Worlds most expensive flight jacket

[VL Roberts]

A casual remark has set my wife and myself on a quest to obtain the world most expensive flight jacket. While browsing the internet I happened upon the "Virginia Aviation Ambassadors" program.

Here's how it works: You stop by you local airport and pick up your "Ambassadors Passport" book. Looks very similar to a real Passport. Then, when you visit one of Virginia's 66 public use airports you present your Passport and the attendant imprints an official stamp (each airport has a unique stamp) in a block designated for that airport in your Passport book. For airports that are irregularly attended you need to know ahead of time where they hide their stamp. You also have to have your Passport stamped at four Aviation museums in Virginia, one safety seminar and at the Virginia Festival of Flight held yearly in Suffolk Va.

Altogether, this means your book is stamped 72 times. Once you have all that done, you give your Passport book to the Virginia Department of Aviation and in return they give you a cool Aviators leather jacket.

To my astonishment, my wife said "Yeah, let's do that". My first though was of Napoleon, who once said something to the effect that he could get men to die for a piece of cloth ribbon.

Anyway, we began our journey yesterday and I thought I would share our discovery of flying through the Commonwealth of Virginia with readers of this board in subsequent posts.

[garbageman]

Maryland has a similar program. Know a few guys that did it.
David

[rsteele]

I have friends that did the program in Virginia.
They cut the price of the jacket in half by doing it as a couple - two stamps at each airport.

There are some peculiarities in the Virginia program. You don't have to fly to the airport to get the stamp, and some airports you can't fly into. For instance I got my stamp for Dulles International while waiting for a flight (it's at the information desk, which most of the employees don't know). You also need the stamp for Reagan National, and you can't fly into there in a private plane unless your are a VIP with special permission.

You also must visit three or four aviation related non-airports sites, museums for instance. Udder-Hazy Air and Space is an obvious one. I also did the Museum of the Marine Corp in Quanitco. www.usmcmuseum.org. This was a surprising and awe inspiring experience. I just can't say enough good things about this museum. I went with my wife and 20something daughter and we were all overwhelmed. For anyone visiting northern Virginia or the DC a visit to the Marine Corp Museum should be on your must-see list. It's about 45min south west of DC on I95. But it's right off the interstate and very easy to get to.

Ron

[VL Roberts]

Well, to date we have flown into 25 airports and drove to 1 (Regan National). It has turned out to be a lot more fun and interesting than we thought it would be and we are now determined to finish the program by next Spring.

The first thing I discovered is that being based in Northern Virginia is the worst place to be geographically . Some of the destinations will require over nighting it.

We have encountered nothing but nice and hospitable people along the way, and even had our passports stamped and signed by the Director of Virginia Aviation at Blackstone Airport, who happened to be there for a meeting .

We had to spend the night at RIC due to unforcasted wide spread T storms that just wouldn't quit. But while at RIC we visited the Virginia Aviation Museum,,which was quite nice, and had a great southern fried chicken dinner. Parked at the Richmond Jet Center and weren't charged any ramp fees and they let us use the courtesy car.

The journey so far as been somewhat of an eye opener and we are looking forward to future trips.

[VL Roberts]

first trip va amb.jpg (34.21 KiB) Viewed 5913 times

I suppose I should have included at least one photo. Here is the wife, buckled up and ready to go on the first trip.

Hmmm. Anyone know how to right side up the picture?

[VL Roberts]

OKV Va amb.jpg (39.33 KiB) Viewed 5911 times

One more from the first trip.


(that one is sideways too, I will refrain from posting anymore pics until I figure it out)

[VL Roberts]

When I view my picture post from my PC the pictures are sideways, but when viewed on my IPad the pictures are right side up. Don't know why, someone more tech saavy than me would probably know.

[MrMorden]

When I view my picture post from my PC the pictures are sideways, but when viewed on my IPad the pictures are right side up. Don't know why, someone more tech saavy than me would probably know.

They were probably taken on your iPad, and it's changing the pics to the orientation you are using. The original orientation that they were taken in might be objectively "sideways" from the camera's natural up orientation. If I had to guess, the pics where taken in portrait orientation, and the iPad camera's natural 4:3 orientation is landscape.

Just a guess.

[3Dreaming]

Send the picture to your PC. Open the image, and rotate it in what ever image manager you use. Save the changes and post the picture from the PC.