First day flying into Groton. (pt.1)

So the flight out east was nice, even though I had to fly higher than I like to to avoid clouds. As a consequence, some of the pics aren't the best, but I did see a fair bit indeed.

Here's a power pant down on the Susquehanna River.

And here's the Hudson River, north of New York City.

Towboats are cool.

Hudson, looking south towards New York City. I originally wanted to fly up the Hudson, but between the normal tight corridor that you have to fly (meaning not much ability to take pics) and the Temporary Flight Restrictions due to the Pope's visit, going around NYC to the north just made more sense.

And here we have the sportsplex of Yale University. Looks loke they've got a game going on in the stadium.

Campus of Yale.

Both Presidents Bush went here, as did Presidents Ford and Clinton. John Kerry went here too, and GW Bush--the one that the Left keeps calling "stupid"--got better grades than Kerry.

But enough of that stuff. We be flyin' today.

I flew east for a bit, north of Long Island Sound, and from 6,000 feet, didn't get to see much that was horribly interesting. But that changed when I approached Groton, Connecticut and swung a bit north so that my approach to their wonderful airport would take me down the Thames River. Then I saw neat stuff indeed, and from a much lower approach altitude.

Oh, look...a shipyard. The US Navy's Sub Base at New London, to be exact. (Groton Airport, upper left.)

And here there be submarines. Three of 'em, it looks like.

Lookie, lookie...a nuclear submarine.

And two more at the next pier.

It felt kinda strange flying right over the tops of these things like that, but there are no flight restrictions for this airspace, and I'm not seeing or photographing anything that can't be viewed on Google Earth for the most part. (I am omitting a few photos that I think showed too much detail, just as a precaution.)

Three cheers for our Silent Service!

But if you think that these are something, wait until you see what's next, right down the river.