One of my highlights this year is the College Park Aviation Museum AirFair 100. It was a once in a lifetime celebration of 100 years of aviation history at College Park Airport, as well as an unprecedented waiver of the restricted airspace regulations for takeoffs, landings, and passengers in the area. I signed up to volunteer as soon as I heard of the opportunity.
The morning started with my arrival at the volunteer tent. I was issued an orange t-shirt, an AirFair 100! Visor and a meal wristband.
After eating a purple bagel at the volunteer trailer, I reported to my post at the front gate as a greeter and a baby counter. At about noon time, a police officer's horse left a line of material that would be unpleasant to step in, so I watched the foot traffic and tried to guide folks away from the manure. When Greg Koontz started his act, I was granted permission to take my break. The show was fabulous and I had a pretty good view. Afterward, I got to say hi briefly. He kind of remembered me from the Sun 'n Fun Fly-In. I returned to my post where I remained until 4:30. Then the magic began!
One of the last people I greeted at the gate was an older gentlemen wearing a polo shirt with a personalized DC-3 embroidered on it and a particular N-number. I knew from the shirt that this man had some kind of tie to that DC-3 and asked. He said his DC-3 had a green and yellow Air North livery and was based at Hagerstown. I couldn't believe one was based so close!
I got to walk around the exhibits for the last half hour. I found Al who was trying to sell some old model airplanes. He offered the rest for $10. I was crazy excited for these airplane gifts! He packed them carefully in a large box which I hugged close to me as I wandered among the airplanes and booths in the static display area. When I came to an EAA tent, some of the guys jokingly asked if I had puppies in there. I let them know that I'm at an airport and I get excited about airplanes.
One of the guys, Dan, took a look at my collection and went gaga over one of the seven planes- just the same way I did when I was offered the collection. He was a pilot and was in the process of building a seaplane called a Challenger II. I told him I would give him the airplane in exchange for the promise of an airplane ride. I asked him to sign my Pilot log and put his phone number. He was flattered to sign next to the likes of Patty Wagstaff, Corkey Fornof, and the Aeroshell Aerobatic Team. Then he said there was someone I should meet and get his signature. He called his friend, Brian, over. Out of respect for his privacy, I won't post his last name on the internet.
Brian was a Formula Vee air race pilot who flew races and set records in the 1980's and 1990's. He brought one of his airplanes, a Monnett Sonerai called Miss Annapolis to the Air Fair. He was wearing a red flight suit with a variety of air race and record setting patches and a red beret. He seemed happy to talk about his experiences, and when I told both Dan and Brian my situation, I became an immediate hero and inspiration to them. Brian said my enthusiasm for aviation was a breath of fresh air. The clouds circled around us growing darker and grayer, threatening to rain. I helped Brian and Dan clean up and then remove Miss Annapolis' wings and push the fuselage into the trailer. Dan gave me a ride to Metro and I was invited by both Dan and Ron (Designer of the Minicoupe, and EAA Chapter 4 president) to the chapter's picnic being held at Suburban Airport (W18) next Saturday, the 5th. Today was a truly magical day!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Wednesday, 19 August 2009- Making Memories on National Aviation Day 19 August 2009
Making Memories on National Aviation Day
(This post can also be found on the www.eaarentals.com blog as a guest post)
Did you know that in 1939 President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed August 19 as National Aviation Day? When I first heard about it from the tight knit group of aviators I follow on twitter, I believed it to be true. I decided to go to my local airport and either participate in specially organized activities for the event, or simply spread the word.
When I arrived at the Montgomery County Airpark, in Montgomery County, Maryland, I had a calling... and a way to break the ice. Upon greeting the airport manager, Mr. John Luke, I proceeded to tell him about the day. Now, I didn't do any official research up to this point, and he was intrigued that he didn't know about it. I only knew that it coincided with Orville Wright's birthday, and why, I didn't know that either.
The doubt began to surface- maybe it wasn't a presidential proclamation, perhaps it was informally proclaimed such by the aviation community, such as AOPA- yet confidently I assured him that aviators across the USA were recognizing this distinguished day. I told him that I would give him much more notice next year- maybe I could organize something! We'll see...
My next stop at the FBO (Fixed Base Operator), was the pilot's lounge. I timidly peeked inside. Yay, a flight crew! I couldn't contain myself, "Hey guys, did you know today is National Aviation Day? No? Well let me tell you about it! As we proceeded with a pleasant conversation, we taught each other much. They were pilots of a Beechjet 400A, a single airplane operation, used to transport medical patients. They were waiting in the Pilot's Lounge for another four hours to deliver a patient to South Carolina. Having talked their ears off for over half and hour, I bid them farewell- the hangars out on the ramp were calling to me. Perhaps I might find someone willing to give me a National Aviation Day flight! I would offer to pay for the fuel of course. :-)
Surprisingly, the hangars were very quiet. I decided first to visit the hanger of one of our most famous aviators based at GAI. I volunteer at the museum in College Park where his Stearman Biplane is displayed. His name? Gus McLeod. He was the first to fly around the North Pole in an open cockpit biplane. I met him when I was a member of one of the local Civil Air Patrol squadrons. Well, Gus wasn't at the hangar that I thought to be his, so I walked up and down a few more rows in search of life at my local airport. I came across another hangar that had markings similar to the first I visited, I asked the man working on an experimental aircraft if Gus McLeod was affiliated with this outfit. A few minutes later, Mr. McLeod emerged from an office. I was amazed that he remembered me! He seemed impressed that I volunteered at College Park Aviation Museum. When I told him about my current working conditions, he suggested that he might be able to find something I might like to do around there. What an awesome offer to hear! Whether it will bear fruit was immaterial! On this National Aviation Day, someone could see my wing buds! Before he had to leave to test some of the ground breaking aircraft he's working on, he took my phone number and suggested that he would take me up in a plane as a belated National Aviation Day flight! Did Christmas just happen? I was hanging on to every word!
I returned to the FBO where I found a seat on the Airport Cafe's patio. There were four women and seven children, most under five years old, who decided to spend a day at the park. One of the women apologized in advance for her rambunctious kids to which I replied "Not a problem! I'm thrilled to be surrounded by kids excited about airplanes on National Aviation Day". Her friends congratulated he on he serendipitous choice of spending today at the airport. I told the adults and kids who were watching the same airplane take off and land that it was performing touch-n-goes. I invited the moms to bring their kids to Air Fair 100 at College Park on the 29th, to which one of the ladies said they'd been to the museum and would try to make it to the airshow. Yippee!! It was fun watching all these children excited about aviation!
When I finished eating my Gyro, I resumed reading a few chapters out of First Flights, until I got a tap on my shoulder. It was my pilot friends who flew the Beechjet. They were getting ready to leave. I remained in my seat for about two minutes when I realized this was my last chance to ask for a tour of their airplane.
Fortunately I caught up with the head pilot who granted me my wish. Excitement rushed through me as I stepped up into the Beechjet. The windows of the cockpit were covered to keep the aircraft cool. The darkness of the cockpit at first seemed uninviting so I sat in the cabin and took in the upholstery and interior decorating. Finally the head pilot urged me to sit in the cockpit, so I took a seat in the left seat. As the two pilots discussed the intricacies of the next leg of their trip, I scanned the instrument panels and imagined what it would be like to know how to make this bird fly. The pilot permitted me to take pictures of the cockpit and then he took my picture seated there as well.
Then the time came to say good bye. I showed the pilots my pilot log and the variety of signatures I collected from pilots like Patty Wagstaff, Corkey Fornof, and the Aeroshell Aerobatic Team, whom I had met at previous Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In’s. There was also the signature of a Southwest Airlines Captain. I asked if they would be so kind as to sign as well, to which they humbly accepted the request. A quick Q & A session revealed that the head pilot always wanted to be a pilot as he was growing up- that would explain the love of aviation emanating from his being, from the moment I met him. The second pilot had just joined the operation a month ago, invited by his friend who sat in the left seat. He wanted to be a lot of things growing up, the latest being an astronaut. I was very impressed with this pair of aviators!
The head pilot then walked back to the terminal entrance with me to meet his passengers. My ear-to-ear grin said it all as I thanked him for making my National Aviation Day memorable beyond my original expectations.
(This post can also be found on the www.eaarentals.com blog as a guest post)
Did you know that in 1939 President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed August 19 as National Aviation Day? When I first heard about it from the tight knit group of aviators I follow on twitter, I believed it to be true. I decided to go to my local airport and either participate in specially organized activities for the event, or simply spread the word.
When I arrived at the Montgomery County Airpark, in Montgomery County, Maryland, I had a calling... and a way to break the ice. Upon greeting the airport manager, Mr. John Luke, I proceeded to tell him about the day. Now, I didn't do any official research up to this point, and he was intrigued that he didn't know about it. I only knew that it coincided with Orville Wright's birthday, and why, I didn't know that either.
The doubt began to surface- maybe it wasn't a presidential proclamation, perhaps it was informally proclaimed such by the aviation community, such as AOPA- yet confidently I assured him that aviators across the USA were recognizing this distinguished day. I told him that I would give him much more notice next year- maybe I could organize something! We'll see...
My next stop at the FBO (Fixed Base Operator), was the pilot's lounge. I timidly peeked inside. Yay, a flight crew! I couldn't contain myself, "Hey guys, did you know today is National Aviation Day? No? Well let me tell you about it! As we proceeded with a pleasant conversation, we taught each other much. They were pilots of a Beechjet 400A, a single airplane operation, used to transport medical patients. They were waiting in the Pilot's Lounge for another four hours to deliver a patient to South Carolina. Having talked their ears off for over half and hour, I bid them farewell- the hangars out on the ramp were calling to me. Perhaps I might find someone willing to give me a National Aviation Day flight! I would offer to pay for the fuel of course. :-)
Surprisingly, the hangars were very quiet. I decided first to visit the hanger of one of our most famous aviators based at GAI. I volunteer at the museum in College Park where his Stearman Biplane is displayed. His name? Gus McLeod. He was the first to fly around the North Pole in an open cockpit biplane. I met him when I was a member of one of the local Civil Air Patrol squadrons. Well, Gus wasn't at the hangar that I thought to be his, so I walked up and down a few more rows in search of life at my local airport. I came across another hangar that had markings similar to the first I visited, I asked the man working on an experimental aircraft if Gus McLeod was affiliated with this outfit. A few minutes later, Mr. McLeod emerged from an office. I was amazed that he remembered me! He seemed impressed that I volunteered at College Park Aviation Museum. When I told him about my current working conditions, he suggested that he might be able to find something I might like to do around there. What an awesome offer to hear! Whether it will bear fruit was immaterial! On this National Aviation Day, someone could see my wing buds! Before he had to leave to test some of the ground breaking aircraft he's working on, he took my phone number and suggested that he would take me up in a plane as a belated National Aviation Day flight! Did Christmas just happen? I was hanging on to every word!
I returned to the FBO where I found a seat on the Airport Cafe's patio. There were four women and seven children, most under five years old, who decided to spend a day at the park. One of the women apologized in advance for her rambunctious kids to which I replied "Not a problem! I'm thrilled to be surrounded by kids excited about airplanes on National Aviation Day". Her friends congratulated he on he serendipitous choice of spending today at the airport. I told the adults and kids who were watching the same airplane take off and land that it was performing touch-n-goes. I invited the moms to bring their kids to Air Fair 100 at College Park on the 29th, to which one of the ladies said they'd been to the museum and would try to make it to the airshow. Yippee!! It was fun watching all these children excited about aviation!
When I finished eating my Gyro, I resumed reading a few chapters out of First Flights, until I got a tap on my shoulder. It was my pilot friends who flew the Beechjet. They were getting ready to leave. I remained in my seat for about two minutes when I realized this was my last chance to ask for a tour of their airplane.
Fortunately I caught up with the head pilot who granted me my wish. Excitement rushed through me as I stepped up into the Beechjet. The windows of the cockpit were covered to keep the aircraft cool. The darkness of the cockpit at first seemed uninviting so I sat in the cabin and took in the upholstery and interior decorating. Finally the head pilot urged me to sit in the cockpit, so I took a seat in the left seat. As the two pilots discussed the intricacies of the next leg of their trip, I scanned the instrument panels and imagined what it would be like to know how to make this bird fly. The pilot permitted me to take pictures of the cockpit and then he took my picture seated there as well.
Then the time came to say good bye. I showed the pilots my pilot log and the variety of signatures I collected from pilots like Patty Wagstaff, Corkey Fornof, and the Aeroshell Aerobatic Team, whom I had met at previous Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In’s. There was also the signature of a Southwest Airlines Captain. I asked if they would be so kind as to sign as well, to which they humbly accepted the request. A quick Q & A session revealed that the head pilot always wanted to be a pilot as he was growing up- that would explain the love of aviation emanating from his being, from the moment I met him. The second pilot had just joined the operation a month ago, invited by his friend who sat in the left seat. He wanted to be a lot of things growing up, the latest being an astronaut. I was very impressed with this pair of aviators!
The head pilot then walked back to the terminal entrance with me to meet his passengers. My ear-to-ear grin said it all as I thanked him for making my National Aviation Day memorable beyond my original expectations.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
My First SWA Spirit Day- Southwest Airlines Begins Service to Boston
Following my Southwest Airlines Twitter friends this morning at work made me wish I was in BOS for the big celebration. I was grateful that @danwebbage @curbcrusher @christiday and others were telling the story. When I learned that one of the flights was going to BWI, I decided that's where I was going- hopefully to meet them, but no guarantee.
As I made my way to the Germantown Transit Center from work, I decided that this was a poster-worthy event- I had to show my SWA Spirit! I went into Rite-Aid and bought posterboard and colored Sharpies for the project. I found a picture of a Canyon Blue Southwest jet to use as a pattern on my Blackberry and started to sketch it on the MetroRail to Greenbelt Metro Station. While waiting at the bus stop for the B30 bus to BWI, I spread out on a bus bench and continued sketching and started transferring the sketch to the posterboard.
Much to my pleasure, Brandon, a SWA pilot (I could tell by the SWAPA luggage handle) was boarding the bus. I asked him for a critique of my artistic ability when it came to aircraft graphic design. He was kind and seemed impressed with the project, as I explained what it was for. I also asked if he thought it was possible for it to get a ride to DAL SWA HDQ today, but he wasn't sure of the procedure. So I continued to work feverishly on it on the bus and then at BWI when I arrived.
It wasn't finished when the direct BOS to BWI flight arrived. I know this because a passenger from that flight saw me working on it and asked me where I came up with the "It's On!" slogan. I explained that it was Southwest Airlines' slogan and I was making a poster to greet the folks on the first flight, BOS-MDW-BWI, which left before the BOS-BWI, which in hindsight should have been the one that I greeted, since later, I would find no one who identified with the BOS-MDW leg. I continued to talk to this man who was quite a successful entrepenuer (sic) as I worked on the poster. When all was said and done, I had a pretty neat poster (if I do say so myself) and a great time, although I didn't get to meet anyone from Southwest Airlines.
As I made my way to the Germantown Transit Center from work, I decided that this was a poster-worthy event- I had to show my SWA Spirit! I went into Rite-Aid and bought posterboard and colored Sharpies for the project. I found a picture of a Canyon Blue Southwest jet to use as a pattern on my Blackberry and started to sketch it on the MetroRail to Greenbelt Metro Station. While waiting at the bus stop for the B30 bus to BWI, I spread out on a bus bench and continued sketching and started transferring the sketch to the posterboard.
Much to my pleasure, Brandon, a SWA pilot (I could tell by the SWAPA luggage handle) was boarding the bus. I asked him for a critique of my artistic ability when it came to aircraft graphic design. He was kind and seemed impressed with the project, as I explained what it was for. I also asked if he thought it was possible for it to get a ride to DAL SWA HDQ today, but he wasn't sure of the procedure. So I continued to work feverishly on it on the bus and then at BWI when I arrived.
It wasn't finished when the direct BOS to BWI flight arrived. I know this because a passenger from that flight saw me working on it and asked me where I came up with the "It's On!" slogan. I explained that it was Southwest Airlines' slogan and I was making a poster to greet the folks on the first flight, BOS-MDW-BWI, which left before the BOS-BWI, which in hindsight should have been the one that I greeted, since later, I would find no one who identified with the BOS-MDW leg. I continued to talk to this man who was quite a successful entrepenuer (sic) as I worked on the poster. When all was said and done, I had a pretty neat poster (if I do say so myself) and a great time, although I didn't get to meet anyone from Southwest Airlines.
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