BECOME A PILOT DAY - DULLES (VA) JUNE 14

flyingron

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Next Saturday, June 14, is the annual "fly in" at the Udvar-Hazy center. Attendance for planes is extremely limited (signups go in January) but this event is a blast for all attendees. Special activities both inside and outside at the museum. 50+ airplanes from a 777 and a DC-3 to a 1929 Waco and one real sweet Navion, all that flew in and all who will have their pilots at the plane to talk about flying with the public.

More information here: http://becomeapilot.si.edu
 
I was one of the lucky chosen few and will have my 182 on display there. I've flown my plane in to Dulles for the Plane Pull event but this will be a first for me, taking it over to A&S.
 
Our Maule MX7 was also chosen for display so we'll be there. Afternoon thunderstorms make getting back out a little more uncertain. I normally hangar my plane in West Virginia, but I'll be staging it inside the SFRA at Manassas for a short hop to this event on Saturday. It should be fun!
B38zuoul.jpg
 
I spent a day and a half washing and waxing my plane (this is the event it gets cleaned for). I'll be flying in midday Friday to Landmark (I need to guarantee my wife we will get at least one or two planes if it's IFR, though I don't think United will have any issue getting their 777 in). You'll find my blue Navion with the five foot tall teddy bear (Bob Hoobear) sitting in front of it.
 
We were just there this past weekend....MIL was getting pinned for her 2nd star at the Pentagon yesterday so that was a "can't miss" and we could only take so much time off of work...shame we weren't able to stick around for this though. Maybe one day....
 
It is always scheduled the day before Father's day. That's just the way things work out and it meshes with other museum/historical site events in the area which is a consideration (Sully Plantation, pretty much across the street has a big event on Sunday).

This is one of the big events (family days) at the Udvar-Hazy. The only one larger is the Halloween Air and Scare event. Originally when we met with the folks who were fundraising to build the facility and lugging the building model around they were saying you would be able to taxi to the museum as a visitor. That got shut down for a number of practical (liability and security reasons). They then said they could open the gates four times a year (it takes a combination of Smithsonian security, Dulles Airport Operations, ATC, and TSA to get the two gates open between the 1R runup block and the museum ramp). My wife, when still a visiting teacher, spearheaded the education department into grabbing one of those days. By and large it's the only regularly scheduled opening (there have been a couple of helicopter days where they just landed directly at Hazy which didn't entail opening the gate).

Anyhow, there are tons of stuff going on inside from small kids learning about traffic pattens flying around on a runway drawn on the floor to various other events for all ages plus aircraft outside including everything from United's 777 down to Cessna 170's, 1939 Waco cabin biplanes to the latest twin engine Diamond (with two 4 cyl stock Mercedes turbo diesels on it, this one showed up at my memorial day party...very sweet).

One unexpected thing was at the end of the outside portiion where they cleared the ramp of visitors and everybody was taxiing back to Dulles proper, we found many intrepid souls exited the museum and were standing staring in through the taxiway fence at that operation. I guess after 35 years of flying my own plane I got immune to it, but there are still people who want to watch all those engines fire up, if only to taxi a few hundred yards before they disappear into the trees.

By the way, it's like 2 miles from Dulles to the musuem on the taxiway. If you start at the Landmark FBO like I did last year it's a five mile taxi.... here's a video of a perspective most people never get to see...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdXpfdiawms
 
I was offered an overnight slot at Signature aviation, but their lack of tiedowns caused me to demur. Thunderstorms are predicted for Friday night, and a high lift, low wing loading plane like the Maule would be happy to take off without me during strong gusts. The risk isn't offset enough by the offer of free parking, so I'll pay for an overnight stay at Manassas. With the storms looming in the long range forecast, I may even spring for a hangar for the night. From Manassas to IAD is a short hop Saturday morning when the weather is supposed to be more favorable.

Are you going to the dinner on Friday night? I might have been interested, but Red Robin isn't very enticing...
 
Next Saturday, June 14, is the annual "fly in" at the Udvar-Hazy center. Attendance for planes is extremely limited (signups go in January) but this event is a blast for all attendees. Special activities both inside and outside at the museum. 50+ airplanes from a 777 and a DC-3 to a 1929 Waco and one real sweet Navion, all that flew in and all who will have their pilots at the plane to talk about flying with the public.

More information here: http://becomeapilot.si.edu

What! No RVs? :D

:rofl:
 
I believe there will be an RV-9 and depending on some recent mechanical issues in a discussion with the pilot possibly an RV-4. Of course it all depends on the weather, but it's looking to be severe clear on Saturday. I'm still planning to fly up midday friday.
 
A Harmon Rocket will be there and it is basically an RV on steroids. I think the selection committee did a pretty good job of covering the range of aircraft used over a lengthy time period. I've never seen a Winkle Bird before and this may be my last chance to see one. I smile each time I say that name. By contrast, when I say I want to spend more time in the "Maule", the uninitiated think I want to spend more time in the "mall". The name of my aircraft make doesn't make anyone smile, but it is fun to fly! Here's the list of display aircraft with photos: http://becomeapilot.si.edu/aircraft-display/
 
That list isn't up to date. If the pilot didn't send a picture it may not be there. My wife says an RV-9 (or 9A she can't remember) was definitely approved.

The amusing one was the Curtis Pusher replica they had a few years ago. It actually landed and taxied and departed on the normal Dulles runway. This is amusing as it really doesn't have any ground steering. Every time it go to a turn on the taxiway the pilot gets out, picks up the nose gear, turns the plane, and then puts it down and gets back in.
 
The weather was PERFECT for the Smithsonian's Become a Pilot Day celebration. I stopped by Ron's Navion a couple of times, but he must have been out socializing with other pilots each time I visited. In addition to the great planes, there were some fabulous cars. The clubs and organizations that had displays inside the museum were also really good. They suffered a bit because the weather was too nice to stay inside for long. Here's a video I put together of our arrival and time at the event. Be patient, because I compiled this video for non-flying friends and family.

http://youtu.be/Bo8RuIVzhBA
 
I was there when the ramp was open to the public except for a half an hour I went to grab something to eat. Cathy McGurran (another Navion owner and Vintage Flight Line chair) covered visitors while I was gone. I was inside eating breakfast and then over watching them try to get the 777 in before the show started.

That's a great video. I'm going to share it over on their facebook page.

My fun and games with ATC is I like to hold over the TRACON building if they can't get me into Dulles right away. It went something like this:

PCT: 27K Ident
27K: Identing and we're right over the TRACON building.
PCT: (chuckle) 27K radar contact over the TRACON
 
Ron: I visited you webpage link with pictures of your little piece of Nirvana on Lake Norman and I was wowed! I also realized from your webpage that your wife was one of the chief correspondents with the pilots that participated in the Become a Pilot Day event. Thank her again for all of the fabulous planning that went into this very fine day celebrating all flavors of aviation!
 
The event was entirely her idea. She has always been the air boss of the outside activities and was been the program director for the entire event this year.

Come out to the museum sometime on a calmer day and take one of the docent-led tours. These guys have incredible stores of knowledge (docent training involves 20 weeks of intensive lectures by the museum curators as well as a "flight check" by the education staff). Most of these guys have extensive aviation background to boot (military, airline, pilots, some are admirals and generals even).
 
Any pictures? Looks like a cool event. I emailed to fly my 150 in, but rsvp'd too late.
 
The weather was PERFECT for the Smithsonian's Become a Pilot Day celebration. I stopped by Ron's Navion a couple of times, but he must have been out socializing with other pilots each time I visited. In addition to the great planes, there were some fabulous cars. The clubs and organizations that had displays inside the museum were also really good. They suffered a bit because the weather was too nice to stay inside for long. Here's a video I put together of our arrival and time at the event. Be patient, because I compiled this video for non-flying friends and family.

http://youtu.be/Bo8RuIVzhBA

Great video, thanks for posting it. Looks like it was a lot of fun...
 
Any pictures? Looks like a cool event. I emailed to fly my 150 in, but rsvp'd too late.

The application form usually goes online on Feb 1. Watch for it next year. Margy had a 150 texas taildragger this year, but she's been trying to get a 150 for ever since the 150 FRZ violation to show people just exactly what they're talking about.

She did however, get a 150 deacccession to her for an educational hands on display (which sits at the SR-71's 1 o'clock position). This one was not historically significant and the curator wanted to get rid of it so they could accept the donation of Bill Kershner's. It's open (when there's a volunteer to supervise) for kids to sit in and learn how the flight controls work.
 
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