NAVIGATING THE MOST RESTRICTED AIRSPACE IN THE WORLD
Joining me in my R44 was National Air
Transportation Association President and CEO Curt Castagna (right) and my fiancée, Ellen Boone (not pictured). (James Viola Photo)
The National Mall section of the
route terminated near the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, where all aircraft turned south. The flyover’s three helicopters included the Enstrom, so we flew farther south on the Potomac River to Mount Vernon, home of George Washington, the first US president. From there, we proceeded west
and around the controlled airspace of Washington Dulles International Airport (KIAD), before returning to KFDK. The return flight in the Robbie was
uneventful, as all of us sat quietly pro- cessing what we had just experienced.
floatplane, flew over, the two hosts explained that Harbor Airlines, from the northwestern United States, is con- verting its Beavers to electric flight due to the short hops they take to and from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. “It’s a perfect mission for electric
aviation,” O’Brien said. They also highlighted general avi-
ation’s efforts to eliminate lead from avgas. As a Beech Baron flew over, the pair noted that the twin-engine plane was using different fuels for each engine. One used traditional fuel; the other, a new unleaded fuel called G100UL. I led the vertical aviation category as
“Rotor 1” in my Robbie. I was followed by an experimental- category Enstrom 480B piloted by Enstrom’s Dennis Martin and an Airbus EC120 flown by AOPA trustee Matt Desch. Joining me in my helicopter to witness this momentous flight were National Air
54 POWER UP SEP 2024
Transportation Association President and CEO Curt Castagna and my fian- cée, Ellen Boone.
The Event Route All aircraft followed a strict predeter- mined route. Initially, we flew south at an altitude of 2,000 ft. AGL, then we descended to 1,000 ft. over the Potomac River and maintained that altitude after making a left turn at the Lincoln Memorial. We remained over Independence
Avenue, but the view over the mon- uments, the White House, the fed- eral office buildings, the US Capitol, and the Smithsonian museums was breath taking. Very few have been able to experience the grandeur of Washington, D.C., from this altitude! Flying parallel to the National
Mall, we flew within 500 ft. of the Washington Monument. Seeing it from that perspective was remarkable.
A Testament to Aviation The entire flight was well over 120 miles and took us a little over an hour. All aircraft returned safely. As we landed back on the tarmac,
there was a palpable sense of accom- plishment and camaraderie among all the participants. Wayne Boggs, the KFDK air boss, and the ground crew and support staff greeted us with smiles, recognizing the significance of what we had just achieved. Reflecting on the experience, I
realized the flyover was more than a celebration of AOPA’s anniversary. It was a testament to the enduring spirit of aviation and the passion it sparks. The event also underscored the critical role organizations such as AOPA and VAI play in advocating for our industry and ensuring our future. The National Celebration of General Aviation D.C. Flyover was the flight of a lifetime, and I was honored to be part of it. James A. Viola is president and CEO of VAI.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76
