Abbotts Aerodrome

I’ve always been sort of an adrenaline junkie. I always push myself to the limit.  It was only fitting that I take a trip to the Abbotts Aerodrome.  I could live at a place like this.  When I arrived at the aerodrome, there was a nice welcome sign and map there to greet me. It laid out all of the attractions and neatly numbered them for me.

Abbotts Aerodrome Welcome

Terra CTH-200 Helicopter

I decided to head right down to the tarmac.  They had rows of the most technologically-advanced aircraft.  I first started by browsing the Vertical Take-off and Landing aircraft.  These are a sort of hybrid aircraft combining the forward flight of an airplane with the vertical capabilities of a helicopter.  As I walked further down the runway, I noticed that most of them were for sale. Sadly, I forgot to bring my checkbook.
Next I came to the helicopter area. I noticed that one of the helicopters looked a lot like the Bell Huey helicopter which became famous in the TV series MASH.  They had an information card that gave me details on performance and customization options.


At the end of the runway I came to the hanger.  It was set up like a museum.  The exhibit was set up by advances in aircraft technology.  First were the human powered flight, then bi-planes of World War I, then turbo powered planes and jet, and then variants of personal aircraft.  This reminds me of the National Air and Space Museum at Dulles, VA.

Abbotts Aerodrome hanger display

I have recently discovered a hobby that will finally satisfy my need for speed, Skydiving.  The Abbotts Aerodrome had a functional skydiving setup that anyone can try.  It appeared to be more of a daredevil setup than anything.  I strapped myself into the chair and dialed in the altitude I wanted to start my freefall.  In this case I chose 5280 feet (which is a mile).  The chair had some sort of a rocket on it because it shot me into the sky reaching speeds of 400 miles per hour.  Once at the top I began my freefall.  It was the most amazing experience.  I was on top of the world (literally) with me and my new friend Newton.   I did manage to snap a few pictures and even get a video to savor my first skydive.

skydiving

Check out this video of my first skydive!

On my way out, I stopped at the gift shop.  They had all sorts of skydiving and piloting equipment.  There was one thing that I found intriguing. It was called a “wing suit”.  It’s a new way to controlling your free fall like a soaring bird.  The salesman was nice enough to give me this nice brochure. Id like to try this out next time i visit!

Wing suit

I would highly recommend that you visit this location. There is lots to see and many more things to do. I did not get to take a ride on the blimp and airship they had. It also has a working runway where planes were coming and going throughout the day. I had a blast getting to skydive for the first time.  If you have skydiving on your "bucket list" this is your place!!