The Stafford Regional Airport held an event to announce the launch of its Aerodrome No.5 project, which will tell the story of the county’s connection to early American aviation.
Professor Samuel Pierpont Langley is noted for successfully conducting the first heavier-than-air flight on May 6, 1896, with the designated Aerodrome No. 5. Langley chose Chopawamsic Island, a small land mass in the Potomac River between Quantico and Stafford County, as his launching point.
The 14-foot structure was launched from a houseboat off of the island’s coast and flew approximately 3,300 feet for 90 seconds before having a gentle landing on the river. The Aerodrome No.5 flight is the first instance of mechanical flight in the U.S., event organizers said.
Until now historians have credited The Wright Brothers are credited for being the first to fully when they flew a heavier-than-air contraption at Kitty Hawk, N.C., on December 17, 1903. The state coined the phrase “first in flight” and printed it on its vehicle license plates.
Langley beat his record on November 26, 1896, when Aerodrome No.6 was launched from the same location and flew 4,200 feet at an average speed of 30 miles per hour.
“Stafford’s history is so rich and deep, we want to get it out there and talk about it,” said Scott Mayausky, treasurer of the Langley Flight Foundation. “What Langley achieved changed the course of world history, he was an instrumental part of that, and it happened right here in Stafford County. We want to recognize that, acknowledge that, and be proud that it happened here in Stafford County.”
In addition to his position with the foundation, Mayausky is also the president of the Stafford Museum and Cultural Museum and the county’s Commissioner of Revenue.
The Foundation and the Stafford Regional Airport have formed a partnership to have a to-scale model of Aerodrome No.5 built to display it in the airport’s terminal. The 14 by 14 model intends to use it for educational purposes for students interested in STEM fields such as engineering, aviation, and mathematics.
Other possibilities of use for the Aerodrome No.5 exhibit include spurring more economic development and tourism, which could attract aviation enthusiasts and airplane and drone development.
“This is an incredible opportunity to not only educate people not only about a little-known aspect of Stafford’s history but to give people a sense of the whole concept of what happened here and how we can move forward in the future,” said Hank Scharpenberg, a member of the Stafford Regional Airport Authority.
The event was-co sponsored by the Langley Flight Foundation, a 501c3 corporation, seeking funding of $350,000 for constructing a replica of Aerodrome No.5. The Wright Experience in Warrenton would build the model, to be housed at the Stafford Regional Airport.
The original Aerodrome No.5 sits at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
The Langley Foundation has set up a GoFundMe page as one method of raising funds for the exhibit. Donations for the project can also be made on the foundation’s webpage at langfound.org.
A Dale City man was the top finisher in this morning’s Quantico 12K.
The run took place aboard the Marine Corps Base, home to Officers Candidate School, which molds the next generation of Marine Corps Officers.
Jonathan Ladson, 31, of Dale City, crossed the finish line first with a winning time of 42:54.
“My game plan was to stick with a pack near me and feed off their energy,” expressed Ladson in a press release from the Marine Corps Marathon Organization. “When I saw there was no one with me, I just decided to catch the bikers (serving as lead escort) and hopefully, they would push me to the course record. After mile one, I was pretty much just racing the clock.”
Ladson has placed in the top two of every Marine Corps Marathon Organization event he has entered in 2022; second place at the Marine Corps 17.75K in March, overall winner at the Devil Dog Double in May, overall winner of the Belleau Wood 8K in June and now the winner of the Quantico 12K.
He will aim for a top finish at the Marine Corps Marathon 50K on October 30.
He was followed by Marcus Briones of Jacksonville, N.C., age 21, and Jose Crosby of Quantico, Va., age 25. Their times were 45:11 and 45:15, respectively.
The top female was Annie Pentaleri from Jacksonville, Fla., 23, finishing with a time of 53:49.
“It was a really good run and a fun course. I love trails,” said Pentaleri. “There’s one hill that lasted about a mile, and I thought I was going to die, but once you get through it, all the crowd was awesome and helped me finish strongly.”
Today’s Quantico 12K marked Pentaleri’s first MCMO event ever, but she has plans to run the MCM in October. She is currently a Second Lieutenant attending The Basic School.
Coming in second for the females was Gwen Oster, 31 years old, from Alexandria, Va., with a time of 54:39, followed by Alexis Eyo, 30 years old, from Washington, D.C., with a third-place time of 55:12. Unofficial results are available at marinemarathon.com.
Another 126 runners took on the 7.46 miles virtually from August 6 to August 21.
The Quantico 12K marks the third tier of the 2022 Distinguished Participant program presented by Fleet Feet. Runners took the first two steps in becoming distinguished earlier this year by finishing one of the live Marine Corps Historic Half events and either the Belleau Wood 8K or the Crossroads Trail 15K.
Runners may continue their commitment to running with the Marines by participating in the Turkey Trot 10K and Mile, also running aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico on November 19. There are also entries still available for the Marine Corps Marathon Kids Run on October 29 in Arlington and the Marine Corps Marathon 10K in Washington, D.C., on October 30.
The Quantico 12K follows the Marine Corps 17.75K Run that took place at Prince William Forest Park in March. The race, won this year by a Maryland man, honors the founding of the Marine Corps in 1775.
A Fairfax County woman has died after a crash on Joplin Road.
On Saturday, August 13, at 1:32 p.m., police went to the area of Mile Marker 18 on Joplin Road in Triangle to investigate a crash involving a motorcycle.
The 2013 Harley Davidson 883 Sportster motorcycle operator was traveling southbound on Joplin Road with a group of other riders. As the motorcycle approached the area, the operator failed to negotiate a sharp curve in the roadway and traveled over the double yellow lines before leaving the roadway and striking a tree, police said.
Rescue personnel arrived on the scene and took the woman to a hospital, where she later died due to her injuries sustained in the crash. No one else was injured.
Brooke Allyson Shambeck, 56, of Oakton, is the crash victim, police said.
The Marine Corps Marathon Organization announced that registration for the Turkey Trot 10K and Mile is open to the public starting today.
The event will run at Marine Corps Base Quantico on Saturday, November 19, five days before Thanksgiving.
The 6.2 mile event celebrates Thanksgiving, providing participants one final calorie-burning exercise before kicking off the holiday week. Interested runners are encouraged to make it a family affair with the Turkey Trot Mile, perfect for any aspiring runner.
The live Turkey Trot 10K marks the final qualifier for the 2022 Distinguished Participant medal presented by Fleet Feet. To qualify for this coveted title, runners must complete four specific live events in 2022.
Only one event from each tier below counts toward Distinguished Participant:
- Tier One: Historic Half events (13.1, Semper 5ive or Devil Dog Double) on May 22;
- Tier Two: Belleau Wood 8K or Crossroads Trail 15K on June 25;
- Tier Three: Quantico 12K on August 20;
- Tier Four: Turkey Trot 10K on November 19
Registration for the live and virtual Turkey Trot 10K is $47 and is open to ages seven and up. Virtual runners will have from November 12 to 20 to complete the 10K distance.
The registration fee for the in-person event is $25. All participants will receive the official event shirt and a finisher medal.
The U.S. Navy Band Cruisers will perform at the National Museum of the Marine Corps.
The band will perform on Thursday, June 30, as part of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation's annual summer concert series, composed of eight of the Navy's most dynamic performers. The Cruisers, formed in 1999, take their name and inspiration from the Navy's most adaptable and multipurpose ship, the cruiser. The band lives up to its versatile namesake, playing musical genres from jazz to rhythm & blues, classic rock to pop, and their original material as well.
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The event drew dozens of friends, family, and Marines to honor both Pasagian and Walsh for their years of service. Lieutenant General Karsten S. Heckl, commanding general, Marine Corps Combat Development Command, and the Deputy Commandant for Combat Development and Integration, provided opening remarks.
“The accomplishments at Marine Corps Systems Command during your tenure are a direct reflection of your outstanding leadership,” said Lt. Gen. Heckl. “I know firsthand how much effort you put into ensuring our command is on track with our Marines. You had the intelligence and communication capabilities needed to make an expeditionary force. You were undoubtedly the right Marine at the right time to lead this demand.”
During his tenure, Pasagian oversaw the execution of multiple acquisition initiatives supporting the Commandant’s Force Design 2030. For example, MCSC delivered the Corps’ largest infantry weapons modernization in over 25 years. It began large-scale divestment efforts in late 2019 in order to invest in equipment modernization. MCSC also developed and procured the Navy/Marine Corps Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System, which the Navy and Marine Corps successfully tested last year in a joint exercise.
A New York City native, Pasagian enlisted in the Marine Corps in April 1987. He graduated from recruit training at Parris Island, South Carolina, before entering a commissioning program. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in May 1990.
Marine Corps Systems Command serves as the Department of the Navy’s systems command for Marine Corps ground weapon and information technology programs.
Quantico Marine Corps Base honored the fallen on Memorial Day, Monday, May 30, 2022.
Base Commander Col. Michael L. Brooks attended a ceremony at Quantico National Cemetery. Later in the afternoon, the Quantico Marine Corps Band played a concert at the entrance to the National Museum of the Marine Corps.
As of 2016, Quantico is home to over 28,000 military, civilian, and contractor personnel. The base offers support to more than 30 federal agencies for training exercises year-round. MCB Quantico also has a significant economic impact on the area, adding $4.9 billion to the local economy.
At about 4:45 p.m., Saturday, May 7, 9-1-1 callers reported seeing a man lying on the side of Interstate 95 south near the National Museum of the Marine Corps near Quantico.
Initially, first responders thought a pedestrian had been struck, but it wasn’t long before they learned a man had been ejected from a car. The unidentified man was taken to Mary Washington Hospital, where he was expected to survive, said Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller.
There were no other cars involved, and it’s unclear what led to the crash. The incident remains under investigation, police said.
More than two inches of rain fell in some places across the region Friday and Saturday. The crash occurred during rainy conditions on the highway.
Units were dispatched Saturday, April 16, at 1:08 p.m. for a reported brush fire off Aden Road on the border of Quantico Marine Corps Base. Crews arrived to find a significant brush fire burning.
According to Prince William County Fire Marshal Matt Smolsky, the fire was a continuation of a fire that started on a firing range on base that erupted near the exact location on Friday, April 15,
Saturday’s fire was entirely on the base.
Prince William County units assisted the Quantico firefighters and monitored the area for any spread. Smoke from the fire wafted west toward Manassas and Centreville.
No one was injured. The Virginia Forestry Department was also called to help douse the brush fires.
Earlier this month, we reported on a $23 million fire station that is on track to open at Quantico later this summer. The sprawling station will replace the current firehouse on base, which dates back nearly 40 years.
