It's been 2 weeks since the last flight, and I was ready with camera in hand for flying this past Sunday, March 25, 2007. The weather was pleasant; not too warm and not too cool, though in the morning hours while pre-flighting the aircraft with a slight wind from the north, it was a bit chilly. Dad and I boarded, brought the Lycoming engine to life, warmed it up, taxied to runway 08 and took-off. With a 90 degree turn to the southeast, we were now on our way.
Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ was our first aerial photo destination. It had been over a month since my last park fly-over, and since opening day is next weekend, I wanted to shoot some photos of construction and such taking place during this time. And indeed, lots had taken place. The new "Wiggles World" children's area was practically complete, and one of the large coasters there, The Chiller, had some of its track replaced. The park looked good, and many rides were testing as they readied the place for opening day.
After a few CCW circles at over 2,000 feet, we turned north and headed for the Wayne / Patterson area. I initially wanted to shoot pictures of the I-80 / Rt 46 / Rt 23 interchange in Wayne, as well as the Willowbrook mall, and planned on flying in the only altitude slot available (between 2,700 ft and 3,000 ft) without required radio communication. As we flew north past New Brunswick and crossing Rt 22 and the First Mountain, it became apparent that the base of the clouds that day were not going to let me climb to that altitude. The plans were ditched, and we transitioned through Morristown airport's airspace. Soon we were over the Boonton reservoir and the I-80 / I-287 interchange in Parsippany, NJ, headed for Lincoln Park airport. We hadn't been to this airport in quite some time, and this was my original home-base airport. After a little rest, we had our picnic lunch in the cockpit while sitting on the ramp, then decided to depart and head northwest towards Sussex, NJ.
With a quick turn to the northwest after taking-off of runway 01, we began flying over the mountainous terrain of southern Passaic county along Rt 23. This took us north of Ogdensburg and Franklin and to our next aerial photo destination, the now defunct Gingerbread Castle in Hamburg. I had always wanted to shoot aerial coverage of the castle and its grounds, and I did just that. The pictures all came out great, and will post them to my Amusements Page 2 in the near future. After this photo shoot, we turned north towards Vernon ski area and Mountain Creek. The only snow present was on the slopes and this created a neat effect. I shot some pictures here as well, and again will post them to my site in the near future. The main lodge was open for business with many skiers present, though not nearly as many as in the winter months.
We were now ready for a cup of coffee and some dessert, and wanted to try the Sussex diner adjacent to the Sussex county airport. While setting-up the plane for final approach on runway 03, I had to take note, and how could you not, of the home sitting almost directly at the end of this runway. A white house with green trim and a green shingled roof that I felt could almost blend into a green, summer field. My dream has always been to live near an airport, though not this close. Upon landing almost directly over this home and touching down on the runway, we taxied to the ramp and squeezed the plane into a parking spot. We headed down the wet, spongy dirt road to the cute, little diner, which happened to be closing in 20 minutes. Their cheesecake was so "cheesey" (in a GOOD way) and their coffee was most enjoyable. We then decided to depart Sussex and head for Allentown, PA. After starting the engine, we noticed that both taxiways were in very poor condition with potholes and loose rocks / stones present. Since there was no traffic present, we decided to back-taxi down the runway, turn 180 degrees and take-off. Soon we were heading south at about 2,000 feet.
We flew along Rt 206, passing just west of Newton and east of Swartswood lake, then over the quaint town of Blairstown. Because of no leaves on the trees, I could see the defunct Paulinskill railroad line, which is now a bike route, snaking through the hilly countryside. Up ahead and in the distance, we could see the Delaware river and far ahead, the smog from the Allentown area of PA. As we approached Allentown, we noticed the small airport of Easton, then made a shallow turn to the left and flew directly over the town of Easton. This diversion was done to clear the LehighValley International airport's airspace, and gave us more of a scenic flight as well. We than flew along I-78 as it passed just northwest of Hellertown, PA, then through a cut in the mountain ridge into Allentown. Like always, there's Queen City airport just ahead, and we enter a left downwind approach for runway 07. After a sl0000w and smooth landing into the wind with a vertical decent of over 1,000 feet per minute, we taxied to the main ramp for fuel. We always enjoy this airport for it's fuel service, pilot lounge, multi-runway option and the large, open feeling it gives when taking-off / landing here.
Soon, we were on our way, heading back east towards our home-base airport in NJ. Crossing the Delaware, we took note of some impressive mansions in the northern Hunterdon county area, then looked ahead at the mountain ridge surrounding Round Valley reservoir. After landing, we taxied back to our tie-down spot and shut her down, hoping the next flight will be just as memorable....Thanks for Reading - See you after the NEXT flight !!!
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
A Stiff Breeze & Warm Temps = A Great Day of Flying
Today (Sunday - March 11, 2007) was a bit different than most, as far as my flying goes, because the winds were predicted to be out of the northwest at 15 mph with peak gusts to 25 mph. Dad and I arrived at the airport and saw that indeed, the windsock was showing a stiff crosswind at about 15 mph with stronger gusts, just as the weather service predicted. Now what makes this day different is that since we are based at a new airport, the field has a cross runway, and one that happens to be northwest/southeast, and will allow us to take-off and land with relative ease. Still, though, we sat in our warm car, sipping coffee and contemplating some more if we wanted to fly in such a strong breeze which we normally would not.
Ok, let's do it. I pre-flighted the aircraft, started the engine and taxied to runway 31. The wind was still kicking from the north-northwest as I positioned the aircraft on the runway and applied full throttle. It seemed as if we were practically standing still, yet we very quickly had an airspeed well over 60 mph, and with a gentle pull of the control yoke, we were airborne in only a few hundred feet. So far, effortless, despite the strong winds and all thanks to an airport having an additional runway for just such breezy days.
While climbing to the west, away from the airport, we were commenting on how relatively smooth the air was. Not "calm wind" smooth, but relatively smooth for the wind that day. Also, the weather did not call for any turbulence at altitude and that held true for much of the day. We leveled out at about 2,000 feet MSL (feet above mean sea level) and over-flew the town of Milford, NJ. Continuing, we saw that areas along the Delaware river still had ice where there was standing water, and homes further west had measurable snow left in the shady areas of their yards. As we approached our first destination, Queen City airport in Allentown, PA, I descended just a bit to clear Lehigh Valley International airport's airspace. We then spotted Hellertown to the north, then the outlet shops at Saucon Valley, just south of I-78. Finally, we traversed the last mountain ridge before the airport at about 500 feet, then circled the field. Of course the wind was still blowing hard, and we chose this airport because it too has an additional runway that runs northwest/southeast, perfect for the wind direction today. I entered the traffic pattern, reduced the throttle and put in 10 degrees of flaps. After a quick base leg turn then another quick turn to final approach, I applied 20 more degrees of flaps and reduced the throttle. What seemed like an eternity due to the headwind, we slowly approached the runway. Reducing the throttle some more, I flared and touched down within a few hundred feet, nice and slowly. If you don't have to land with a cross-wind, flying in a stiff breeze is actually simpler, and is gentler on the airplane's landing gear, too.
We taxied to the general aviation ramp and as the attendant greeted us, we said we were just staying a short time. I needed to use the "facilities" and did so in a hurry. After a brief rest, we decided to fly to Chester County-Carlson airport in Coatesville, PA. We haven't flown there in a while, and wanted to check their restaurant again. We always remember the great coffee and amazing desserts they feature at the Flying Machine Cafe on the field.
After taking-off of Queen City airport, we headed west just a bit toward Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom amusement/water park, then turned south on course. This took us over Bally, then just west of Pottstown. We could see the amish farm country just beginning to appear to our west as Chester county is rather nearby Lancaster county. Entering the traffic pattern at Chester county airport was, let's just say, a nuisance, due to many aircraft landing in front of me, and the fact that one of the aircraft was a corporate jet who was on an extremely long final approach. No problem though, and after a few circles of the airport, I entered the pattern and landed without incident in the 45 degree crosswind. We taxied directly behind the jet that had just landed and used most of the 5,400 foot runway, then parked almost directly in front of the restaurant. Entering the cafe, we were quickly seated in the "solarium like" seating area. We both ordered a cup of coffee and their succulent carrot cake, and just like we remembered from years back, it hadn't changed in quality and taste. Finishing our snack, we exited the cafe to use the facilities and check the weather once again. We knew we needed fuel, but weren't sure that our home-base airport would be open when we returned, so we decided to head back to Queen City airport. After a quick take-off and circling to the left to abide by the noise abatement procedures in effect at Chester county airport, we were soon headed back north towards Allentown.
Upon landing at Queen City airport, we taxied to the exact same place we were parked the first time that day. Fuel prices are relatively inexpensive here @ $3.85/gal, about $1 more per gallon than car gas. We had to wait a while before being fueled due to some paperwork that had to be done, so we took the time to relax and chat a bit. Soon, though, we were fueled and on our way, back to our home-base airport in New Jersey. Upon reaching the airport, we saw the wind was still kicking a bit and of course decided to use the cross runway that we used to take-off from in the morning. It was my first time using this rather short (1,800 feet) runway that was half the width of the standard runway. Of course, no problems were had, and we landed in a few hundred feet, directly into the wind. We commented how it was good that we flew back to Queen City for fuel because our home-base airport's office was shut-down, and they do not offer 24 hour self-serve fuel.
We taxied to the tie-down ramp and into position, shut her down and did most of the post-flight, cockpit cleanup inside of the cabin. Why freeze in the blowing wind when most chores can be done in a nice, warm cabin. Finally, though, we had to exit the plane and tie it down. So what began as a day predicted to be breezy turned out to be a day most memorable, with myself gaining much confidence and knowledge on how to handle these kinds of conditions.....See you after the next flight !!!
Ok, let's do it. I pre-flighted the aircraft, started the engine and taxied to runway 31. The wind was still kicking from the north-northwest as I positioned the aircraft on the runway and applied full throttle. It seemed as if we were practically standing still, yet we very quickly had an airspeed well over 60 mph, and with a gentle pull of the control yoke, we were airborne in only a few hundred feet. So far, effortless, despite the strong winds and all thanks to an airport having an additional runway for just such breezy days.
While climbing to the west, away from the airport, we were commenting on how relatively smooth the air was. Not "calm wind" smooth, but relatively smooth for the wind that day. Also, the weather did not call for any turbulence at altitude and that held true for much of the day. We leveled out at about 2,000 feet MSL (feet above mean sea level) and over-flew the town of Milford, NJ. Continuing, we saw that areas along the Delaware river still had ice where there was standing water, and homes further west had measurable snow left in the shady areas of their yards. As we approached our first destination, Queen City airport in Allentown, PA, I descended just a bit to clear Lehigh Valley International airport's airspace. We then spotted Hellertown to the north, then the outlet shops at Saucon Valley, just south of I-78. Finally, we traversed the last mountain ridge before the airport at about 500 feet, then circled the field. Of course the wind was still blowing hard, and we chose this airport because it too has an additional runway that runs northwest/southeast, perfect for the wind direction today. I entered the traffic pattern, reduced the throttle and put in 10 degrees of flaps. After a quick base leg turn then another quick turn to final approach, I applied 20 more degrees of flaps and reduced the throttle. What seemed like an eternity due to the headwind, we slowly approached the runway. Reducing the throttle some more, I flared and touched down within a few hundred feet, nice and slowly. If you don't have to land with a cross-wind, flying in a stiff breeze is actually simpler, and is gentler on the airplane's landing gear, too.
We taxied to the general aviation ramp and as the attendant greeted us, we said we were just staying a short time. I needed to use the "facilities" and did so in a hurry. After a brief rest, we decided to fly to Chester County-Carlson airport in Coatesville, PA. We haven't flown there in a while, and wanted to check their restaurant again. We always remember the great coffee and amazing desserts they feature at the Flying Machine Cafe on the field.
After taking-off of Queen City airport, we headed west just a bit toward Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom amusement/water park, then turned south on course. This took us over Bally, then just west of Pottstown. We could see the amish farm country just beginning to appear to our west as Chester county is rather nearby Lancaster county. Entering the traffic pattern at Chester county airport was, let's just say, a nuisance, due to many aircraft landing in front of me, and the fact that one of the aircraft was a corporate jet who was on an extremely long final approach. No problem though, and after a few circles of the airport, I entered the pattern and landed without incident in the 45 degree crosswind. We taxied directly behind the jet that had just landed and used most of the 5,400 foot runway, then parked almost directly in front of the restaurant. Entering the cafe, we were quickly seated in the "solarium like" seating area. We both ordered a cup of coffee and their succulent carrot cake, and just like we remembered from years back, it hadn't changed in quality and taste. Finishing our snack, we exited the cafe to use the facilities and check the weather once again. We knew we needed fuel, but weren't sure that our home-base airport would be open when we returned, so we decided to head back to Queen City airport. After a quick take-off and circling to the left to abide by the noise abatement procedures in effect at Chester county airport, we were soon headed back north towards Allentown.
Upon landing at Queen City airport, we taxied to the exact same place we were parked the first time that day. Fuel prices are relatively inexpensive here @ $3.85/gal, about $1 more per gallon than car gas. We had to wait a while before being fueled due to some paperwork that had to be done, so we took the time to relax and chat a bit. Soon, though, we were fueled and on our way, back to our home-base airport in New Jersey. Upon reaching the airport, we saw the wind was still kicking a bit and of course decided to use the cross runway that we used to take-off from in the morning. It was my first time using this rather short (1,800 feet) runway that was half the width of the standard runway. Of course, no problems were had, and we landed in a few hundred feet, directly into the wind. We commented how it was good that we flew back to Queen City for fuel because our home-base airport's office was shut-down, and they do not offer 24 hour self-serve fuel.
We taxied to the tie-down ramp and into position, shut her down and did most of the post-flight, cockpit cleanup inside of the cabin. Why freeze in the blowing wind when most chores can be done in a nice, warm cabin. Finally, though, we had to exit the plane and tie it down. So what began as a day predicted to be breezy turned out to be a day most memorable, with myself gaining much confidence and knowledge on how to handle these kinds of conditions.....See you after the next flight !!!
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