Flights of a lifetime

The National Celebration of General Aviation D.C. Flyover on May 11 featured 54 aircraft flying from Frederick Municipal Airport in Maryland to Washington, D.C., at 1,000 feet over the National Mall and many of the capital’s most prominent monuments, and within Prohibited Area P-56, created decades prior to the attacks of September 11, 2001, to keep aircraft away from the U.S. Capitol.

The aerial parade, each pilot carefully screened and with required waivers in place, was the culmination of months of planning and preparation. AOPA secured support from Congress and permission from 11 government agencies, including the U.S. Secret Service, the FAA, and the Transportation Security Administration.

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“Surreal” is how one pilot described flying over a segment of the nation’s capital that has been closed to GA traffic for decades. To be in a place with an aerial view that few living people have seen was “humbling,” “magical,” and “unbelievable.” according to many of the 54 pilots participating in the flyover. Even the most seasoned and celebrated aviators marveled in the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“It was so unusual because I’ve spent a lot of time flying in this region in the past 15 years and yet I have never flown in that airspace in that position,” said Dave Hirschman, AOPA Pilot editor at large, who flew a Van’s RV–4 and participated in one of only two formation flights within the flyover, alongside two Van’s RV–8 aircraft. Flying in the restricted airspace was a revelation. “It’s so close but it felt so foreign because it was all so novel,” he said.

The flyover comprised 15 different “chapters” telling the story of GA in the United States, from the Golden Age and GA after World War II to the GA trainer era, vertical flight, backcountry flying, seaplanes, corporate and business aviation, technically advanced aircraft, homebuilt aircraft, airshow performers, and other examples of GA aircraft that support public service missions.

Selected pilots and aircraft began arriving at AOPA headquarters (on the grounds of Frederick Municipal Airport) on May 8, and the variety and scope of the aviation story they would tell was on full display by the time the conga line of aircraft taxied to start the flyover on Saturday morning. A week of tumultuous skies had preceded the event with Friday being the most disastrous as rain soaked participants and their prized aircraft, parked along the AOPA ramp and on the flight line. Prized aircraft such as a Grumman HU-16 Albatross, a Howard DGA, a Spartan Executive, and a Douglas DC–3 shared the line in the rain with Van’s RVs, a Cessna 172, a Game Composites GB1 GameBird, and so many more, all with pilots hoping for clear skies in the morning.

AOPA, the vital association representing GA and its pilots, organized the D.C. flyover as part of its eighty-fifth anniversary protecting the freedom to fly. The flyover and other events throughout the week for members and flyover participants were a part of AOPA’s birthday party.

When Saturday dawned to clear skies and subdued breezes, everyone involved in this massive undertaking drew a huge sigh of relief. An early morning briefing was led by Mike Ginter, who was the air boss of the overall operation (and AOPA’s vice president of airports and state advocacy), and veteran airshow air boss Wayne Boggs, who would lead operations in the tower at Frederick Municipal Airport. They set the tone: excited anticipation with a strong emphasis on safety.

“This,” said Ginter, a retired U.S. Navy aviator, “is not the time for original thought. We need every pilot to follow the briefing exactly, unless you declare an emergency.”

He mapped out the precise timing and route, which had been months in the making by AOPA Chief Fight Instructor (and flyover safety officer) Mike Filucci. Each aircraft had a time for takeoff, marked down to the second. Boggs in the Frederick tower would direct the departures, while Ginter whisked off in a Beechcraft Bonanza to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to watch the plan unfold from the control tower there.

“During the briefing I tried to drive simplicity,” Ginter said, noting that each pilot’s primary mission was to maintain the assigned altitude and airspeed and remain calm, knowing they would not be in danger of being intercepted by the military or sanctioned by the FAA for airspace violations that normally would apply in the Flight Restricted Zone.

The line of aircraft was led by AOPA President Mark Baker in his Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing. He led the first of the 15 chapters with the call sign “Golden One.” Boggs told him: “Cleared for takeoff at your assigned time.” Baker lifted off Runway 23 at exactly 11:38 a.m., followed by aircraft representing their chapters in aviation history with call signs such as “Boom,” “Trainer,” “Rotor,” “Bush,” “Built;” “Sport,” “Growth,” “Airshow,” and “Safety.” Aircraft chapters were spaced minutes apart based on their assigned airspeeds.

The flight took the aircraft south to the Potomac River, turning left toward the U.S. Capitol at the Lincoln Memorial, up Independence Avenue and the National Mall, passing the Washington Monument under the pilots’ left wings, and turning right at another prominent Washington landmark, the Smithsonian Institution's “Castle,” to depart for home.

Baker passed the Washington Monument at a punctual 12:06 p.m. and was back at Frederick by 1 p.m. Reagan National Airport was closed just for one hour and Frederick for two.

When Baker landed, he was ecstatic but clearly exhausted: “It takes a lot of work to keep her at 90 knots,” he said of his Staggerwing. “We fought a lot in the air.” But his grin and thumbs up said it all: Every bit of muscle work was worth the effort.

“Wow. That was amazing. I want to thank the entire group for its commitment and time over the last year and pulling this incredible event together,” Baker said. “People have volunteered their airplanes, their fuel, and their time, so I want to give a big thanks to them. And the agencies—they were so excited about this special day. A lot of people came together and worked hard to make the flyover something special.”

The event was livestreamed on YouTube from video cameras placed atop buildings in downtown D.C. along the route. Commentators Tom Haines and Miles O’Brien kept pace with the incoming aircraft, narrating their background and history. Haines is the former editor in chief of AOPA Media and O’Brien is a noted aviation journalist. Both are avid pilots.

The video was shown live at AOPA’s National Aviation Community Center at Frederick, while thousands more watched on their iPhones and tablets. Frederick residents lined the streets surrounding the airport, enjoying the spectacle from their cars, folding chairs, and blankets. Pilots reported seeing thousands of spectators on the National Mall between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. As of May 14, the video livestream had more than 50,000 views.

“From start to finish, this special event could not have been more amazing,” said Ginter. “I can’t thank enough the countless people who made this day happen—from the team at AOPA to our government partners, sponsors, and all the pilots and aircraft owners who gave of their time and aircraft. And best of all, the weather was as spectacular as the event.”