University of Virginia Library

Flying, Feats Of Daring, And Comedy

By STEVE GRIMWOOD

"It's Exciting!...Nostalgic!...Living
History!" It also
happens to be the Flying
Circus Aerodrome, another
good reason for leaving
Charlottesville on a Sunday
afternoon.

Located approximately half
way between Warrenton and
Culpeper, the Aerodrome
offers up a melange of flying,
feats of daring, and a large dose
of Keystone Cop comedy for
the rest of the month.

The Aerodrome was
conceived and built by a group
of men largely from the
Washington, D.C. area who
shared a common interest in
flying. All members of the
FCA fly either professionally
or privately.

Early last year they
acquired a 208-acre site near
Bealeton. Hangars were built,
along with concession stands,
bleachers, picnic tables and
a rickety "control tower." That
summer the Aerodrome
opened its gates for the curious
and began throwing flying
extravaganzas every Sunday.

The crowds have been large
ever since, with an average of
2,000 people showing up on

CD/Rick Eckharts

"Circus:" Group Members Prepare For Flight

Sunday afternoons for the
show. They are rarely
disappointed.

The planes definitely make
the show. Either rebuilt
originals or carefully
constructed reproductions, the
craft are World War I vintage.
None of the craft except the
Stearman are of American
design; they are a mixture of
British, French, and German
models, ranging from a German
Fokker Dr. triplane to a
single-winged French Phaeton.
They are painted a variety of
colors, ranging from a
battleship gray to flaming
red, embellished with decals,
such as the German Iron Cross
and the skull and crossbones.

Referred to as "flying kites"
in the program, the first
miracle is watching these crates
actually get off the ground.
Some are pushed, others travel
on their own, but they all fly.

The "Circus" aspect of the
show is not neglected. If
anything, it is overdone. All
employees of the Aerodrome
wear leather storm trooper
boots and some sort of
uniform, ranging from khaki
shirts to complete dress
uniforms of the period.

A large amount of time is
spent on non-flying skits;
Snoopy riding about in a small
car, planes being stolen and
then catching fire with
everything except the plane
being hit with water. This is
coupled with a "down-home"
announcer who never quits and
one is reminded of a Kiwanis
Club picnic on Memorial Day.

The "Circus is
family-oriented, however, so
this is not unexpected.
Fortunately there is more than
enough aerial entertainment to
keep one interested.

The flying is superb,
especially the stunts performed
by a vintage Stearman.
Another highlight is some more
stunt flying in an ancient Piper
Cub. Watching this plane
apparently stop in mid-air is
worth half the admission.

Other, more sensational, yet
less difficult stunts performed
by the Circus include a
bolloon-chasing episode, aerial
ribbon-cutting, and a smoking

parachute jump from several
thousand feet.

Those who expect the
dogfights to resemble the great
scenes out of "Dawn Patrol"
will be disappointed. The
maneuvering is slow, the firing
is sparse, but what you see at
the Circus is most probably
what a ground observer
actually saw during the war.

The flying shows will
continue through October
(beginning again in May) but the
museum is open year round.
On display are all aircraft used
during the show plus many
others. It alone is worth the
drive and Snoopy will
fortunately be hibernating
until next summer when Mom
and Pop and the kids arrive for
the show.

(To reach the Flying Circus
Aerodrome from
Charlottesville, take Rt. 29
north past Culpeper, right on
Rt. 28, then right on Rt. 17.
Aerodrome is four miles on
left. Admission: $2.75 adult
for Sunday shows, $1.00 for
museum.)