Flyin Phil's Flight 'B'log

Surf & Turf....A Feast for the Eyes

2008-08-18T08:18:00.038-04:00

Well folks, here we go once again on yet another fascinating journey throughout the lovely Garden State, namely New Jersey. Dad and I enjoyed this flight on Sunday, August 17, 2008 as the weather was picture perfect with partly cloudy skies and "as far as the eye can see" visibility. The flight featured many different sights we had not previously witnessed, and I shot an array of new photos I had not captured before. So, without further ado, let's fly....

We arrived at the airport around 10:30AM to bright blue skies with little wind. After a thorough pre-flight we were airborne and on course to Fallston, Maryland. One problem, though, after leveling off at about 2,000 feet we decided to nix that flight due to the bumpy conditions we were experiencing and the fact that we would be bouncing like that for about an hour. Ok, so where to next? I suggested Cross Keys airport in southern New Jersey, just opposite Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Sounded good, so I began to fly that course but then realized that I wanted to fill-up the gas tanks before beginning our long day of flying. This and the fact that Cross Keys may or may not have fuel available led me to suggest altering our course yet again, and this time we were destined for Miller Air Park in Toms River, New Jersey. This way, we could get fueled-up for the "Surf & Turf" flight we had planned, and also could enjoy the airport's park-like grounds for our picnic lunch that we always pack along with us.

So now as we passed just south of Trenton, New Jersey, we were now flying east and fast approaching McGuire AFB and Fort Dix Army base. I knew there was a restricted area on the horizon which belonged to this military complex, so I altered the course yet again with a bit of a southern deviation. With this slight detour, though, we were now treated to a view of the Jersey Pine Barrens with Route 72 cutting straight through this vast scrub pine wilderness just like a knife. Deviating once again back to the left we could just about make out the clearing which we know oh so well as Miller Air Park. I entered the traffic pattern and commenced landing, achieving a smooth touchdown on the 6,000 foot runway. The taxi to the operations area was long, as usual, due to the enormity of this airfield, smack dab in the middle of the northern most area of the Jersey pine barrens and just south of the sprawling retirement community known as Holiday City.

After shutting down the engine and securing the plane, we noticed a rather odd looking helicopter that we had both seen previously at other airports, though not the same bird, and most of these were not airworthy. This one, though, was airworthy and was fueling-up, complete with a crew of four. The helicopter was a Sikorsky S-34 (also known as the S-58), painted to look like an authentic Marine chopper of the Vietnam War era. Excited to hopefully get to see this rare bird take to the air, we checked-in at the airport office, used the facilities and headed to a nearby picnic table to partake in some vittles. Next to our table was a nicely restored Stearman painted bright yellow with the nose art "Cannibal Queen" painted on the side, and sitting directly behind that, the S-58 poised ready for flight.

Just then, we heard the helicopter's engine starting and we hustled over to the fence to watch, photograph and shoot video. The helicopter is powered not by a turbine engine like today's modern helicopters, but rather a nine cylinder Wright R-1820 radial piston engine. The pilot engaged the main rotor, began taxiing and rolled into position for take-off. The engine was then powered-up, and after the rotors were spinning at full speed the chopper lifted-off ever so gently. And boy howdy was this contraption ever so slow. It then made a pass of the airport and I shot a picture of it with the blue sky as a backdrop:

Dad and I then finished eating our lunch, had the plane's fuel tanks topped-off and soon we were airborne once again, this time heading southeast towards the Atlantic ocean. Our route towards the Jersey Shore took us over some vast stretches of pines and finally the Garden State Parkway as it snaked its way along the edges of this pine filled wilderness. Ahead of us was the Barnegat bay, but directly in front was a housing development that I thought looked interesting due to the fact that each and every home had bay access, complete with a dock to moor a boat. Directly next to this conglomeration of bay shore dwellings was a marsh area that looked really pretty. The two of them together provided quite a contrast:

Just past this area we traversed a shallow area of the Barnegat bay where one could see clear to the bottom. On the horizon we could see the Barnegat Inlet along with the Barnegat Lighthouse as well. Ah, the "Surf" portion of our flight has commenced. And just like on the last flight which took us near Brigantine, New Jersey, there existed another huge sandbar that was exposed as low tide was in full effect. Lucky boaters had their own private island playground which they docked at while this sandbar was exposed:

I then asked Dad to fly east just a bit further as I snapped a few nice pictures of the white, sandy beaches of the Jersey Shore, looking north at Island Beach State Park:

I then turned the plane south as we grazed the shoreline at about 1,500 feet with Dad taking in the views of Long Beach Island. In the distance I had my mind set on shooting my second photo set (my first can be found HERE) of Fantasy Island amusement area in Beach Haven. I skirted over Long Beach Island so that now I was looking left at the ocean and clicked away, capturing many nice shots of the park. Here is one of the best shots of this children's amusement area and one that looks like lot of fun if you are visiting this area:

Skirting back over the island, we were now over the ocean once again with the Atlantic City skyline in the distance. What was also in the distance was a dark spot at about our altitude and near the city. We couldn't make out just what this was but figured it to be a blimp. Past Brigantine we flew and quickly approached the city. We could see two new casinos being built at the northern tip of the city, directly between the shore line and the lighthouse, and can be seen here:

Fast approaching was indeed a blimp, just as we thought, so we decided to pass to the left and above it, meaning I had to climb just a bit and fly a little further out over the ocean. The "Direct TV" blimp was now photographed by yours truly for a bit of FREE promotion for their company:

And all with a backdrop of Atlantic City and the now closed Bader airfield. Within a few seconds we were past it but Dad leaned forward and took the controls which allowed me to shoot some more photos of the blimp with the awe-inspiring Atlantic City again as a backdrop. Really neat to see a blimp from that perspective !!!

Continuing, Lucy the Elephant was ahead of us and if you are driving, can be found just south of Atlantic City in a town known as Margate. Then our final shore point was in the distance and where after passing this area were going to turn back northwest towards home. Ocean City boardwalk and amusement area could now be seen, as well as their general aviation airport. We saw a packed parking area full of planes and remembered back to when we would park there in the summer months and either walk or ride our folding bikes to the boardwalk and around the area. After passing the airport and still over the ocean, I checked for other aircraft that might have been around me, then made a hard right turn over the town and towards the bay/marsh area just to the west. I figured right about now it was time for a photograph of the shoreline of Sea Isle City, Avalon and Stone Harbor:

And soon thereafter, I figured another picture was in order where the Atlantic Ocean, shoreline, marsh/bay area and the Garden State Parkway bordering the vast expanse of pine trees can be seen:

Dad then commented about a coal-fired electric generation station to the right. Beesleys Point is what this plant is called, and I figured I would circle CCW and snap a few pictures of this behemoth of a generating plant before they tear it down in favor of windmills or a solar farm. It is complete with a cooling tower and resides on the shore the Great Egg Harbor river. Flying further to the northwest and along the river's marshy area....

....I had to stay below 1,500 feet to clear Atlantic City international airport's airspace just to the north of our course. This put us at a point where all we saw ahead of us was an awe inspiring expanse of pine and deciduous vegetation. Hmmm, not many emergency landing spots to note, but when we finally cleared the airspace I climbed to over 2,000 feet, a multitude of small clearings emerged, all embedded in the thick tree covered land below.

Veering away from the river and more to the west, we began noticing many farm fields ahead. I then spotted what looked like a small town festival in the midst of an arbor nursery:

Looking back up to the horizon, I could see a vast array of farmland including the town of Landisville, with a backdrop of pines in the distance:

Next up on the "Turf" portion of our flight this afternoon was Vineland-Downstown airport, which in fact we never landed at, nor did we land here that day:

By the looks of the two crop dusting planes seen parked on them, we could pretty much tell what this field was mainly used for. Still though, a nice airfield with a beautiful field of flowers as its closest neighbor:

Moving right along and still getting slammed a bit by the westerly winds, our ground speed was about 130 mph. Our next destination was Cross Keys airport in Williamstown, New Jersey for some parachuting excitement. That is, as spectators mind you, as I cannot see the point in jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. Just the same, I am glad there are folks who enjoy this sport because it makes for some great entertainment. Not only watching them plummet to earth, but also gazing at the turbo-prop aircraft that shoot off of the airport's small runway with 25 plus jumpers aboard. Ok, I'm getting a head of myself here.

Next on the horizon was Southern Cross airport, and though I shot a picture of this before, I captured yet another so you can see the slightly "S" shaped runway that exists at this grass strip airfield just south of Cross Keys. A few miles north is a Verterans Memorial that was built only a few years back, though I never snapped a picture of this tribute to our nations heroes before. The actual name slips my mind at the moment, and I cannot seem to find it on Google. If anyone can identify this memorial then by all means leave me a comment. That day, I finally captured a nice picture of this memorial:

Ok, Cross Keys airport is just ahead and we can already hear a flurry of calls on the radio from the parachute jump plane saying "Jumpers Away" as he gets ready to release his load of humans with a collapsed wing strapped to their back. Upon landing, Dad and I noticed that one of the parachute jump planes was parked very close to the runway, which was kind of strange. Anyway, after a nice and uneventful landing, which is the best you can hope for, we parked near the operations building and stopped in to use the facilities. The man behind the desk looked depressed due to the lack of general aviation at the airport due in part to the excessive fuel prices. We talked for a moment, and was then told that the plane near the runway just experienced a flat tire upon landing so it was quickly rolled off of the runway. Ok, that explains that. We then walked around the aircraft parking area a bit and noticed, as we have in the past, that this airport features the most "dregs" of any of them, meaning the planes parked here have either been abandoned by their owners or they are simply left in disrepair. See what I mean:

And this is just one of m any. On some planes, paint was stripped down to the aluminum by the sun, tires were flat with the airframe now resting on the wheel covers themselves. Others like the picture above had ripped fabric and the like. Kind of depressing that in this age of airliners and space travel, and with folks having the ability and the means to fly themselves, this is what some let happen to their flying machines.

Next we walked along the runway and crossed it near where the jump plane with the flat tire, known as a Skyvan, was parked and is seen here:

This was the Parachute Jumping operation is known as FreeFallAdventures and features many types of jump planes, and most of them are turbo-props. On this day, though, only two jump planes were flying, and when we arrived, only one due to the Skyvan's flat tire. We stopped by the operations area and bought an ice cream at the snack bar, then took in the views that were transpiring right before our eyes. A Super Twin Otter jump plane had just landed and taxied into position for a new load of jumpers, and most of them had brightly colored gear as they prepared to board the plane for the ride of a lifetime (I presume):

Then within another fifteen or so minutes there were jumpers diving towards the ground at breathtaking speed, parachutes a popping, and all followed by single and tandem jumpers with brightly colored nylon wings gently carrying them back to terra-firma. All great entertainment and completely free. Heck, the majority of folks watching drove in for the afternoon.

Dad and I then heard a distinctive whine from above, and one we had both heard before. Yes, it was a Beechcraft Starship making a high pass over the airport from northwest to the southeast. No, this is not a starship in the sense of Star Trek and the like, but rather a turbo-prop business transport aircraft with propellers that push instead of pull like most if not all of the turbo-props you see today. Here is what we saw when looking up, and you can distinctly see the canard in front (right side of the photo):

It was now getting to be late afternoon, and since we still have to fly about an hour back north and Dad having to drive over an hour back home, we figured it was time to depart. So, without further ado, we boarded for the flight home. We climbed out and to the right, turning on northerly course which would take us just east of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Crossing the Delaware river, I shot a picture of the Tacony-Palmyra bridge with the sun glistening water as a backdrop:

Our route would then take us directly over Northeast Philadelphia (Philly) airport for which I called and asked for permission to over-fly the field at 1,500, directly through their airspace. Of course we were given permission, and then we began to enjoy some sights we had not seen before. The most impressive sight was the conglomeration of row houses that existed on street after street after street on the outskirts of northern Philadelphia as seen here:

What an impressive sight this was and it looked almost surreal. Zooming in a bit closer, most all of them looked like this:

Now that is what I call getting to "know thy neighbor". I then noticed a helicopter on final approach for Northeast Philly and quickly prepped the camera to shoot a few pictures of it as it made its way over a housing development below. The tops of the blades were painted red and while which made the chopper itself very photogenic:

I was then asked by the control tower if I was clear of their airspace, and with my reply of yes, we were back on our way over the rural areas of lower Bucks county in Pennsylvania and Hunterdon county in New Jersey. The weather was a bit hazier than when we began our flight, but the air was becoming more stable with less "bouncing". This was truly another of our epic journeys that was enjoyed immensely, and I look forward to your comments.

Thanks once again for reading and flying along with Dad and I !!!

Along the "Jersey Shore", and More....

2008-08-05T21:00:00.033-04:00

This astounding flight took place on Sunday, August 3, 2008, and this entry features the most pictures I've ever posted...24 in all, including a first; two videos.

The day was predicted to be a bit cooler than the previous sweltering days, drier and also a bit breezy with winds around 10 & gusting to about 18 mph. Dad and I arrived at the airport and yes, the winds were blowing from the north, though not as strong as predicted since it was still early in the morning. I departed runway 31 which is the airport's crosswind runway for just such times when the wind is blowing as it was today.

Upon climbing I turned left and proceeded on a course which took us south, just west of Trenton-Mercer airport and along the Delaware river. We over-flew a closed airport once known as "3M". It was a company airport, though public at one time, but I did not shoot any updated photos on this flight. The air was somewhat choppy, and I knew this would hinder my ability to shoot nearly still aerial photos, yet the majority of the ones I shot turned out just fine. It was at this point where we intersected the Delaware river, then turned southwest and headed directly towards the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We had always wanted to shoot pictures of the Adventure Aquarium located in Camden, New Jersey and seen here:

along with the Battleship "New Jersey" which is only a hop, skip and a jump south of this attraction:

To do this, though, meant I would be flying very close by to Philadelphia International airport's airspace, and it was suggested by some friendly folks at our home-base airport that I call approach control. I did just that, but when I made the call I was instructed to contact the tower instead. Wow, I thought, that's a fairly important call to make to a busy tower that is already talking to the airliners and such. Anyway, I made the call, told them what my intentions were and was given a code to enter in my transponder which allowed them to see exactly where I was at all times. Perfect, I thought, and Dad flew a few circles around these two attractions as I snapped away, acquiring many photos of the Philadelphia skyline:

And here is a VIDEO of that same skyline as we flew north over the Delaware river:

After our photo flight of this area, I called the tower once again to tell them we were exiting the area. A pleasant "Thank You" was exchanged, and we were now on our way to destinations southeast of this area.

Around the Clementon, New Jersey area, there is a large train depot where the majority of the trains coming out of Philadelpia turn-around for the journey back to the city:

....just like the New Jersey Transit trains do in Bay Head, NJ. And just south of this depot, still in Clementon, there exists a small but bustling amusement park called Clementon Park. This park has a rich history, and new for 2008 is an addition to their their water park Splash World, which is rather colorful:

After Dad flew one circle around the park so I could snap some pictures, we continued southeast bound and headed directly to Millville, which could eventually be seen in the distance thanks to a large lake that exists northwest of the town. We wanted to check on the progress of the New Jersey Motorsports Park that I previously photographed. Some landscaping was complete, as well as the paving of the multitude of tracks present, but not much action except a handful of cars making laps. Below is the southern most track with the airport and large lake north of Millville in the distance:

Continuing, we made a bee-line towards the southern peninsula of New Jersey, where Cape May resides at the tip. The Cape May county airport is just north of town and we landed there for fuel and our standard fare, namely, our picnic lunch. Fuel was EXPENSIVE @ $5.95 per gallon, though many other airports in the area are in the low 5's. Anyway, a nice stop though the wind was strong but steady from the west at about 15 mph.

After about an hour, we departed to the west then turned 180 degrees and flew directly towards the "Jersey Shore". The Wildwoods was our point of entry as we began flying north along Jersey's "Gold Coast". We were commenting how Wildwood's beach is wider than any other beach along the Jersey Shore. Take a look at the picture below, then imagine you wanting to grab a hot dog and soda. Then think how long and how much walking it would take you. Yup, the beach is THAT wide, and note in the picture how tiny the people are compared to the distance you have to walk from beach to boardwalk:

Flying north, we flew along the beaches of Stone Harbor, Avalon and Sea Isle City, then I shot a picture of a packed beach at Ocean City:

Ocean City has the distinct advantage (as far as pilots are concerned) of having its own airport only a few blocks from the beach. Atlantic City used to have a small airport called Bader, but this was recently closed. Upon approaching this gambling mecca, we decided to fly just west of the city and over the marshes. Below is a picture of a solar/wind power generating station and is used solely for powering some of Atlantic City, or so I've read:

Brigantine was now to our east, and was once home to a very distinct Haunted Castle that stood prominently on the beach back in the 1970's. We were now approaching the ruins of a decrepit and abandoned fertilizer factory (or so we were told) in the middle of a river inlet:

This factory was just west of a rather large sandbar that acted like an island resort for a select few boats. Smack dab in the middle of an inlet, boats would pull up to this sandbar and enjoy their private island, as seen below:

Further to the north and still over the marshes, we crossed the boundaries of lower Barnegat Bay with Long Beach Island to the east. Crossing Route 72, I shot a picture a little further of the Barnegat Inlet with the Lighthouse in view at the lower right of the photo:

Now, talk about a private dwelling on your very own, mosquito and black fly infested marsh island in the middle of Barnegat Bay. Well, this is what we have here:

Further along we come to Island Beach State Park and Tice's shoal, where boats gather to anchor and ride their dingies to the beach access road. But today was unlike any summer day that we've experienced in the past, because Tice's shoal looked like a mall parking lot at Christmas. From a distance, the shoreline looks impressive, but the gathering of boats, though, is nothing to write home about:

But, get a bit closer and look what we have here. "Hey, watch that anchor". "Hey, watch my wake". "Hey, steer clear of those jet skiers and don't run over those folks in their dingy"....You get the idea. Look how packed this area really was:

Below you can see the beach access road, and another view of the madness that day at Tice's shoal:

It was at Seaside Park that we traversed the shoreline and were now flying over the Atlantic Ocean and along the shoreline at about 1,000 feet. Enjoying the view, I shot a short video of Seaside Heights and their two amusement areas; Funtown Pier and Casino Pier, as seen here:

It was still a bit bumpy up there so that's what all the shaking is about. Further north once again and around the Point Pleasant area, there was a gathering of boats that was actually more impressive than Tice's shoal. It was an area we had not noticed previously, and the boats were packed tighter than a can of sardines, with only one entrance/exit to this area:

See what I mean....Now this is a party area if I ever saw one:

Passing the larger shore towns of Asbury Park and Long Branch, we could now see Sandy Hook in the distance. Below are some folks enjoying their Sunday on the beach at this norther peninsula of the "Jersey Shore", though not many folks were actually in the water:

Flying along the beach, I was now about to turn left as we flew around the tip of Sandy Hook, as seen here:

Looking back, we could now see the entire peninsula (Sandy Hook) and the shoreline where we just came from. It was a very pretty sight, especially with the rich, blue ocean, the blue sky and the puffy clouds that stopped abruptly once they reached the Atlantic Ocean:

Flying back south now along Sandy Hook, I shot a picture of one of many concrete military installations that are present:

Turning to the west, the Atlantic Highlands were now to our left (south) and we could see Keansburg Amusement Park ahead with its yellow, dirt-looking beach:

After passing this area, we climbed to about 2,500 feet and proceeded on course to our home-base airport, over-flying the Raritan river and towns such as New Brunswick, Manville and Somerville. Just crossing into Hunterdon county, we noticed an interesting Corn Maze and decided to shoot a picture of it:

Yup, CORNFUSION (though in the maze, the "R" is backwards - Get it...."CONFUSION"). Try following the maze when you enlarge the picture. It actually works and looks like a lot of fun. Hey, no printing this picture and cheating :)

Finally, a landing was made back home with another stop for fuel before we parked for the day. I hope you have enjoyed this pictorial journey throughout southern New Jersey and along our fascinating shoreline that we are blessed with.

Stay tuned for many more Pictorial/Video journeys and Thanks once again for flying along with Dad and I !!!

An Island Flight...

2008-07-19T17:57:00.023-04:00

Yes, this is a flight that I hoped would take place one day, and it did on Saturday, July 12, 2008. Summer time, hot and relatively dry, and both my Father and my Wife joining me for the flight. After departing our home-base airport, the air was fairly hazy though rather tranquil. This was not a welcome sight since our flight would encompass at a minimum about 2-1/2 hours, and for this amount of time one wants to see as much as one can. Still though, we stuck with the plan....Ah, the plan, to fly east along the southern coast of Long Island, just south of New York City, then turn northeastward until we reached Fishers Island, smack dab in the middle of the Long Island Sound.

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 !!!

The Jersey Shore...

2008-05-27T14:23:00.034-04:00

Finally, a day with temps in the 70's was on tap for Dad and I on Sunday, May 25, 2008. Upon arriving at the airport, the wind was blowing gently from the north-northwest, just as predicted, with little to no clouds present.

After departing on runway 26 (to the west), I turned southeast on a course that would initially take us over Six Flags Great Adventure. Before we arrived, though, we noticed that traffic was already backed-up on the New Jersey Turnpike heading south. Ahead and on the horizon, we could see the roller-coasters that adorn Great Adventure's skyline, and I set-up the plane for a slow CCW circle of the park and Safari. We noticed that the parking lot was about 1/4 full with only a handful of buses, and the lines for most rides were rather short. The parking lot entrance, on the other hand, was backed-up and the lines were growing, a sign that the park would be packed later on in the day.

Next up was a continuation of our course, this time east-southeast, towards the Jersey Shore. The air was quite choppy and was not as predicted. We arrived parallel to the Manasquan Inlet near Point Pleasant and noticed something we had never seen before. Long streaks of what looked like algae/pollution being churned up by the boats that were in the area. It looked very strange and somewhat eerie, and those streaks parallel to the shoreline were not waves cresting, either, as the tide was out:

Turning to the south and following the shoreline, the air of course became smooth due to the even heating and cooling of the air thanks to the Atlantic Ocean. We were soon passing Seaside Heights and noticed many folks packed on the beach. Most rides on the two amusement piers there were all running as well. Continuing further, we overflew Island Beach State Park and passed just west of Barnegat Lighthouse:

Next up was the bustling, gambling metropolis of Atlantic City. We flew east of the city, then I turned back north and flew west of the city, circling The Borgata, The Water Club, Harrah's and the Trump Marina complex as seen here:

And while circling this giant complex of casinos, I couldn't help but notice an array of what I assumed were light posts on the upper level of one of Harrah's parking decks. It looked like a field of red and blue pinwheels, all laid out flat and parallel to the parking lot....How Interesting:

Finally, I turned back on course over the now closed Bader Airfield. I happened to look down and see Lucy The Elephant in the town of Margate as we were now flying parallel to the shoreline. Ocean City was up ahead, and just as with Atlantic City, we turned back around and flew north past the city and boardwalk areas to get a better look at the packed beaches:

Ocean City airport is only a few blocks southwest of the boardwalk / amusement area and it looked quite busy with folks flying in for the day. Continuing further south, Stone Harbor was up ahead followed by Wildwood. And as we passed each beach community there were droves of people packed onto the beach, but not a soul was in the water except for a few waders since the water temps were only in the low 50's. I was checking-out the amusement piers at Wildwood and was pointing out to Dad that come Summer of 2009, there are rumors of a new roller coaster to be built here that would span two piers. Only time will tell if this project will ever pan out.

Cape May was the last town along the Jersey Shore, and was not as crowded as the previous beach areas, though just as pretty with its Victorian-Style homes and quaint, tree-lined streets. After flying past the Southern tip of New Jersey (picture) and the Cape May Lighthouse (picture) we turned northward and overflew the Lewes Ferry terminal (picture). Cape May County airport was just to the northeast of our course and I called in and announced my position and intention to land. We set down gently and into a direct headwind blowing right off of the Delaware bay.

We parked next to the large hangar on the field and ate our picnic lunch inside the plane due to the cool breeze from the west. After a leisurely stroll to the operations hangar/office, we chatted with a rather interesting individual and looked around a bit. Another leisurely walk back to the large hangar, which also houses the Naval Air Station Aviation Museum, we took a peek inside. I shot some photos and videos around the hangar, then we made our departure to the west, followed by a turn to the north as we flew along the shore of the Delaware Bay. Both wanting to see the progress of the New Jersey Motorsports Park Raceway that was under construction adjacent to Millville airport, we headed in that direction. The air was still "butter smooth" until we made our way past the bay area and over land. Then the choppy air began once again. Upon arriving at Millville, we saw that another track had been constructed along with some buildings, though the complex was still far from accepting paying spectators. The airport itself was not very busy, and only one of the two major runways was open.

The next leg of our flight took us northwest towards Cross Keys airport to enjoy some parachuting entertainment (as spectators; NOT participants). It was at this point that we noticed the wind at the surface was from the south, yet us, while flying to the north, were feeling the effects of a headwind and our ground speed was reduced. Yup, the winds aloft were still from the north, and is why the parachute jump plane was letting it's adventure seekers out north of the field. Winds aloft from the north and surface winds from the south....Ah, Mother Nature !!!!

I landed at Cross Keys airport and parked near the operations building, but there was not a soul in sight. We took a walk along the runway/taxiway to the parachuting operations area and noticed only one of two DeHavilland Twin Otter (picture) aircraft were being used due to the reduced number of parachutists. Nonetheless, we bought some ice cream, took a seat and enjoyed watching them float down. Back at the plane, I manually checked the level of the gas in the tanks and determined that we would need some additional fuel to fly home safely. Unfortunately, Cross Keys does not have a 24/7 fueling station, so I called an airport just north to check availability and hours of operation. Lucky for us, they were open, but we had to get there within a half an hour. Quickly we made our way north to South Jersey Regional airport where we met up with the fueling personnel who filled our tanks with some much needed "liquid gold" (read the first paragraph).

Departing once again, I headed the plane north-northwest on a course that took us northeast of Philadelphila, PA and west of Trenton, NJ. We overflew Sesame Place in Langhorne, PA, then over the lush, green fields of lower Bucks county in Pennsylvania. Traversing the Delaware river for what seemed like the 10th time, beautiful Hunderdon County in New Jersey was now in front. We spotted several private, grass airstrips just as we always do and we wished one was our very own. In addition to these aviation enthusiast havens, there were a plethora of horse and cattle farms, each with their own distinctive scenery.

Our home base airport could now be seen in the distance, and once there, I set up the plane for landing and touched down gently, bringing the nose up for a full stall landing. We topped-off our fuel tanks once again to reduce the likely-hood of condensation forming and taxied back to our parking spot. It was an awesome flight this Memorial Day weekend of 2008, and one that presented us with many interesting and intriguing views....

Thanks for Flying Along with Dad and I !!!

A Flight Around Philly...

2008-05-18T07:11:00.020-04:00

This Spring time flight around the western half of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania took place on Saturday, May 10, 2008. The weather was quite dismal with cloudy skies and only a peek of sun here and there. The temperature was in the 60's and stayed that way for most of the day. The cloud bases were about 3,000 to 4,000 feet, and we did hit just a bit of drizzle as we passed just west of Philadelphia. The wind was generally from the north at about 5-10 mph, which was nothing to complain about. Other than that, the sky became brighter as the day progressed, and we enjoyed a nice flight as you will soon read about....

After first departing our home base airport, I flew in kind of a haphazard direction until we both could figure out just where we wanted to go. It was finally decided that we would be destined for New Garden airport in Toughkenamon, Pennsylvania. This route would take us over the Willow Grove Naval Base and just west of Philadelphia. The first item of interest is the King of Prusssia highway interchange and shopping mall. The large conglomeration of highways there are I-76, I-276, State 202, State 422 & Route 303:

Looking to the right (north) we could see Valley Forge National Historic Park, and after slight turn to the south we were now a short distance from Brandywine airport in the town of West Chester. This airport is home to the American Helicopter Museum, which holds a large airshow and demonstration event each Fall. The next area of interest was Longwood Gardens near Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. See my personal photo gallery of this incredible attraction HERE. Also along this route, I noticed a rather small golf course, which looks to have only nine holes:

In the distance, we could finally see New Garden airport. After landing, we briefly walked around and talked to a few folks working on their aircraft. We ate our picnic lunch in the plane, then departed for destinations north of the area. Passing just west of Brandywine airport, I took a photo of an interesting highway interchange; basically two interchanges merged into one:

Further on, I took note of a school with an entirely BLUE roof. I don't know, it just looked neat, so I snapped a picture:

We then flew just east of the Pottstown-Limerick area of Pennsylvania, and could see the power generating cooling towers looming in the distance. We always use these as a reference point and to see the severity of the winds aloft as it blows the steam pouring from these hollow, behemoth cylinders of re-bar and concrete. We were now over Quakertown airport in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, then decided to fly west for a flight over Dorney Park to check on the progress of their newest coaster, Voodoo. On the way there, though, I noticed an outdoor recreation shop along Route 309 near Coopersburg, Pennsylvania. It had a large selection of umbrellas stationed outdoors, and I thought it looked neat from above:

Ahead of us and in the distance, we could see the mountain ridge hiding the view of the city of Allentown and Bethlehem. I overflew Queen City airport and circled Dorney Park for some photos. Here is a picture of one area of the park, complete with a white water rafting and train ride:

After a quick landing and rest at Queen City, we departed and flew back east, destined for home. I noticed, though, a large expanse of blooming foliage on some of the surrounding hills:

We then reached the Delaware river, then turned south at the town of Milford. We both noticed that a new earthen-type dam (or something of this nature) was constructed on the east shore of the river, just south of Milford. My wife and I noticed this too while driving in this area. Take a look and see if you can figure out what this landscaped area is supposed to be:

After shooting a few pictures of this unknown landmark, I turned due northeast for our home base airport. The wind, however, was still out of the north which meant I would be dealing with a direct crosswind if I wanted to land on the main runway. Nah, no fun, so I opted to land on the cross runway which is a lot short and narrower, except that now I would have a direct headwind and be landing at a much slower speed. Needless to say, the landing was uneventful. We headed for the gas pits to drain our wallets with some $5 per gallon liquid gold, then parked the plane in our tie-down spot. It was a nice afternoon flight with rather smooth air, though a bit gloomy in the beginning. But hey, we were flying, and that is something we both cherish that we're still able to do. And to be able to share our flight and sights with all of you, well, that's just icing on the cake :) !!!

Thanks for Flying Along with Dad and I !!!

Spring is in the Air....

2008-04-28T16:35:00.027-04:00

It was Sunday, April 27, 2008 that Dad and I embarked on this journey after a couple of weekends of lousy weather and Spring cleaning around the house that just had to be done. This hour and a half flight was most enjoyable because of the fresh foliage appearing beneath us and how it reminded us of the warmer and prettier summer months:

Our first destination was, as usual, Six Flags Great Adventure theme park in Jackson, New Jersey. I departed on runway 08 (easterly direction) then turned CCW around the airport as I climbed to 2,000 feet. My weather briefing indicated the ceiling (bottom of the lowest deck of clouds) to be no more than 3,000 feet, and as I leveled-off I could see that the forecast was proving to be correct. Flying on a southeast heading, we passed just to the west of Sky Manor airport and towards the bustling country metropolis of Flemington, New Jersey. It looked very pretty to see some color bursting from the tree buds below.

But just as we noticed the town to our left, ahead of us looked quite dismal with a layer of clouds and mist at a lower altitude than what we were flying. I eased back on the throttle and descended to 1,500 feet, just low enough to clear this ominous looking layer of visible moisture in the form of whispy clouds. The visibility was not bad, though, so we pressed on. After circling Great Adventure a few times and acquiring a massive amount of aerial pictures (See the Gallery HERE), we headed west. Queen City airport in Allentown, Pennsylvania, was to be our next destination. For simplicity, we decided to over-fly Trenton airport's airspace rather than call the control tower for permission and be vectored through accordingly. Upon leveling out at about 3,000 feet, the air was calm and smooth, and we overflew a recently closed airport, Twin Pine, located in the town of Pennington, New Jersey. I then shot a picture of this grass field airport with two, large, yellow X's on each end of the runway:

We were nearing the Delaware river. But just then, I noticed that same line of lower clouds as we had seen previously, so I quickly descended to about 2,000 feet, which was a bad altitude to choose as we soon found out. Wanting to return to our home base airport instead of Queen City due to the poor weather conditions, we were now flying northwest, and noticed a slight haze or barely visible moisture in the surrounding air. We couldn't put our finger on just what this phenomena was, though we should have of known better. Just then Dad asked me if I reduced the throttle. Of course I didn't, but he had to increase it just to maintain engine RPM. Then in a few more minutes of flying through this barely visible mist / haze, I had to increase the throttle myself to keep the engine RPM at a constant setting. Weird, I thought. But just as we passed the town of Flemington, the air became clear once again and the mist/haze was nowhere to be found. It was still cloudy, though, and we continued towards our home base airport. The engine RPM was steadier now, too. Upon entering the airport traffic pattern, all was normal so far. On final approach, though, I noticed that when I brought the engine to an idle, I could actually see each blade as it made its rotation, indicating that the engine was near stalling. I brought the power up just a bit to keep it running, and again as I powered down to an idle, the same thing happened. This kept occurring even as we touched down and taxied off the runway.

As we were taxiing back to our tie-down spot for some lunch, this so-called phenomenon hit us like a freight train riding on oiled tracks. Carburetor Ice (Click the link for an explanation of what this really is). I should have been flying at 1,500 feet, an altitude below this cloud / moisture deck, as I did on the flight to Great Adventure and after we passed Flemington. And at the very least, once we saw the moisture / haze, pulling the carburetor heat lever would of been a good idea, just as a precautionary measure. Well, any lesson learned that you can walk away from is a lesson learned well. After a bite to eat, we boarded the plane and departed the traffic patter to the west. It was then that I noticed a large, yellow lightning bolt painted on the border of a soccer field:

We continued westbound for the Allentown, Pennsylvania area. I wanted to shoot aerial photos of Dorney Park's newest coaster, Voodoo, as I had in the past (See this gallery HERE). By this time, the weather was becoming very nice with high clouds and a lot better visibility. We flew a few circles around Dorney as I captured many nice photos of this unique coaster. Then it was a heading northeast as we flew the circumference of Allentown-Bethlehem International airport's airspace up to the few remaining structures of Bethlehem Steel. Again, I shot pictures of this almost haunted looking structure that was part of this famous steel plant many years ago:

We turned further north and overflew the town of Easton, Pennsylvania, then up along the Delaware river to the town of Belvidere, New Jersey, where I shot some photos of where my friend flies giant scale, radio-controlled airplanes. Their flying club is called the North Jersey Jumbo Flyers:

I then wanted to fly further north and land at Blairstown airport in Blairstown, New Jersey. Nothing special there except for some glider activity, so after landing we taxied back to the runway and departed, this time turning southeast. One of my colleagues where I work lives in this area, so I decided to scout out his home near Hope, New Jersey, but to no avail. I just couldn't remember the map he showed me and foolishly I did not have it with me. Next Time !!! Anyway, continuing south we traversed some rather large hills with rock faces protruding over the lake below.

We then noticed that the visibility was dropping a bit, and it looked as if the lower layer of clouds that we saw earlier east of Flemington was moving further west. Up ahead of us was the development where I live, so we flew a few circles around the house and got some nice aerial photos. The best yet that I have shot of the house and surrounding area. Like all good things, though, this flight had to come to an end, and I pointed the nose towards our home base airport. And just as I did this, I noticed some interesting fields just south of Clinton, New Jersey. One looked like green rivers flowing through a wheat field:

And the other like had the shape of a lightning bolt scorched into a dirt field:

Continuing towards the airport, we touched down gently in the mild crosswind. All in all, a nice Spring flight with bits of color here and there, teasing us with what is on the horizon come summer. Looking forward to our next jaunt, and this time hopefully with my wife too.

Thanks for Joining Dad and I on this Flight !!!

A Choice Day with Choppy Air...

2008-03-31T08:32:00.012-04:00

The flight we embarked on after a 5 week hiatus due to nasty, windy and damp March weather, was a complete success and much enjoyment was to be had. The flight took place on Sunday, March 30, 2008. The sky conditions that day were clear with a few, very high wispy-type clouds. The temperature was in the upper 30's to begin with, but warmed to the upper 40's by the end of the day. Wind was predicted to be 5-10 from the east-northeast, but as weather forecasts go nowadays, it was incorrect in that it was more like 10 from the south. All in all, a very nice day for this time of year, and judging by the sky conditions and the age old saying, "The calm before the storm" (rain was predicted for the next day), we figured the air would be smooth and tranquil.

Upon lift-off to the east, all seemed fine as I turned 180 degrees to the west and proceeded on course. Yet as we neared 2,000 feet, the choppy air made its presence. I would've initially climbed higher to try and avoid the bumpy air, but I wanted to shoot some aerial photos of Dorney Park's newest coaster Voodoo, and had to remain below 2,000 feet in order to clear Allentown's airspace. We could see one of the few remaining (almost haunted looking) structures of Bethlehem Steel ahead and to our right, and noticed a wind mill from yesteryear as we flew just north of Milford, NJ. We were getting bounced around quite a bit, but pressed on towards Dorney Park and just to the south of Queen City airport. I could see that Voodoo was now complete, with the exception of some landscaping and such, and shot some pictures as we flew a half circle around the park. Here is a shot of the completed Voodoo coaster:

I now headed west once again and took notice of a newly completed, 4 lane highway that runs between I-78 and State 222. The highway takes travelers to the outskirts of the Allentown area where many large warehouses and various companies are setting up shop, not to mention a plethora of dwellings taking shape as well. We were now clear of the airspace above and I proceeded to climb to hopefully avoid the choppy air we were still experiencing. I leveled off at 3,000 feet and although the air was a bit smoother, it was nothing to write home about. Not a big deal, though, since we are used to this and is actually quite fun sometimes. Kind of like riding an old, wooden roller-coaster, though the ride lasts a lot longer.

Up ahead of us was Kutztown and the university that exists there. We spotted the airport as well to the southwest of town, along with the deep, rock quarry at the end of the runway. We remember so vividly when approaching from the south how you must fly directly over this quarry on final approach. It is quite an impressive sight, and the next time we fly this approach, I will be sure to have Dad snap a picture and share it in my write-up of the flight.

Continuing, we could see the town of Reading in the distance and to the south of our course. There were a few large lakes/reservoirs around this area as well, and I remember how very distinct and beautiful this one area looks in the Spring & Summer months due mostly to the terrace-style farms that populate the area northwest of Reading, PA. I was getting hungry right about now, and since it was already around 1PM, we decided to make Deck airport, just south of Myerstown, our first destination of the day. Deck's is a nice airport to fly into, complete with a long, paved runway in the middle of the Amish farm fields. There is an old farmhouse on the airport which is used for the office, flight school, pilots lounge and rest rooms. An older woman who takes care of the place, keeping the fridge stocked and snacks available, is unfortunately no longer there. Still though, the house is clean and comfy, and we enjoyed eating our lunch in the kitchen...Just like being at home:

Dad and I have been flying into Deck's for over 10 years now, and not much has changed, except for that nice lady not being there any more. I believed she lived upstairs, and used to garden around the house as well. Anyway, after a relaxing recharge, we checked-out some of the aircraft around the apron and took note of an interesting twin engine plane in a nearby hangar. What grabbed our attention was that where standard air intake openings would normally exist to cool the engine, this plane had only two very small openings at the bottom of the engine nacelle, in addition to the oval shaped opening where air fed the carburetor. The location where the air inlet openings exist on other aircraft were occupied on one side by a light, and the other by a streamlined fairing. Very interesting indeed; take a look for yourself:

We were wondering just how these high performance engines get cooled, but they must, of course. The next part of our day was to fly a bit further west to Hershey Park in Hershey, PA. I wanted to shoot some pictures of their newest coaster, Fahrenheit, designed by the Swiss firm Intamin. After taking-off to the south and turning west, we could then see the sprawling town of Lebanon, which is growing by leaps and bounds. And in the distance, covered by a light haze, was Hershey Park.

The coaster Fahrenheit is almost complete, and we noticed a few cranes assembling the last couple of sections of the cobra roll (a specific element of the coaster). This coaster features a true vertical lift hill with a first drop of more than 90 degrees, providing a bit of negative G's before taking on the rest of the course. Looks like fun, huh? :

It was almost 3PM, and I was getting tired due mostly to the long day I spent on Saturday at Bushkill Falls. We decided to fly back home now because air continued to be choppy, and we knew we still had a long flight back. But just to keep things different and not see the same sights as we did flying out here, I headed a bit southeast towards Quakertown, PA. This course would take us directly over the town of Reading, and the rather large Chinese Pagoda that's perched high on a hill overlooking the town:

We could see the large cooling towers near the Pottstown area to the south, and up ahead was an airport you might be interested in, particularly if you enjoy golf. Butter Valley Golf-Port is the name, and features a 2,400 foot runway smack dab in the middle of the course, with 1,500 ft of it paved and the rest grass. Fly in for a round of golf, then partake of lunch in the club house....How COOL is that? :

The air was beginning to smooth out a bit the further east we flew, and we could now see the bustling metropolis of Quakertown. I wanted to shoot some pictures of a rather interesting company due east of town. A company that creates rather large "structures" (for lack of a better word) from rusted steel pipes and places them on their property for reasons unknown. I tell you, from the ground they look like giant, futuristic creatures from outer space. And from the air, well, see for yourself:

See what I mean. Anyway, after getting some shots of this bit of the bizarre, I flew east until we were crossing the shallow but wide, Delaware river. We flew south of Milford and north of Frenchtown, both in NJ, until our home base airport could be seen. I gradually meandered back and entered the traffic pattern to land, and the wind was still from the south. Yes, a great flying day to kick off Spring, and although there was a bit of chop up there, it felt great to once again take in the sights from above.....

Thanks for Reading !!!