Bill's RV Project

That's the Baltimore Ravens practice facility. Looks like the Ravens are going to have a great year. GO RAVENS! Caw! Caw!

The first thing I did was have my pancake breakfast in that green and white building there.

This Citabria reminded me very much of our Citabria. The paint job is almost identical to ours before we restored it. I talked with the owner. This is the original cover and paint job. Looks OK from 30 feet away but up close it shows its 39 years. I told the owner we had restored ours and he asked if we wanted to restore another one.

I didn't know what kind of plane this is. Sort of looks like a Wittman Tailwind. I looked up the N number and found out it is a 1976 DAPHNE SD1A. It's powered by a O-200.

Upstairs they had this large scale replica of the 1903 Wright Flier.

There were quite a few of these well-done information plaques on the walls. Apparantly the famous German rocket scientist Werner Von Braun retired from NASA in 1975 to the Cumberland area and took up soaring. He and Jack Wagner, a decorated American B-17 gunner, soared together and became close friends.

I was in no hurry and decided to follow the Potomac River back to the east. You can see the B&O Canal to the left of the river. Most of the time the canal is hard to see because the water is covered with green scum, and shielded by trees growing on each side.

This is Potomac Airfield, aptly named, as it along the southern shore of the Potomac.

And just south of Harpers Ferry.

There's always a lot of boats at this spot when the weather is nice.

August 30, 2009 - Cumberland Pancake Breakfast
Once a month, EAA Chapter 426 has a pancake breakfast out in Cumberland, Maryland. I"ve wanted to check it out for a long time, but it was a long haul in the Citabria so I never got around to it. The weather looked good today and so I pointed the RVs nose west and headed for Cumberland. That's Baltimore at my 11 O'Clock.

That's the Baltimore Ravens practice facility. Looks like the Ravens are going to have a great year. GO RAVENS! Caw! Caw!

Cumberland sits along the upper Potomac River, nestled aways back in the Appalachian mountains. I was getting bounced around pretty well over the tree-covered ridges. I arrived around 10AM; there were about 15 airplanes on hand when I arrived.

The first thing I did was have my pancake breakfast in that green and white building there.

I had seen a helilcopter flying down below on my way end and wondered what it was doing out there. Turns out CBE is its home base and it belongs to the Maryland State Police. It has its own spacious hangar.

The award for the most unusual flying machine went to this gyro-copter and its pilot in his bright orange flying suit. He taxiied by and then took off for whereabouts unknown.

There were two other RVs at the pancake breakfast. This RV-7 was in constant use the entire time I was there, giving Young Eagle rides.

This Citabria reminded me very much of our Citabria. The paint job is almost identical to ours before we restored it. I talked with the owner. This is the original cover and paint job. Looks OK from 30 feet away but up close it shows its 39 years. I told the owner we had restored ours and he asked if we wanted to restore another one.

The interior was mostly original as well and in surprisingly good shape. Ours had the same dark brown nogahyde covering -- only halfway disintegrated -- same wood panel vaneer, same bicycle grip stick grips.

I didn't know what kind of plane this is. Sort of looks like a Wittman Tailwind. I looked up the N number and found out it is a 1976 DAPHNE SD1A. It's powered by a O-200.

I couldn't believe how small the ailerons are.

I was parked by myself, but later on a Cub out of Winchester joined me.

I walked over to the big, modern terminal/FBO building which has two stories and a working elevator. The upstairs is almost a small museum and was quite interesting. Downstairs, they had the usual FBO office and flight planning room, but also a baggage check-in terminal, and security gate complete with metal detector. The entire place was empty and like a ghost town.

Upstairs they had this large scale replica of the 1903 Wright Flier.

A model of a barge used on the B&O Canal which ran alongside the Potomac River.

There were quite a few of these well-done information plaques on the walls. Apparantly the famous German rocket scientist Werner Von Braun retired from NASA in 1975 to the Cumberland area and took up soaring. He and Jack Wagner, a decorated American B-17 gunner, soared together and became close friends.

The empty Baggage Check-In station. The sign says "Until Further Notice CBE has no airline service. Sorry."

By the time I walked back to my RV, most of the other planes had left, and everything had been disassembled. I took off and flew over the town of Cumberland. Scenic town.


As you can see, Cumberland is a fairly good size airport. Also, there is also hardly a plane to be seen anywhere. If it weren't for the EAA Chapter putting on an event, this airport would be deserted even on a fine, weekend flying day like today. The yellow arrow points to Mexico Farms, which is a grass strip airport. I hadn't realized it was so close to CBE.

I was in no hurry and decided to follow the Potomac River back to the east. You can see the B&O Canal to the left of the river. Most of the time the canal is hard to see because the water is covered with green scum, and shielded by trees growing on each side.

Soon I came across my friend the Cub, doing the same thing I was -- following the river -- only a lot lower and a lot slower. The Cub is at the tip of the yellow area.

This is Potomac Airfield, aptly named, as it along the southern shore of the Potomac.

Another place I've known about but never seen -- Green Landing -- which is a private airport community. The grass strip runs left to right in the lower center of the picture.

Back to familiar hunting grounds. The Potomac as it is just about to pass Harpers Ferry. The picture doesn't show it but there were hundreds of people floating on the river in yellow and orange tubes.

The two railroad bridges crossing into Harpers Ferry.

And just south of Harpers Ferry.

I flew back over Baltimore and flew out over the water to check out the boats before landing at Essex.

There's always a lot of boats at this spot when the weather is nice.

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August 30, 2009 - Cumberland Pancake Breakfast