September 7, 2013 - Clearview Fly-In
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Nearby Clearview Airport was having a fly-in today so I headed over. While crossing the Key Bridge driving to the airport, I saw a large airplane over Baltimore. It looked like a B-17. In case you don't know, the B-17 was the famous four-engine bomber of World War II. I was hoping to see the B-17 from the air.
I took off and headed west over the Baltimore. About halfway across the city, I saw the B-17 to the southwest. Soon it became clear it was heading towards me. We passed each other going opposites directions. I was soooo tempted to do a wingover and pull up alongside it!
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Yep, that's a B-17 all right. I think this plane travels around the country and gives rides. For a reasonable price, of course.
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| As is well-known to local pilots, Clearview is a challenging airport to land at. The runway is 2,000 feet long but it slopes. Landing to the west, downhill, requires excellent speed control. I made probably my best landing ever here coming in. Fortunately, the wind was from the east so I landed uphill. Here, I'm parked next to my hangar neighbor Tom K.'s Maule. |
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I've never seen so many people at Clearview. Usually it's deserted, with the one guy inside the FBO building minding the pilot's store.
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| There was some good food to be had, tables to sit at to relax, talk to fellow airplane enthusiasts and watch airplanes takeoff andland. |
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| Looking uphill to the east. A Sky Ranger kitplane is to the right. A Citabria taxiis for takeoff. Planes landed uphill and took off downhilll. |
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| The Air Cam doing it's U-2 takeoff. As usual, Carlos and Claudius were giving AirCam rides continuously. |
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A brightly painted Citabria.
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I don't know what this is. Funky-looking gyrocoptor I guess.
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| Looking across the runway as the Air Cam taxiis by. |
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| An ultralight starts its engine. Check out the ballistic parachute mounted on top fo the wing. |
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Brian and Walt have RV-8s based here at Clearview.
Essex Skypark and Clearview Airport are almost sister airports because so many pilots from each airport know each other and fly together.
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Looking downhill to the west.
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| The ultralight in flight. |
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| A Citabria takes off. |
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| Anthony L. taxiis by in his Super Decathelon. Anthony used to do the annuals on our old Citabria. |
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Anthony departs to the west.
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I bought a case of oil and a new pilots log in the pilot's shop -- which probably set a new record for most business in one day -- and then it was time to leave.
Here is Clearview from the air as I depart on downwind.
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| Cruising over Liberty Reservoir. |
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| I thought this demolished building was interesting on the west side of Baltimore. |
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| I wasn't ready to stop flying so I continued east to the Eastern Shore to check things out. |
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On a nice summer day like this, the party boats were out in force.
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