Ah, 10 days off of work, yet only ONE day I was able to "stretch my wings", so to speak. Friday, the 29th of December 2006 was the day, and my wife and father were joining me for a flight to who knows where ??? Arriving at the airport, we were greeted with calm winds and fair skies. The temperature was already in the 40's at 10:30AM, and we were looking forward to a day of interesting destinations.
After pumping the engine throttle 6 times, the old girl came to life. Soon after our standard warm-up and short taxi to runway 04 (40 degree heading) we leaped off the tarmac and climbed out to the west. Reading, PA was our destination and the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum that is based on the field. Soon we were on course and cruising at a modest 140 mph due to the fact that the wind that day was from the east, and we were enjoying what little tailwind there was. Crossing the Delaware river, I noticed that there was much haze to the west-southwest, the direction we were heading. The haze/smoke is always prevalent in this Lancaster-Reading, PA area, most likely due to folks burning wood I would assume. Upon our descent into Reading we all could see the visible clouds of smoke boiling up over the mountains as we made our final approach to the airport.
After the plane was chocked and secured, we headed on foot to the nearby museum grounds, which are in fact part of the general aviation parking ramp. There, we saw an older model transport aircraft, an early model jet fighter, an experimental aircraft, a WWII bomber and a Coast Guard helicopter. We shot some pictures of these planes and headed over to the museum hangar. Inside, they have the majority of their aircraft, but since we wanted to take advantage of the great flying weather, we opted not to visit them this time. Dad and I were to this museum in the past, and we will visit again, but this day was for venturing the skies of eastern PA.
After a quick stop at the general aviation business on the field (the name slips my mind at the moment), we contacted the control tower, taxied to the runway and took-off, heading north towards Scranton. We quickly noticed that once we left the Reading area, the smoke just disapppeared, leaving us with clear skies and awesome visibility to the north and west. Soon we were over-flying the town of Hamburg, PA and the enormous Cabella's. Then we saw the Appalacian ridge, stretching as far as the eye can see both to the northeast and to the southwest. Crossing this ridge is awesome as the ridge is quite like the blade of a knife, in some areas more than others. Continuing at 3,000+ feet in altitude and cruising a healthy 130+ mph, we were soon over-flying the mining towns of Lansford, Pottsville and the small surrounding towns as well. It's really a treat to see these old towns tucked into every nook and cranny of the mountains in this area. My wife and I drive these roads occasionally and it is rugged and beautiful, but to fly this area is something spectacular.
Just then, Dad suggested we head to Bloomsburg, PA and the small airport near the college town. With a quick turn to the left and a heading of west, we were soon on a course, taking us just south of the bustling metropolis of Hazleton. Soon, we were traversing more mountain ridges, continually search for a sign of the airport, even though we had our trusty GPS locked-in. Passing the last mountain ridge and with the river directly below us, we sawBloomsburg University high on the hill, overlooking the bustling town below. The airport was just south of town, and lies directly on a flood plain. I set-up for a landing to the east and touched down ever so gently. After parking and shutting down the engine, we were happy to see the office was open. A few other times when Dad and I visited the airport late on the weekend, the office was closed. The folks there were pleasant and had no objections to us picnicking in their office lounge with the sandwiches we had brought with us. After talking with an older gentleman, we found out that the office belonged to Columbia Aircraft Services, a business on the field which specializes in aircraft engine overhauls. We were commenting on pictures posted to the bulletin board showing the entire airport flooded, with the exception of the western end of the runway. This only dry part of the airport is where most of the planes were located until the flood waters subsided.
After finishing our picnic lunch, talking some more about the flood situations at the field and a quick walk down to the river bank, we took-off and headed southeast towards Queen City airport in Allentown, PA. We headed there because we wanted to take advantage of the full-serve treatment provided by the crew at this airport. This, and the fact that fuel prices are generally lower here as well. Enroute to Queen City and before we once again traversed the Appalacian Ridge, we noticed a new line of Wind Generators perched high on a mountain ridge, just west of Lehighton and Jim Thorpe. There were over 10 of them if I remember correctly, and I snapped a few pictures that I will eventually post to my website. As we approached the Allentown area, we flew near Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom, an amusement / water park in the area. I shot a few pictures and will also place them on my website in the near future.
Upon landing, we taxied to the apron and parked next to the gas pumps. An attendant quickly greeted us and asked how much fuel we would like. A "top off" (fill'er up) was in the works for us that afternoon, and we decided to relax a bit in their lounge area and have a cup of coffee/hot cocoa. There were even some pastries left out for all to enjoy, and as we did we chatted a bit about the fabulous day we were having. Paying the fuel bill and cranking the engine was all that remained before we could depart for our home base airport in Readington, NJ. Soon we were climbing out to the east, crossing the Delaware river once again just north of Milford, NJ. We flew near Alexandria and Sky Manor airports, over route 31 in Hunterdon County, then just south of Round Valley Reservoir and on towards Solberg airport, our final destination. After a soft landing, I taxied the ole' girl to our tie-down spot and shut her down. With a final push-back where she will rest until we awaken her once again, we were very pleased with the day we just experienced and hope to relive these fun times in the near future.....
HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!
