Community Outreach and Service Organizations
Recreation
Baltimore County residents have a lot of choices when it comes to recreation: boating, fishing, water ski-ing, swimming, and more. But for those of us who love aviation, there is only one place to go to enjoy our passion and meet others with a similar interest.
What makes Essex Skypark unique, and sets it apart from other general aviation airports, is that it is more than just an airport. Essex Skypark’s location by the bay, open space, and rustic out-of-the-way feel offers aviation enthusiasts, the community, and the county multiple activity options.
The property is well suited for hiking trails, organized group camping, nature walking, exercise and jogging trails, fishing, boating, radio controlled aircraft modeling, sailing, an aviation day camp, and aviation education. Due to the high water table, the property is not well suited for activities such as softball or soccer.
Essex Skypark offers a unique environment in which to introduce the non-flying public to the world of aviation on a daily basis. The Civil Air Patrol and the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Young Eagles and Silver Wings programs offer aviation education at Essex. Baltimore County residents have no other place to go to learn, touch and ask questions about airplanes. Essex Skypark can, and does, fill this need.
Every weekend, and most days during the summer, people from the community come out to watch the planes, take rides, and walk down to the water's edge. During the summer, aviation day camps could be offered and operated successfully at Essex.
Volunteers maintain Essex Skypark, and it is home to several non-profit organizations. Several others have expressed an interest in using the facilities, but due to limited space, they cannot be accommodated at this time.
Civil Air Patrol
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As of April 29, 2003, the Civil Air Patrol Osprey Squadron officially became the newest Maryland Wing squadron to begin meeting at Essex. The Civil Air Patrol is the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, and is best known for its search and rescue missions. The Civil Air Patrol air and ground teams perform 85 percent of domestic inland search and rescue for the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. CAP members also fly disaster relief officials to remote locations and support local, state, and national disaster relief organizations with manpower and leadership. The unique configuration and size of Essex Skypark most closely resembles the actual remote location facilities that are encountered in the course of completing the assigned missions of the Civil Air Patrol.
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The CAP Cadet Program introduces young people from 12 to 21 to aviation. The CAP Cadet Program is designed to motivate and develop well-rounded young people, who will in turn become model citizens and the future leaders of our nation. Cadets can compete for academic scholarships to further their studies in such areas as engineering, science, aircraft mechanics, and aerospace medicine.
Experimental Aircraft Association
The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) sponsors local chapter 143 at Essex Skypark. The purpose of this worldwide organization is to help unite members with aviation knowledge, skills and resources. The EAA has been a vital source of innovation in the aviation industry, resulting in major discoveries and improvements to commercial aviation. Among the highlights of the EAA's accomplishments has been the largest gathering of all aspects of aviation at the Oshkosh fly-in held yearly in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The Oshkosh fly-in is considerably larger than The Paris Air Show.
EAA's Young Eagles Program is a major function of the EAA's Community Outreach Program. EAA members at Essex Skypark gather twice a year to devote their time and energy to giving young people ages 8-17 their first airplane ride. The full day of activities gives these youngsters some basic information about weather, aerodynamics and safety. At the end of the flight each child is issued a certificate of achievement, registered to receive a 6-month subscription to the Young Eagles magazine, and entered into the world's largest logbook. Over 1.1 million youngsters have participated in the EAA's Young Eagle Program.
Essex Skypark Volunteers
Active volunteers at Essex Skypark have been the spark plug for all manner of activities, repairs and maintenance for over three decades. Volunteers are active in raising money for the improvement of the property.
Chesapeake Bay Miniature Aircraft Association
The Miniature Aircraft Association has as its function the design, building and flying of radio-controlled aircraft. A major part of the mission for this group is working with Baltimore County Public Schools as well as surrounding school systems. The association takes static displays of miniature airplanes to elementary and middle schools to encourage interest in science and mathematics. Model airplanes have been an initial step towards career choices in the majority of current and past astronauts, including General Chuck Yeager.
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