A great place to watch jets land

[OldAirmail]

BWI Friendship Park - 33L

It was a good week to work. I was down in the Baltimore area, south of BWI.

There's a small park near runway 33L called Friendship Park.


If you're ever in the area spend some time there. It's a great place to park and watch the big birds land.

[U4EA]

When I was growing up my dad used to take us to a public viewing area off the west end of the main at KSTL. It got to be so popular that they improved it and expanded it a few times. On summer nights it was a cool place to hang out and eat ice cream.

But the place really showed its "worth" once we got to be of driving age!

Sometimes date nights would end up at the PVA..........listening to the steady pace of passing aircraft was awwwwesome!

There was sometimes aircraft related thrills at the PVA though. F-4 Phantom II production was at it's height during that time and they flew out a lot at night. Watching paired burners ripping down the runway and into the sky never got old. Sometimes we'd hear run-ups going on at the test pads and drive over to the fence to watch. I still have an affinity for Phantoms!!!

[OldAirmail]

My drive down memory lane had airplanes. But of a different kind – balsa wood and tissue paper covered with dope.

You the young-uns dope is/was the paint that people painted over the cloth that covered the wings and fuselage of model & old airplanes.

Some real old guys (probably in their mid 20s, I was 8 or 9) made tube operated remote controlled model airplanes.

In my early teens I made my own wire controlled balsa wood airplanes.


Re. Friendship Park – The last day I was there was on a Friday. The place was full. Nothing special was going on, just a lot of people and their kids having fun, picnicking, and watching jets land.