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Parade of 60 Vintage General Aviation Airplanes Over the National Mall: A Photo Safari!

Photograph the history of General Aviation in the skies over Washington, D.C.!

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Photographer

$ 89

True to our tradition of taking you to all the best photo ops, Washington Photo Safari is pleased to announce a special exciting new photo safari on the National Mall on Saturday, May 11, from 11:30 am to 1 pm.

The history of general aviation will be on public display overhead in Washington, D.C., on May 11 as the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) hosts a “parade of airplanes” over the National Mall. This year also marks the 85th anniversary of AOPA, an organization created to support General Aviation.

The aircraft will be expected to fly at 90 knots at an altitude of 1,000 feet, ensuring they are visible from the ground. The flyover will consist of 20 different “chapters” telling the story of General Aviation in America, starting in the Golden Age and continuing to the present day. Two dozen groups of aircraft will fly the 88-mile round trip from Frederick Municipal Airport in Maryland, down the Potomac River. The formation will be led by AOPA President Mark Baker in his historic Beechcraft Staggerwing. He will be followed by storied aircraft such as a Waco UPF–7, North American Navion, Douglas DC–3, Spartan Executive, Hatz biplane, and Beech Starship, as well as numerous modern-day aircraft such as the Robinson R44, Carbon Cub, and Icon A5. In all, more than 60 aircraft are scheduled to be featured, flown by some of the most accomplished pilots in the United States. The Titan Aerobatic Team will conclude the flyover. The event will also feature an appearance by the Titan Aerobatic Team.

The route takes the aircraft past the Lincoln Memorial, down Independence Avenue, and past the Washington Monument. Parade aircraft were selected to showcase technological advancements in aviation and demonstrate the ways GA has improved its safety records over the years.

Here is a great opportunity to practice your high-speed photography under the guidance of photojournalist instructor Alain Gutierrez, who also teaches aircraft acrobatics photography for us at the Flying Air Circus in Bealeton, VA. You will meet Alain at 19th and Constitution Ave NW and walk down into beautiful Constitution Gardens about 30 minutes before the flyover is expected to cross the Mall. Alain will give tips on shutter speed, exposure and the use of telephoto lenses and the video feature of your camera to get the best images of the aircraft and the acrobatic team as they fly just 1000 feet over your head.

Register early, we only have room for 10 people on this one!