So, back to the flight. As we approached the Raritan Bay bridge which carries the Garden State Parkway and Route 9 over the Raritan river, we still were in the soupy air and could barely see New York City. Ahead of us, we could barely make-out the lines of the Verrazano-Narrows suspension bridge in the distance. This was looking to be a dismal flight with limited visibility and a bumpy ride due to the thermals that were now present. After over-flying The Narrows of the Lower New York Bay with the vast suspension bridge to the left:
....we were now set to over-fly the beach at Coney Island:
and the infamous Parachute ride (now defunct), as seen below:
Next, I had to descend to approx. 300 feet to clear J.F.K. International airport's airspace. Leveling off at an altitude where we could practically take a sample of sand home with us, we were now over Rockaway Beach and at a safe altitude in case the flight path of any large aircraft crossed ours. And just then we glanced to the left at J.F.K. airport to witness the take-off of a commercial jet as seen here:
What we also noticed was that the visibility had just improved and we could now see the surrounding terrain in the distance very clearly. New York City was gleaming, as was all other landmarks in the area. Yes, we now had exceptional visibility despite a soupy beginning. It seemed that all of the haze blowing in from Pennsylvania and New Jersey was blocked by The Big Apple (NYC). Well, whatever the case, we could now enjoy the flight and all that was to be presented to us, both on the ground and in the distance.
Flying along at 300 feet or so is quite an experience in itself as you truly get a feel for how fast you are flying. Like a bird, we continued along the shoreline of Rockaway Beach, shooting pictures and video until we were clear of JFK airport's airspace. Climbing back up to about 1,500 feet, we were soon approaching Jones Beach and the majestic monument that looms over the enormous parking lots:
Continuing along the southern coast of Long Island, I decided to turn northward just a bit and fly over the north shore of the bay, directly over Heckscher State Park. We all noted how deserted this park was compared to the droves of people flocking to the ocean on the Robert Moses Causeway as seen here:
I guess swimming in the bay is not a high priority when the ocean is that close. Looking to the left I pointed out MacArthur airport, and after passing by their airspace, I decided to turn on course. I now climbed even higher to around 2,000 feet, flying directly over Brookhaven airport. The now closed Navy airfield in Calverton could be seen in the distance and to the north:
Two, very long runways are still intact, though there is some construction taking place at the intersection of them. And just to the east of this area at the intersection of Interstate 495 and Route 25, a water park exists and one that we had not seen before. Splish Splash is the name, and of course water slides and rides are the game. I flew two circles around this park as my wife and I shot aerial photos of all that looked interesting. My photo gallery of this water park can be found HERE. There was a rather large shopping area to the east of this and I thought it looked like the number (6) from above....See what you think:
We were now at a point where the north fork of Long Island branches out to the northeast, at the town of Riverhead. Our course took us directly over and along the north fork, and I took note of a small airport up ahead called Mattituck. This airport is home to an aircraft engine shop, one of which the entire world relies on for the rebuilding of small aircraft engines. The runway is short, but nonetheless, a nice field to drop into for a look around. Continuing over the towns of Peconic, Southold and Greenport, the beauty of this area could be seen. This north fork of Long Island is picturesque and full of farm fields that produce an astounding beauty, especially when viewed from above. See what I mean:
Next up was our crossing of Plum Island, then two smaller islands and finally half of the Long Island Sound before we arrived at Fishers Island. The last of the smaller islands has overgrown concrete military installations abound that once was part of a defense mechanism to protect Long Island from the British. But before we reached this point, though, we climbed even higher to about 3,500 feet as we started to over-fly part of the Long Island Sound. We always climb to a higher altitude over large bodies of water just in case we lose engine power and are forced to glide to safety. With this additional altitude, we can glide that much further to an open field or beach. Ok, finally, we reach Fishers Island and can see the airfield's two runways below:
I set-up for a landing to the southeast on the longer of the two runways, though due to a stiff crosswind and a fully loaded plane, it was bit rougher than I'm used to. Nevertheless, we arrived safe and sound then taxied to the airports brand new apron (parking area). This area was filled with planes and is something we were not accustomed to when we visited in the past. Later we were told an aircraft club in Pennsylvania had a fly-out scheduled for this day and Fishers Island was their destination. Ok, that explains all the planes, so we simply parked in the island grass.
After checking-out the newly renovated office which will soon feature a pilots lounge, we paid our nominal $5.00 landing fee, grabbed our beach gear and began our leisurely walk to the beach at the end of the east/west runway. When we arrived, we noticed the beach was not sandy any more, but rather was full of small, round stones, most probably washed up from the stormy seas. Still though, the view was beautiful and there wasn't a soul to be found. This was our beach for the next few hours. Take a look at the view:
We enjoyed the usual fare for our picnic lunch, plopped our feet in the cold waters and explored the tip of the island a bit before walking back to the plane. What we did notice, however, was a large number of sail boats as compared to previous summers, most probably due to the increase in gas prices. Why burn gas in a boat when you can get the wind to propel you for free, though you better know what you are doing.
Back at the plane, I plotted a course to Sikorsky Memorial airport in Bridgeport, Connecticut for a fuel stop. The course, which was really a no-brainer, took us along the southern shore of Connecticut, just south of New Haven. We took-off of Fishers Island on the same runway we landed and circled the western half of the island so everyone could get a nice view. Climbing to about 3,500 feet, we were now over the Long Island Sound and quickly approaching the Connecticut coastline with Groton/New London just to our right. But when we turned on course to follow the coastline, we noticed our ground speed was at a snails pace, so I descended to escape the winds aloft that were hampering our forward progression. Leveling off about about 1,000 feet, it was a tad better so we stayed here and enjoyed a more clearer view of the small islands that dot the coastline. Further along, I called the control tower at Sikorsky Memorial and he cleared me for a straight-in approach to runway 24 (to the southwest). I felt like an airliner on approach to a large, international airport as we slowly descended and over-flew many homes, roads and bodies of water before touching down on the 150 foot wide runway.
After fueling-up and taxiing to the active runway, I was cleared for take-off to the west. Climbing out of this airport is neat because you take-off directly over the beaches and coastal areas, and that makes for some nice, close-up views. Upon leveling-off at about 1,500 feet and flying due west/southwest, we were now looking for Rye Playland Amusement Park so I could shoot some updated aerial photos of the park in general and their newest coaster, Super Flight. The gallery of photos that I shot of this park can be found HERE.
The city of White Plains could now be seen protruding out from the horizon and just to the north of Rye Playland. It was here that I turned more to the right (west bound) to clear New York City's airspace. This also allowed us to climb higher for safety reasons since over-flying the Yonkers area of New York limits us to where we can land if an emergency arises. Leveling off at 2,000 feet, the air was getting a bit soupy once again, and we knew we were in for a hazy flight home. Crossing the Hudson river, I was using the Alpine Tower as a landmark as seen below:
The homes in this area at the base of the tower are literally mansions, and to call them anything else would be an understatement. Continuing further west, I was now able to fly the circumference of New York's airspace which took us over and just to the west of the bustling metropolis of Patterson, Teterboro and all towns in between:
It was after this point that the air became extremely hazy, though still navigable without instruments, of course, otherwise I would not be here to write this entry. The air was still smooth and comfortable for my wife, though we all couldn't see very much. Arriving back at our home-base airport, it was almost unreal what we just experienced, and only an hour or so ago. Yes, this days flight to Fishers Island was a flight to cherish & remember.
Thanks for Reading & See You on The Next Flight !!!
