the ground getting a little soft so I just made sure I was well clear of the runway and parked.  The Triplane was in the hangar shown in this picture with the open door.
   

Rather than take a shot inside the hangar, here's a shot of the Triplane from their page in the Aerodrome Forum . 

Let me just say that the GAAM Triplane that Paul Dougherty is building is magnificent.  It's perfect.  He's building it as authentic a replica -- no original airplanes have survived -- to the actual Fokker DR-1 as possible.  It has a Le Rhone rotary engine and is painted as Lothar von Richtofen -  the Red Baron's younger brother -- airplane.   It has a steerable tailskid.  The guns, cockpit, wheels, cowl, etc. just amazing workmanship. 

One of the guys in the hangar, Mike, took time out and told me about the Triplane and also about a Sopwith Pup project he is helping on.  I told him if I lived near here I'd be helping them on the airplanes every weekend.  Mike said, "well, it's only about a 30 minute flight in your RV" what's the problem? 

   

I was only at Grimes about an hour, then hopped over to Deck Airport to get some gas, then headed home over these cumulous.

   

Usually I'm flying back to Essex Skypark from the east or west so I don't have to talk with Martin State airport which is just to the north.

But today I was coming from the north so I called up Martin State Tower and got a transition.  Here's an aerial shot of Martin State Airport.  So close to Essex Skypark and yet I've never landed the RV here!  And the Citabria only once. 

    
 
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