Monday Flyday.

Yesterday it was time for that annual aviation ritual known as the annual inspection, a ritual in which every non-commercial aircraft gets poked and prodded and gone over with a fine-toothed comb, and any and all problems found have to be corrected before it can fly again. (Commercial aircraft are even luckier--they get it ever hundred hours of flying time.)

So I was taxiing my aircraft over towards the repair shop on the other side of the field to drop it off, but I couldn't help notice what a beautiful day it was. Such a shame to not fly on a day like this.

Heck with it. "Tower, Super-Cool Cessna requests clearance for departure, Runway 26."

And I was off, heading north this time, just because I went south the last time.

Here's that nice Potomac River below, still carrying a fair bit of sediment from all of the recent run-off.

A small dam and power plant, with a C&O Canal lock and lockhouse just visible on the left side of it.

Look.White stuff on the side of that mountain up ahead. Let's go see what that is.

It's the Whitetail Mountain ski resport, getting ready to put their "closed for the season" signs out. Still seems to have a fair bit of fake snow though.

Just flying over the Pennsylvania countryside, enjoying this great day.

"Hagerstown Tower, Super-Cool Cessna is right downwind for Runway 27."

On final. Winds variable. In the groove, while a King-Air waits at the hold-short.

Oooh. He's one of those "special" King-Airs.

Touch and go, and off again, this time back to the south. And just to the southwest, we have a powerplant on the Potomac River at Williamsport, MD, and the C&O Canal Cushwa Basin.

The bridge below is an aqueduct, and the canal used to run across it, boats, mules and all, to get over the Conococheague Creek. Now it's dry and it's got three pedestrians on it.

Another view of the aqueduct and the turning basin, one of the waypoints where coal and other cargoes were landed or loaded for shipment up and down the canal. Williamsport was kind off a big deal back in the day.

One of the canal locks below, on one of the few sections of the canal that still holds water today. This part is preserved for the tourists. Note to self: I still haven't been there on the ground yet.
Note to self #2: Get a better camera or start flying lower.

Never saw this before. It's long ponds full of water. Wonder what it is?

I played around a bit more, but finally I had to land, because I had somewhere else to be.

"Martinsburg Tower, Super-Cool Cessna is ten miles to the north inbound for two six."
"Super-Cool Cessna, report three mile right base."
...
"Martinsburg Tower, Super-Cool Cessna is three miles right base for two six."
"Super-Cool Cessna, clear for the option, two six."

"Martinsburg Tower, Even cooler Boeing C-17 Heavy on a ten-mile final for two six."

"Roger C-17. Cessna traffic, he's going to overtake you before you get down, can you hold your position until he lands?"

One of these days, Ima gonna say "no", just to see what they say.

"Super-Cool Cessna Roger. I'll be orbiting present location."
If nothing else, it was a great opportunity to shoot some airborn C-17 pics. (Again, need better camera.)

Now it's my turn. "Super-Cool Cessna, you are clear to land Runway Two Six. Caution wake turbulence from the C-17."

All lined up, glide path perfect...SHIT! He wasn't kidding about that wake turbulence!"

Lesson learned today: Avoid wake turbulence by planning for touchdown beyond touchdown point of big traffic ahead.


There he is, folks...one of the new C-17s of the 167th Airlift Wing.

And here's a couple more.

Gonna miss these old C-5s (below) when the last two are gone.

The other one is inside one of the hangers being readied for it's ferry flight to the Boneyard. Apparently they have to be 100% repaired and good to go before they make that last flight into desert storage. And that means that all of the parts stripped off of these last ones to keep the others flying have to be put back.