7 Ways to Fall for Autumn

Don't worry that the WACO's first logbooks were noted as "lost in inverted flight"; owner John Corradi is an experienced pilot who flew first with the Navy and then for more than 30 years with United Airlines. Book a trip with Blue Ridge Biplane Rides, and Corradi will take up to two passengers on a flight from near Culpeper, over the Blue Ridge toward Front Royal, down along the Shenandoah River and back over the mountains around Luray.

"The fall season is my busiest time," Corradi says, and "morning and evenings are the best because of the light; it's so pretty, and the air is so smooth."

SPORTS CAR RENTALS -- Plank Road, Batesville, Va. Route 29 south to Route 692 west. 434-823-4442.http://www.sportscarrentals.com. Vehicles are $95 per day or $180 per weekend. Weekly rentals and gift certificates available. There is a no-fee cancellation policy in case of bad weather.

BLUE RIDGE BIPLANE RIDES -- 17586 Ryland Chapel Rd., Rixeyville, Va. 540-937-5371.http://www.blueridgebiplanes.com. Hour-long Skyline Drive flight, $400. Half-hour tours, $250.

Do Some Good

When only a short drive, or even a Metro ride, can deliver you to woods or open waters, to a day hike or overnight adventure in the outdoors, it's easy to see how blessed we are by the local bounty of our parks, mountains, forests and open lands. So it's nice to know that you can give back by volunteering even while you're getting the benefits of the season's beauty. Local chapters of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, which helps protect and maintain a stretch of the Appalachian Trail from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia through southern Pennsylvania, regularly sponsor work days for trail maintenance and upkeep along the route.

Nancy Hammond of the North Chapter, based in Maryland, says: "Before I did this, I used to wonder why the Appalachian Trail was in such good shape. Then I got involved in trail work, and I found out that it's because people work really hard to keep it that way." Though some volunteers prefer summer and others winter, "This is the time of year that we can all agree on," Hammond says. "We are usually out from morning to mid-afternoon, and as long as you're reasonably fit -- if you're comfortable hiking two to five miles -- you can do the work."

You don't have to be a member of the club to participate, "but once people come out and see how fun it is, we sure hope they will join," Hammond says.

POTOMAC APPALACHIAN TRAIL CLUB -- 118 Park St. SE, Vienna. 703-242-0693.http://www.patc.net. For scheduled trips, events and programs, and contacts for trail work days, visithttp://www.patc.net/activities/forecast.html. Call the activities information line, 703-242-0965, for trips for the upcoming week. Nonmembers are welcome on all trips. Inquire about work days at least one week in advance.

Caroline Kettlewell is a freelance writer and regular contributor to Weekend. You can find her online athttp://www.carolinekettlewell.com.