FINALLY!!! Very cool flight yesterday

[Seth]

Though I became "vetted" to fly into the FRZ and land at one of the oldest airports in the United States - CGS - College Park, MD, I finally used my super secret code, filed, and flew, an FRZ flight plan yesterday.

 

The best part . . . I finally flew over my current home, childhood home, my office building, high school, and basically where I have always wanted to fly the past 10 years but have not been allowed. 

 

I know everyone tries to and most succeed early in their flying career to view their home from 1000 feet, but I finally did after 10+ years and 920+ hours yesterday.  VERY COOL.

 

We are grounded by snow today - hope everyone is enjoying their weekend.

 

-Seth

[Hank]

Congratulations, Seth. We have a couple of inches of snow, lightly topped with sleet. Makes for interesting driving. It's now turning to rain, hovering around freezing. No playable weather is forecast until Wednesday.

[aviatoreb]

Though I became "vetted" to fly into the FRZ and land at one of the oldest airports in the United States - CGS - College Park, MD, I finally used my super secret code, filed, and flew, an FRZ flight plan yesterday.

 

The best part . . . I finally flew over my current home, childhood home, my office building, high school, and basically where I have always wanted to fly the past 10 years but have not been allowed. 

 

I know everyone tries to and most succeed early in their flying career to view their home from 1000 feet, but I finally did after 10+ years and 920+ hours yesterday.  VERY COOL.

 

We are grounded by snow today - hope everyone is enjoying their weekend.

 

-Seth

 

Very cool Seth.

 

Getting myself vetted into that FRZ so I too can operate out of CGS is on my..."to do" list.  Well done.

[Bob_Belville]

I used CGS several times back in the 70s/80s. I suppose the airspace is a little more difficult these days.

[flyboy0681]

It's actually pretty sad if you ask me, having to go through all that just to land at a public use airport.

 

I flew into CGS in 1983 and remember a friend telling me beforehand that it was one of the oldest in America, and then he took me to the historical landmark plaque which told of the entire history. Mighty interesting.

[Bob_Belville]

It's actually pretty sad if you ask me, having to go through all that just to land at a public use airport.

 

I flew into CGS in 1983 and remember a friend telling me beforehand that it was one of the oldest in America, and then he took me to the historical landmark plaque which told of the entire history. Mighty interesting.

I think College Park and Atlantic City both had some claim to oldest field. 

[IndyTim]

Very cool Seth.

Here is the wiki link for College Park. Pretty interesting history there.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_Park_Airport

[IndyTim]

National Register of Historic Places entry is here: http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/aviation/col.htm

It says KCGS is "one of the oldest" but the article is not definitive. I did a quick search and couldn't find any other serious contenders.

But CGS looks like the site for a whole slew of aviation firsts, including the first "blind" ((IFR) cross-country flight.

[carusoam]

Atlantic City probably refers to Bader Field... (walking distance to the beach, boardwalk and casinos)

It was closed just a few short years ago...

-a-

[Seth]

Wings field, LOM is pretty old too. 

 

CGS, college park, was used by the Army to have the wright brother's teach thier pilots how to fly their purchased aircraft.

 

Here's an offer.  Any pilot here on Mooneyspace, or if you know someone that's okay too, who needs to get "vetted."  Come fly to GAI and I'll help you transportation wise get around town so that you can get the paperwork done.  Signature at (near) BWI (really the FSDO), Fingerprints at DCA (in the airport), drop the paperwork at CGS.

 

CGS is walking distance to a metro stop and can take you right downtown when visiting the area.  They also have less expensive fuel for the area.  The lineman let me know the airport really wasn't making money anymore as traffic is a fraction of what it was pre-9/11.  However, it's county owned and has a museum and historical significane, and he doubts it will be shut down.  Unfortunatly, no student pilot training is allowed at this airport as it's in the FRZ. (Flying with a CFI is allowed once you have your license, but no pure non-licensed study pilot ops at the field).

 

-Seth

[Bob_Belville]

Atlantic City probably refers to Bader Field... (walking distance to the beach, boardwalk and casinos)

It was closed just a few short years ago...

-a-

Yes, I flew 9249M into AIY (Atlantic City Municipal, Bader) in May 1978 for a national Jaycee Convention. (My now 40 year old daughter was a preschooler who had repeatedly announced she was going to catch "Jaws". When the first fish hit the deck of the charter fishing boat Celeste retired to the inside cabin and made friends with a nice lady there who didn't like fishing either.)  Wikipedia says Bader opened in 1910, closed in 2006. "It was the first U.S. municipal airport with facilities for both seaplanes and land-based airplanes." 

[Shadrach]

Wings field, LOM is pretty old too. 

 

CGS, college park, was used by the Army to have the wright brother's teach thier pilots how to fly their purchased aircraft.

 

Here's an offer.  Any pilot here on Mooneyspace, or if you know someone that's okay too, who needs to get "vetted."  Come fly to GAI and I'll help you transportation wise get around town so that you can get the paperwork done.  Signature at (near) BWI (really the FSDO), Fingerprints at DCA (in the airport), drop the paperwork at CGS.

 

CGS is walking distance to a metro stop and can take you right downtown when visiting the area.  They also have less expensive fuel for the area.  The lineman let me know the airport really wasn't making money anymore as traffic is a fraction of what it was pre-9/11.  However, it's county owned and has a museum and historical significane, and he doubts it will be shut down.  Unfortunatly, no student pilot training is allowed at this airport as it's in the FRZ. (Flying with a CFI is allowed once you have your license, but no pure non-licensed study pilot ops at the field).

 

-Seth

I got "vetted" back in 05 (IIRC).  I cannot believe that they've not streamlined the process since, but it looks as if the process still has you driving all over "hell and half acre"...  My brother was a line boy there in college.  I have vivid memories in the late '90s of taking off in a rental 172 and circling the spires of the DC LDS temple. We stayed under 1500ft AGL; I don't think we used the radio for anything beyond pattern announcements..

[201er]

Here's an offer.  Any pilot here on Mooneyspace, or if you know someone that's okay too, who needs to get "vetted."  Come fly to GAI and I'll help you transportation wise get around town so that you can get the paperwork done.  Signature at (near) BWI (really the FSDO), Fingerprints at DCA (in the airport), drop the paperwork at

Seth, perhaps I will take you up on that. Maybe we can mooneypool a few guys out forthat and make a mooney event out of it. But how long does it take? Also, once you get it, do you need to renew/maintain?

[Marauder]

Seth, perhaps I will take you up on that. Maybe we can mooneypool a few guys out forthat and make a mooney event out of it. But how long does it take? Also, once you get it, do you need to renew/maintain?

Do you REALLY think after they see your passport they are going to let you anywhere near Washington, DC?

[201er]

I thought they just check your fingerprints. My paws are clean. In the US at least.

And whats more American than flying an American made airplane and demanding the freedom to fly it some more?

[Marauder]

I thought they just check your fingerprints. My paws are clean. In the US at least.

And whats more American than flying an American made airplane and demanding the freedom to fly it some more?

Oh no, not where you have been. You are all set to have a full body cavity search for the privilege to enter this country again. Not to mention a full analysis on your cargo pants...

[Mooneymite]

Caution. Thread creep.

Speaking of Bader, this one of my favorite videos of that airport:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIPvs_sJMXM

I understand the aircraft was salvaged and the pilot still has his license, but I'm not sure about either fact.

[carusoam]

Mite,

There's got to be an interesting FAA report to go with that... Down wind landing followed by taxiing directly to the casinos...

-a-

[Mooneymite]

Mite,

There's got to be an interesting FAA report to go with that... Down wind landing followed by taxiing directly to the casinos...

-a-

 

When the engine fired up after being submerged, I couldn't believe this wasn't a spoof.  Nope.  That's just what happened.  

[Seth]

Here's an offer.  Any pilot here on Mooneyspace, or if you know someone that's okay too, who needs to get "vetted."  Come fly to GAI and I'll help you transportation wise get around town so that you can get the paperwork done.  Signature at (near) BWI (really the FSDO), Fingerprints at DCA (in the airport), drop the paperwork at

 

Seth, perhaps I will take you up on that. Maybe we can mooneypool a few guys out forthat and make a mooney event out of it. But how long does it take? Also, once you get it, do you need to renew/maintain?

 

I think that's a great idea and would be willing to help:

 

1)  Get forms singed by FSDO near BWI (about 1.5 mile drive from the airport)  Specific hours - I'd have to look at the paperwork but I think 9AM to 3PM or something like that, with a lunch break where they don't sign.

 

2)  Get fingerprints completed at DCA - in the ops area - you park in the parking for the airport and they stamp your tickets you don't have to pay - also very specific times, usually starting at 7:30 AM, not open for lunch, and only for certain timeframes in the afternoon.

 

3)  Drop off the paperwork at CGS - they are open from morning until evening, even on weekends.

 

4)  Call the phone number to activate your figerprints once a week until they show up in they system and get activated

 

Steps 3 can be done any day of the week.

 

Steps 1, 2 & 4 are only during the week

 

Steps 1 & 2 must be in person.

 

Thus, I would suggest to knock this out in one punch, flying into GAI (near my home) or BWI (more expensive), getting the first form signed at BWI, I'll drive whoever comes to DCA, we'll get the fingerprints, and then to CGS where we'll drop off the forms and then head back to the aircraft for departure.  This would have to be during the week or there is no point, as 2 out of 3 physcial locations will not be available. 

 

I'll find out the exact timing from the FSDO and finerprint office and then post a topic. 

 

-Seth

[carusoam]

Fly-in topic....?

Best regards,

-a-

[aviatoreb]

I think that's a great idea and would be willing to help:

 

1)  Get forms singed by FSDO near BWI (about 1.5 mile drive from the airport)  Specific hours - I'd have to look at the paperwork but I think 9AM to 3PM or something like that, with a lunch break where they don't sign.

 

2)  Get fingerprints completed at DCA - in the ops area - you park in the parking for the airport and they stamp your tickets you don't have to pay - also very specific times, usually starting at 7:30 AM, not open for lunch, and only for certain timeframes in the afternoon.

 

3)  Drop off the paperwork at CGS - they are open from morning until evening, even on weekends.

 

4)  Call the phone number to activate your figerprints once a week until they show up in they system and get activated

 

Steps 3 can be done any day of the week.

 

Steps 1, 2 & 4 are only during the week

 

Steps 1 & 2 must be in person.

 

Thus, I would suggest to knock this out in one punch, flying into GAI (near my home) or BWI (more expensive), getting the first form signed at BWI, I'll drive whoever comes to DCA, we'll get the fingerprints, and then to CGS where we'll drop off the forms and then head back to the aircraft for departure.  This would have to be during the week or there is no point, as 2 out of 3 physcial locations will not be available. 

 

I'll find out the exact timing from the FSDO and finerprint office and then post a topic. 

 

-Seth

 

Wow Seth, that is an incredibly generous offer.  I may just take you up on that offer come spring since I sure wish I had the super-secret code as that is a most convenient airport to my visits to family in Bethesda, work colleagues in DC, and work colleagues at U of MD!

 

I thought some kind of oral exam was required at FISDO at BWI - and that you needed an invitation letter to do that - meaning that this whole thing could not be done all in one day since that letter could only be generated after several of the steps were already done.