Dad looking over a 1924 Harley
I’ve been spending more time with my Dad lately. We’d been distant for many years, but we’ve been on better terms in the last few years.
He surprised Emma and I in August when he told us he’d like to come to Emma’s Ordination down in Richmond (August 28). He enjoyed the weekend and met Emma’s folks – he got along real well with her dad. After the Ordination, Emma stayed with her mom an extra few days, and Dad and I drove back together. On the way home he said he’d like to go see The Flying Circus some time, so we made tentative plans for October.
Things had been hectic with Emma’s mom’s funeral and the trips back and forth to Richmond, but I looked up the Flying Circus and saw Oct 10th was their fall Motorcycle Day. That added bonus made it a good day for the trip.
Dad drove down from Maryland to our house in Fairfax, and about 1PM we headed out to Bealton, VA.
It was a great day, a bit breezy and sunny, but not too hot …
The Flying Circus is a “working museum” of antique airplanes, doing classic barnstorming stunts and flying adventures. In adition to the biplanes and the airshow, we got to see a huge crowd of bikes that rode out for the event, including a 1957 Triumph 500 and this 1924 Harley Davidson, both were at the VBMC show last weekend.
Dad enjoyed the planes, and he got interested when I told him about the 1957 Triumph and the 1924 Harley parked behind us. The Triumph left just as the airshow ended, but the Harley was still there as we walked behind the bleachers. I knew a little about it because I saw it at the VBMC Rally last weekend in Leesburg. Its not just a showpiece, its got Antique license plates and the owner rode it around the grounds …
Some of the planes lined up on the ground
4 planes in formation
4 planes climb over the flag