(Again, as I post this in March 2024, lease forgive the tardiness! Life has been busy (and Typepad is being annoying in how much I can post at once or how many photos), but rest assured the flying and the fun haven’t ceased! In fact, besides a number of adventures I’ll cover off in the next few posts (including OSHKOSH 2023!), I’m starting a new flying adventure and will update on that as well—in a more timely fashion!)
Unfortunately, my medical expired at the end of June, so July had no flying while waiting for the FAA Aeromedical folks to work through their horrendous backlog and re-issue.
Taking pity on me, Milton drove up to Bridgeport on August 1 and acted as legal pilot in command (he’s got enough hours in Gwaihir) so that we could go out and fly approaches and head to Block Island for breakfast. We heard an ELT when we got back to Bridgeport and helped the Three Wing line crew track it down to a maintenance bench—they thought they’d been looking for an ELT in one of the ramp airplanes.
In mid-August, the new medical finally arrived and I went out that afternoon to do some circuits in the pattern and celebrate the privilege of flying! I did the same thing a few days later, when some low clouds throughout the area kept me to just hanging around in the pattern, including doing some good crosswind landing practice as the winds were shifting a bit—four landings on Runway 6 and then 2 landings on Runway 11–always good to keep brushing up on skill sets!
I also knocked out my night currency again as well, just staying in the pattern to do a number of full-stop landings and takeoffs
At the end of the month, Michiko and I did our annual pilgrimage to Wiscasset, Maine (KIWI) and Red’s Eats lobster rolls. With a few clouds here and there along the way, I had filed an instrument plan and Portland Approach left us way too high at 9,000’ for wayyyy too long, necessitating a bit of a dive for the airport as we approached. The lobster rolls, as always, were phenomenal—I can’t sing the praises of Red’s Eats enough—so fresh, simple and perfect, every single time we go up there! They’re always worth the wait on line!!
On the way back, we had a terrific climbout from the airport (that new three-bladed prop!) to 8,000’ and Michiko got some pictures of very tiny Blue Angels and their C-130 Fat Albert down below at Brunswick airport, ahead of the Great State of Maine Airshow. It was a smooth ride at our cruise altitude.
For Labor Day weekend, we did a day trip down to Annapolis (KANP) to see Nancy & James. We went straight over the top of JFK on both legs, with jets taking off and landing below us—that NEVER gets to be a tired sight! The one hiccup of the trip was some moron drag racing down the runway just before I was about to taxi out for our leg home. Apparently, some of the local brainless think it’s cool to race up and down the runway, in broad daylight….I don’t think that he particularly liked that I took a photo of his car.
One of the true thrills for me is introducing people to flying, especially younger folks. Fellow train commuters that I’ve gotten to know over the years introduced me to their son Justin who had just done a discovery flight and was considering becoming an airline pilot. After chatting with him, I put him in touch with a couple of line pilots I know, including Philippe who could offer better insights on the process and lifestyle.
On a mid-September morning, Justin joined me for an easy flight down the CT shoreline on a beautiful day. I had him do some of the flying as well as demonstrated some maneuvering flight to him, which he thoroughly enjoyed! To top it off, somewhere around the Rhode Island border, I hit the 1000 hour mark as pilot in command, so a very nice way to celebrate that milesone! (PHOTOS)
In late September, tired of the crazy traffic at Republic Farmingdale Airport everytime I picked up Milton and our long waits for takeoff, I picked up Milton for the first time at Brookhaven Airport (KHWV) near the south shore of Long Island. Even though it’s an untowered airport and has both skydiving and student activity, it’s still so much saner than KFRG.
We decided to just tool around a bit out along the shoreline of Long Island, to Block Island, then to Point Judith and back. Out over Block Island Sound, we spotted a US Navy submarine on the surface, leaving the sub base at Groton, CT. We circled a bit (probably much to the chagrin of the watch officer who we could see keeping an eye on us with large binoculars) and got some cool photos.
After that excitement, we headed back to Brookhaven and enjoyed a great breakfast at the Wings Cafe, the diner on the field at Brookhaven. While we ate, we got to watch skydivers jumping above us and hear the rush of wind in their suits as they fell and then the snap of the parachute canopies opening.
In October, besides a leaf-peeping flight up to the CT Northwest hills (with not much color present except at the edges of dying swamps), the only major flight was a last minute trip up to visit Red’s Eats before they closed for the season. After some confusion over the rental car, my Even Steven worked out and we found a very nice muscle car waiting for us in the parking lot! Red’s did not disappoint and was delicious as usual. The flights were a bit chilly and bumpy, with a significant headwind on the northbound leg (and even some on the southbound leg) with a little bit of cloud flying through the New Hampshire leg.
To finish out the year, I had a discrete animal rescue flight with Dan and Aidan that made for a very fun day of comraderie as well as doing good. I also spent a morning doing instrument approach practice with Milton.
Comments