Pilots group to celebrate general aviation with National Mall flyover
The grounds of Frederick Municipal Airport were unusually full on Friday, with more than 50 aircraft lining the airfields.
Some of the planes were built right after World War II, when the production and manufacturing of aircraft was booming. Some planes were homebuilt aircraft made by non-professionals with assembly kits or aircraft plans.
In total, the planes spanned 15 chapters of general aviation history, starting with the Golden Age of the 1920s and 1930s and continuing to the present day.
All of the planes parked at the airport are owned by members of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). On Saturday, the pilots will take off from Frederick and fly over the National Mall to commemorate the association’s 85th anniversary.
“They’re doing this because we asked them,” said Mike Ginter, AOPA’s vice president of airports and state advocacy. “We invited them for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. They all jumped at it. Nobody said no. We had five times more wanting to get in than we could accept.”
AOPA was incorporated in 1939 and is dedicated to general aviation, according to its website.
The planes will start leaving Frederick at 11:30 a.m., and the flyover in Washington, D.C., will take place from noon to 1 p.m., according to a news release from AOPA. A livestream with commentary on the planes during the flyover will be on the association’s YouTube channel.
Other aircraft that will be in the flyover are seaplanes, aerobatic planes and business jets.
Ginter said he proposed the idea for the flyover in January 2023, when AOPA leadership was brainstorming how to celebrate its 85th anniversary. The planning process has taken about 13 months.
He said the association worked with 11 federal agencies, including the U.S. Secret Service, the Transportation Security Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration, to make this event possible and get approval to fly in restricted airspace in D.C.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport will be closed for an hour for the flyover, according to AOPA’s news release.
Prior to 9/11, civilian and non-commercial flights, also called general aviation flights, were able to fly in the airspace over the National Mall, according to Ginter.
This is the first time since 9/11 that this many general aviation planes will get to fly over that area of D.C., he said.
Eric Blinderman, AOPA’s senior director of communications, is one of the pilots participating in the flyover and will be in a Cessna 182.
Compared to other pilots who’ve been flying for decades, Blinderman said he’s a relatively new pilot and has only had his certification for three years.
He said getting to participate in this flyover and see D.C. from over the National Mall is “beyond the bucket list” for him — and a new experience for seasoned pilots, too.
“Even most experienced pilots are doing this for the very first time, and it’s really wonderful to see the childlike excitement in their eyes,” Blinderman said. “It’s going to be interesting to see a familiar city in an unfamiliar way.”
Blinderman said AOPA hopes the event piques the general public’s interest in aviation and, hopefully, inspires people.
Ginter said he hopes the flyover raises awareness about general aviation and all of the various chapters in its history.
“If there are pilots watching the flyover and they’re not a member, please consider joining AOPA,” Ginter said. “If there are citizens out there that are viewing this and have always had an interest in maybe thinking airplane flying is cool and they might want to try it some day, now’s the time to try it.”
