Dozens of planes to fly over National Mall to celebrate aviation!
“Heads up! Be aware that Saturday, 5/11, around noon, 60 planes representing the history of general aviation will fly down the Potomac and over the National Mall,” the National Park Service (NPS)
I just returned from Frederick Airport. Weather will NOT be cooperating per FAA! AWC(Av. Weather Crt) has a restricted "fly" forecast for today and tomorrow at KFDK.
Dan
Just received a call from my buddy at AOPA...AWC has "lifted" the "ceiling limit" for tomorrows flight from here to DC. So if the sun rises, so will I!!!!
Keep fingers crossed!
Have fun at Cherry Point tomorrow Douglas!
OH! ALERT....A GREAT POSSIBILITY THAT THE ENTIRE US WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THE NORTHERN LIGHTS TONIGHT(TOMORROW 2AM). A HUGE SOLAR FLARE IS TO HIT US TONIGHT]
Jan-Arie wrote:
Tonight we had a brief spell of the Northern Lights.
Tried to make a photo with my DSLR no joy tried my Iphone
From my skylight with a 10 sec exposure.
Not to shabby for a telephone.
THE SOLAR FLARE IS SUPPOSED TO HIT MY AREA TONIGHT, 2AM, the entire Country is supposed to be able to see them.
Here is hoping J-A!
Thanks!
Dan
I'm going to go buy a lottery ticket! Just applied for a drone authorization in a zero altitude sector and my approval popped back up in less than 10 minutes, unheard of.
Danpbphoto wrote:
Just received a call from my buddy at AOPA...AWC has "lifted" the "ceiling limit" for tomorrows flight from here to DC. So if the sun rises, so will I!!!!
Keep fingers crossed!
Have fun at Cherry Point tomorrow Douglas!
OH! ALERT....A GREAT POSSIBILITY THAT THE ENTIRE US WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THE NORTHERN LIGHTS TONIGHT(TOMORROW 2AM). A HUGE SOLAR FLARE IS TO HIT US TONIGHT]
Amazing shots, Bill!! Especially the ones with the sunset(or sunrise)!
I got home at 12:15 last night from MCAS Cherry Point, great great show. I arrived near the gate at 7:20 AM, waited on the street for about 90 minutes before they started letting cars in. Everything went smoothly for us, except getting out of the base, which always seems to be the bottleneck in every show I have been to. I was wondering why more than 1/2 of the expensive paid seating area was empty when they said all seats were sold out. I found out on my way home that some folks waited 3-4 hours in the traffic just trying to get in the base even though they arrived at 9:00 and gave up, those who didn't give up, by the time they parked, passed the security, it was already two or three o'clock. There were a lot of angry people for sure. Some travelled long distance, paid for hotel and premium seating, didn't get to see the show. Today the base will start letting cars in at 7:30 instead of 9:00. A lot of folks said in the past they also let cars in at 9:00 but there was never a disaster like this Saturday. Vendors ran out of food to sell and there was a severely lack of potable toilet in the free general seating area. Something definitely went very wrong this time.
I also read that some people with big lenses were turned away at the security gate, even though their rules never mention anything about the limits on lens size. I got my two big lenses in without issue. This happened to me once at Andrews, I simply walked away and took a different lane. It really depends on if the staff manning the security check wake up on the wrong side of the bed or not. Some would like to play big shot.
All in all, it was a very good day for me but a total disaster for many. Lot of pictures to go through...
Douglas L wrote:
I also read that some people with big lenses were turned away at the security gate, even though their rules never mention anything about the limits on lens size. I got my two big lenses in without issue. This happened to me once at Andrews, I simply walked away and took a different lane. It really depends on if the staff manning the security check wake up on the wrong side of the bed or not. Some would like to play big shot.
All in all, it was a very good day for me but a total disaster for many. Lot of pictures to go through......Show more →
What can I say Douglas...it is a Marine air station. The Marines don't often get respect.
After the USAF closed Ellington, our unit, 147th FIG took over management of the airfield. With limited services, you could only land your plane if you had a "Prior Permission Request" (PPR). A couple of months after we took over the base, a Marine A-4 piloted by a student on a cross country declared an emergency and landed at Ellington. He evidently missed something in the communication with the air controllers as to his reason for landing, I guess he was caught up with getting the plane down safely and he was a new pilot. One of our crew chiefs marshaled him into a parking spot with our security police force (SP) following. As soon as he stepped off the ladder he was sent face down on the tarmac, handcuffed and taken to the SP building where he was detained.
That evening, our base commander/colonel received a call from the Marine Station General. It didn't go well. Our pilots were told to avoid landing at that Marine Station at all cost. If I recall correctly, it was MCAS, Cherry Point.
Ray Swindle wrote:
What can I say Douglas...it is a Marine air station. The Marines don't often get respect.
After the USAF closed Ellington, our unit, 147th FIG took over management of the airfield. With limited services, you could only land your plane if you had a "Prior Permission Request" (PPR). A couple of months after we took over the base, a Marine A-4 piloted by a student on a cross country declared an emergency and landed at Ellington. He evidently missed something in the communication with the air controllers as to his reason for landing, I guess he was caught up with getting the plane down safely and he was a new pilot. One of our crew chiefs marshaled him into a parking spot with our security police force (SP) following. As soon as he stepped off the ladder he was sent face down on the tarmac, handcuffed and taken to the SP building where he was detained.
That evening, our base commander/colonel received a call from the Marine Station General. It didn't go well. Our pilots were told to avoid landing at that Marine Station at all cost. If I recall correctly, it was MCAS, Cherry Point.
I had no idea it was so bad at Cherry Point yesterday until I read the comments on FB and other forums. Hours of wait, not enough food, not enough toilet, some folks with big lenses got turned away. A couple guys said certain security lanes didn't allow lenses longer than 12". I guess it's the smart phone generation. The marines who checked my 600 F4 and 200-600 didn't say anything about my lenses.
The long wait and lack of toilets got to be a real issue for the elderly and little kids.
Ray -
I had a PPO encounter in early 197? as an Army O-3. Yep, memory glitch.
I had an L-19 checked out from my reserve unit in OKC, hangered at Max Westheimer, Norman, OK.
I got to take it home for a week (Oh the good ol' days) when they need hours on the aircraft.
A friend, USAF ATC type E-7 called me and asked if I could fly him to Randolph AFB,
because he had received a 'get-back-here-STAT phone call.
I filed the long form flight plan and we headed out.
The WX was IFR down some of I-35 S. (Birddogs are not really IFR rated. I still was, but . . . ) I did stay SVFR tho.
(FYI - L1-9s do not mix well in patterns with T-37s, T-38s, etc.)
(One guy asked if I could go any faster - I replied I was pedaling as fast as I could.)
We landed, taxied per the 'Follow me' jeep. . . and found I was invited to the Airfield Commander's office.
My buddy went in instead, and as I waited just outside, I was aware it was quite loud in there.
He told me later the O-4 was planning to write up a 'big-fat-violation' of his PPO.
I told him I had thought the Long-Form would satisfy the PPO, because I got no reply to it . . Nope.
Seems "PPO" takes several days .
He convinced the (@$%@!#$) that I was doing him and the USAF a big favor,
saving many hours of travel time and $s from NE TX to S.A., TX.
I just asked for enough fuel to get me out of there after filing for return - and I took my happiass out of there at 90 knots.
I did discover when folks fly the interstates, esp under low ceilings, we stayed to the right just like the cars.
Helps avoid TV and Radio guy wires as well - we plotted them on my sectional.
I did get a wing-wag from a Cessna-172 headed up the other side :-D
