Flight up

The weather over our area and much of Pennsylvania could have been better, but it was still VFR so we took off amid light rain showers and overcast. Had a bit of a headwind, so it was slower than I cared for, making about 90kts groundspeed (roughly 100mph) but eventually we broke out into sunshine in New York State, just shy of Lake Erie and Buffalo.

I made contact with Buffalo Approach, even though I planned to stay out of their airspace. Always a good idea to let them know who I am and where I'm going since I was going to be flying close to their airport. Then it was up the shoreline and along the Niagara River.

Oh, look at that...it's the USS Little Rock (CLG-4).

She's a guided missile cruiser that is one of three ships at the Buffalo & Erie County Naval & Military Park, and one of the other reasons for this trip. There are two other ships there, too, the Destroyer USS The Sullivans (DD-537) and the submarine USS Croaker (SSK-246) but they are inboard of the cruiser and not visible here. I wanted to orbit and photograph all three from above but the buildings on shore and Buffalo International's airspace above prevented that so I just kept on. But it's ok...I'd already reserved a rental car to let us come back and see these all up close.

On up the river we went, enjoying the scenic views.

A neighborhood in Buffalo below.

And then there it was. The Falls are visible ahead.

Alas, here I had to turn in to land at Niagara Falls International. They brought me in on Runway 24, telling me to hustle it up as this Air Guard C-130 was waiting to depart.

Afteer landing, the nice folks at Calspan took care of us and the plane, and we were soon shuffling off to Buffalo to go see those ships.

Fall colors...from the air.

It was a beautiful day today. Sunny and windless, and the fall colors about peaking. And then the phone calls started coming in from the airport: "Hey--this is your plane. C'mon!"

I could never forgive myself for passing this day up. (Click on the pictures to see them larger...the small frames here don't do them justice.)

It was really a good day to fly. Cool, crisp air, no wind, and the trees below were all in their red, yellow and orange glory. I took up a heading of "westish" and went out to play.

Here's Paw Paw, West Virginia to the north.

And here's my first destination--the Mexico Farms Airport. (Not the big cement strip--that's Cumberland (Maryland) Regional. Mexico Farms is the grass strip below and to the right. Yeah, that.)

On the ground at Mexico Farms.

No one here but me. The place is deserted. Just some tractors working the adjacent farm field.

See, Aaron...this is what flying and airports are supposed to be like. You keep those towers and controllers that you like so much.

And THIS--this is a runway. Be ready for an immediate left turn-out up a valley, because you ain't climbing over that ridge ahead with anything small enough to get in here in the first place.

As I was leaving, the annoying little student pilot who'd been shooting patterns and garbaging up the radio at Cumberland dropped in here.

Turnabout seemed to be fair. Since he was there, I hit Cumberland.

Then I headed north into Pennsylvania for a bit and just coasted along, enjoying the view.

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I overflew the Sideling Hill cut where I-68 was blasted through the Blue Ridge.

And then I dropped in on the Potomac Airpark at Hancock, MD, shown just across the Potomac River from the town. I flew right traffic in here to Runway 29 just because I haven't made that approach in a while.

The high terrain just south of the strip makes left traffic inappropriate and stupid.

Then is was back towards home again, stopping just long enough to be a Nosy Parker and investigate some smoke, which turned out to be a farmer's bonfire.

And overflying the quarry on the way into my field, I saw these tunnels that I'd not seen before. Got to put new flashlight batteries on my shopping list.

Three hours of fun, four states and five take-offs/landings. (Two when I got home, just because.)
I've been slacking off on the flying as of late. Days like this convince me to quit doing that.

Still more flying pics--Martha's Vinyard

Heading southeast, out from Rhode Island after a great day with Old AF Sarge last week.

Why is there always clouds?

That's New Bedford, Massachusetts off in the distance.
Naushon Island.

Naushon Island ahead on left, Pasque Island lower right. No airport there, so no stop. How you gonna live on an island with no airport? That's just crazy.

Long final for Runway 15, Martha's Vinyard. Clear to land.

Got this one greased. Bit of a wind, but it's almost right down the centerline.

Gotta say, those folks at MVY sure treat you right. Every courtesy you could want, including an offer of a ride into town from one of the tower controllers who was on his way home. He, like many workers here, lives on the mainland and pays $90 to $140 a day (depending on season) for the round trip ferry passage, plus the 45 minutes each way just on the ferry. Yikes!

Now this was dining. (Yep, I'm doing the Brigid thing again.)

Had me this while watching the lunar eclipse on the patio of a restaurant in Edgartown that overlooks the ferry to Chappaquiddick. The ferry replaces the bridge that used to be here--the one that Ted Kennedy drunkenly drove off of.

Island transportation, brought in by removing the back seat of a Cessna 172. Fully self-contained for camping and travel, and I get a fitness regiment to boot.

This is island life. Gilligan & company never had it this good.

Sunrise over the Atlantic.

Breakwater at Oak Bluffs.

Flying, flying...

So the morning after the bird strike, I left Groton, CT and winged my way out to sea. It was a beautiful morning as I flew out over the Connecticut coastline, heading out over the ocean.
(Click on the pics to enlarge if you want to see any detail at all.)

As I bid land good-bye and looked out over nothing but water to the horizon, I really hoped that the charts were right and there really was an island out there. Otherwise...next landfall = Europe and I'm pretty sure that I didn't have the gas for that trip.

Ah, there we go. I was hoping that was there. Block Island.

I landed at their little airport and promptly got directed clear of the local charter operation as the pilot seemed to think that I'd only landed there to park in his way or something.

Once shut sown, I wandered back past the still-waiting charter plane and and went in to grab breakfast at Bethany's Airport Diner, my real reason for coming way out here on this morning. I had the Full Throttle Breakfast, shown here.

Yeah, I'm really taking pictures of food now. Sorry!

Then it was back in the air and off to the northeast. Apologies to the blog readr who lives on the island...wish I'd known in advance that you were there. Next time, maybe? I WILL be back.

Little island houses.

Downtown New Shoreham, east side if the island. Note the ferry below. My flight is much faster and probably cheaper.

Back out over the water again. And why is it that if there is ONE FREAKING CLOUD in the sky, it will always be in my way?

Land Ho!

The Rhode Island coastline below.

Narragansett, RI, off to the right.

And here's a cruise ship in Narrangansett Bay. Fort Adams is just visible to the lower left.

Touchdown, Newport State, and a day out with this guy:

Some days just work the way that all days should.