Best kept Secrets we love to share
College Park Airport and Aviation Museum
My new favorite place in College Park, Maryland, is the Aviation Museum. I enjoy visiting airports everywhere I go, whether I am flying or driving. Maryland has many wonderful airports to check out. They are all listed, with aerial photos, in a handy directory published by the Maryland Aviation Administration (www.marylandregionalaviation.aero). I hope to be able to fly in to visit my pilot daughter during her studies at the University of Maryland, so I started looking for places to land near campus. As a non-local pilot, I did not realize how much extra regulation has been put in place near Washington, D. C. since September 1, 2001. I took the FAA on-line course for navigating into and within the SFRA (ALC-55 at the www.faasafety.gov site). I quickly discovered that there are a few more hoops for me to jump through before I can land a plane at College Park Airport (CGS). It is a special case, since it is one of the "Maryland 3" in the FRZ. I am in the process of going through those steps to get my PIN (CFR 93.335). In the mean time, there are a few other airports not too far away. I have checked out two of them; bustling Montgomery County Airpark (GAI) to the northwest in Gaithersburg, which boasts a diner with a great runway view, and quiet Tipton (FME) to the northeast. Of course, I can always drive, as non-pilots always have to do.
My most recent trip to College Park was by driving, not flying. It was our first visit when the University of Maryland was in session, so we had no clue how many enthusiastic football fans would have the same destination in mind on a drizzly home game weekend. Fortunately, most of the tail-gaters are not pilots, so we found the Airport grounds an oasis of calm in spite of its close proximity to the campus. Nothing is more soothing after a long drive through crazy traffic than a pleasant view of airplanes tied down next to a nicely maintained airstrip. All that potential fun, just waiting to be unleashed!
The airport office is located in a trailer and staffed by a friendly lady who gave me the form I need to get my PIN so I can qualify to enter the FBO from the airside instead of the parking lot. I am looking forward to the ramp fee there, which is only $10.00, a surprising bargain in the DC area. I picked up the latest issue of the Atlantic Flyer in their lobby. A cozy lounge with a TV is tucked in between the entrance and the counter. A plus at College Park is plenty of free parking without concern about being in the way of other pilots and visitors.
A nice surprise is the outstanding aviation museum located right next door to the Airport Operations Center. There are good signs directing you to a private parking lot facing a large building that houses the museum. Tucked into the landscaping in several spots are wonderful wooden airplanes big enough for children to climb. These were constructed by the Restoration Shop volunteers, who also restored many of the aircraft hanging from the ceiling in the museum. When the Restoration Shop volunteers are working, museum visitors can take a short stroll to watch them work and ask questions. As always happens when exploring any aviation display, my attention was captured by the beautifully restored and reproduced aircraft hanging overhead in the spacious building. I was nearly overcome by the desire to fly all of them! Many of the ground level displays are hands on activity stations for children, although the activities are also fun for adults. When I visited, a little girl was happily coloring and cutting out airplane shapes while listening to AWOS on the piped in radio. One day, or even a weekend, is too short to explore all this museum has to offer (www.collegeparkaviationmuseum.com) and there are special events scheduled throughout the year. I definitely plan to return. There are several items which I would like to further investigate. One is a set of metal plates, on display for making crayon rubbing art, but originally made for printing. Another is an FAA certified instrument simulator, identical to the one on which I logged many training hours during my Instrument Rating. This is one of the most accessible museums I have visited, in every sense. The Prop Shop is one of the best aviation gift shops I have seen, short of the one at the National Air and Space Museum in downtown D.C. There are aviation themed gifts and souvenirs at every price point for men, women and children of any age. The attractively arranged collection ranges from serious to silly, all related to aviation, with many items focused on local historic aviation milestones. I was like a kid in a candy shop, but managed to collect my wits enough to buy post cards with historic photos documenting the early days of aviation at College Park and a sew-on patch commemorating 100 years of flight there. I immediately mailed to post cards to other pilots in the family and sewed the patch on my flight vest. I saw stickers, books, T shirts, games, posters, and scale models. I will definitely return to spend more time shopping!
When I arrived, children and parents were trickling in for an aviation themed birthday party, one of the Museum's specialties. It is way more fun to celebrate at an airport than anywhere else, but this airport does not currently have a restaurant. If you are not booking a party, take a picnic lunch or drive through one of the nearby fast food establishments before you go. The Museum has a nice outdoor picnic space with ride-on airplane toys for the children. The parking lot is spacious enough for tailgating.
The College Park Aviation Museum, part of the Prince George’s County Department of Parks and Recreation, is a wonderful destination, well worth a special trip. The low admission price is offset by the abundant free parking. Annual memberships are also available. The volunteers and staff are friendly, welcoming and knowledgeable and enthusiastic about aviation. This is definitely a secret that needs to be shared!
by Linda Sue Boehmer, AKA the “Pink Lady”