The Flying Circus Airshow

The weather has cooled and the haze has moved out for now. Too beautiful of a day not to spend some time in the air. With friends visiting, I flew over to Warrenton to join Rob Brooks in a little 2-ship flight up the Shenandoah Valley. Doug and Lynn enjoyed their first RV flights and a little stick time on our separated flights back. Following the sightseeing, Rob fired up the grill and the barbeque was on for the various friends and pilots who came drifting in. With a little time left before Doug and Lynn needed to return to Pennsylvania, I asked Rob about a local attraction.....The Flying Circus Airshow. Held on Sunday afternoons through October, Rob strongly recommended it.

It would be hard to find more entertainment for $10 ($3 for kids!). One-and-a-half hours watching Stearmans, Wacos, Cubs, and a Giles and their crews perform impressive aerobatics, beautiful formation flights, wingwalking, skydiving, flour bombing, mailbag pick-up, and very corny ground acts......all in the traditional barnstormer style. Rides in the planes were available after the show, although we didn't stay to watch or participate.

The Flying Circus is a 10-mile drive from the Warrenton airport and Rob recommends against trying to fly an RV into the field. But, if you can find a way to get over there, it's a great show. Photos from today are available at: http://picasaweb.google.com/DrKarst/TheFlyingCircusVirginia.

More information on the show is available at: http://www.flyingcircusairshow.com/

That looks like a beautiful afternoon well-spent!

Thumbs up for the Circus!

I gotta give my Circus friends a plug - they are a good bunch of folks. My friend, Chuck is one of the Stearman drivers and the wingwalker you saw today. What will amaze you is that he is NOT tethered when he lies across the javelin on the flying wires between the wings. He's only tethered in two spots - the upper wing center section and when he hangs upside down on the bottom wing. Everything else is hands and feet only. You ought to hear him describe what it's like to be on the top wing during a low level loop.

Thanks for sharing the photos - very cool. Glad y'all had a good time.

Rob

Louise,
Very nice pictures! I especially like the Shenandoah Valley shots. My son and I will be taking that route in a few days on our way up to Harrisburg, PA. Flying the valley will definately be a highlight of the trip.

The Flying Circus

I have experianced The Flying Circus several times and it never gets tiring.
We would pack a picnic lunch and eat at a picnic table in the trees before the show while they were giving/selling rides and warming up. Some weekends they combine the show with car shows or hot air ballons or ultralight gatherings etc, so there is always plenty to see for everybody.
It is great fun for aviation enthusists and normal people alike!
I haven't been in a few years and this post is prompting me to put it back on things to do list again. I see they are still improving things with the 3 axis airplane ride for the kids. Thanks Louise for the great pictures!
Some years ago, That is where I got my first and only aerobatic ride in a Stearman! I still tell that story........
I highly recommend it, if you can.

I'm a regular

I've gone to the Flying Circus three times now, but never paid for it. My company hosts our annual employee picnic there, and the company picks up the entrance fee for the staff and families.

It's one of the perks of working at an aircraft company (Aurora Flight Sciences.) Another is not having to place an order with Aircraft Spruce when I'm one washer short!

One of the great benefits to living in this area (N. VA), is the ability to pop over to Bealeton for this terrific airshow. I've been many times with the family and have been known to have friends join us. A nice picnic packed with wine and cheese also goes very nicely with this venue!

I believe the older gentleman manning the three axis kid plane (in the pictures) is John King Sr., who retired from UAL some years ago and also started "The Flying Circus" there at Bealeton. His descendant family now operates the show. Mr King Sr. is usually seen driving a haywagon with wings and tailfeathers on it, but that does look like him at the three axis plane.

Louise, go take another ride out through the valley in a few weeks, and it should be spectacular with the leaves turning color! This is when this area really likes to show off!

jdmunzell said:

I believe the older gentleman manning the three axis kid plane (in the pictures) is John King Sr., who retired from UAL some years ago and also started "The Flying Circus" there at Bealeton. His descendant family now operates the show. Mr King Sr. is usually seen driving a haywagon with wings and tailfeathers on it, but that does look like him at the three axis plane.

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That's correct - John King, Sr. started the Circus with Ken Hyde (of the Wright Experience), Charlie Kulp (the infamous Flying Farmer) and Don Dillman (friend's dad, recently deceased and also an airline guy) back in the early 70's.

They had even more interesting aircraft back then. Replica Sopwith Camels, Fokker Triplanes, Halberstadt, etc. It was a little more like Rheinbeck back then. It evolved into more of a traditional 1930's show where Rheinbeck goes even more old school with aircraft from the teens and 20's.

Not sure if anyone caught this at the shows, but that Fleet biplane is an original and was one of the ones purportedly on the USS Akron airship at one time.

The first-ever aerobatic ride I ever had was in that Fleet. When we were at the Circus for Charlie's last show, my Mom was reminding about how I saved my money just so I could buy myself that ride! I think I must have been about 14 or 15 when I did that. For those who are counting, that was about 14 or 15 years ago, and the old Fleet still looks great and is still giving aerobatic rides! I'm pretty sure Kirk Wicker was my pilot, as well.

-Wayne