Summer Flying in the Northeast

Joe

Well-Known Member
I started building time (and character) towards the commercial this past summer, and my camera is just as much a part of my flight bag as my kneeboard and headset. I've posted plenty of ramp shots here, so I figured I'd post some taken while flying for a change.

I apologize for the length of the post; there's 38 photos and I probably should've started posting them sooner. To answer the inevitable, these were taken with a Canon PowerShot S3 IS; there's more (plus my OQU ramp shots) at my flickr page. I've also got some YouTube videos which I'll post in that forum.

These first four are from my second time flying in over a year. I did a cross-country from Providence, RI (PVD) to White Plains, NY (HPN) with my instructor to help get back in the swing of things as well as get a taste of the New York Class B:


Flying over a scattered layer 6,500 feet over south-western Rhode Island, heading towards Long Island.


Flying over the eventually-to-be-demolished Shea Stadium and the soon-to-be-completed Citi Field. One is named after the man who brought National League baseball back to New York, the other is named after a financial services corporation paying $20 million a year for the naming rights.


La Guardia (LGA) as seen from 6,500 feet. A US Airways flight is departing Runway 31 (between the 500' and 1,000' markers) while another aircraft is rolling out on Runway 22.


Looking south over Central Park in New York at 6,000 feet.
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This next batch is from a solo cross-country from PVD to Lawrence, MA (LWM), which is just north of BOS. Excellent visibility this day:


Flying over BED at 3,500 feet.


Flying along the Merrimack River while descending into LWM. It's not this green any more...


A left crosswind departure from LWM's Runway 32.


Level at 2,800 feet flying along I-95 outside of Boston, staying below the Class B airspace. I-90 can be seen leading the way into the city.


Flying south of the city of Providence.
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A few from the return trip to PVD from Hyannis, MA (HYA):


Cessna 152 Chickenhawk instrument panel. No NAV radio in this one; but a rudimentary GPS in its place. I liked the digital oil temperature and pressure gauges though.


New Bedford, MA (EWB).


Entering a left downwind for Runway 16 at PVD while a Southwest 737 prepares to depart Runway 23. There is also some construction going on; Taxiway M is being extended south to Taxiway S (or vice versa).
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I had to replace my work boots because the toes were worn out and the steel was exposed (OQU's concrete ramp is murder on shoes). I had my eye on these Timberlands with a rubber cap over the toe, but the only store around that had them happened to be just over 50 NM away, a mile down the road from the Fitchburg (FIT) Airport in MA. The FBO let me borrow the courtesy car, and I was back in the air in less than an hour. Since I had the airplane for 5 hours, I made the most of it and continued to Plainville, CT (4B8) before returning to PVD:


Flying east of Mount Wachusett while descending into FIT.


Flying over Worcester, MA (ORH) at 4,500 feet enroute from FIT to 4B8.


Staying above these cumulus clouds and their associated turbulence below them.


A pair of 1,339' towers (2,049' MSL) on a hill just one or two miles east of 4B8.
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Here's a bunch from my loooooong (as in 250+ n.m. long) solo cross-country. Initially planned on PVD - Harrisburg, PA (CXY) - Trenton, NJ (TTN) - PVD (with a trip up the Hudson corridor on the way back), but my bladder had other intentions, requiring a divert to Morristown, NJ (MMU) on the way out:


I started with marginal ceilings over PVD, but it was clear not too far to the west. This is the Thames River in CT, along with the Mohegan Sun casino.


Closer view of Mohegan Sun.


Level at 6,500 feet over southwestern Connecticut, with a few clouds a few thousand feet below me.


More clouds over southwestern Connecticut. The Hudson River can sort of be seen through them.


Flying over the Kensico Reservoir and Rye Lake in Valhalla, NY, which is about 3 miles north of White Plains. HPN can be seen in the lower right corner.


Looking south while crossing the Hudson River at 6,500 feet. The George Washington Bridge can be seen linking New York and New Jersey, and Manhattan is in the distance. Also notice how the cumulus clouds only form over land, particularly on the left, where the city asphalt, concrete, and buildings radiate heat more easily.


Looking southeast over northern New Jersey. TEB is visible to the south of I-80, with the Hackensack and Hudson Rivers to the east.


Flying over Caldwell, NJ (CDW) at 6,500 feet, shortly before diverting to MMU.


The Chickenhawk parked in front of the tower at MMU.


Flying past the Allentown Queen City Airport (JVU) at 4,500 feet.


Reading, PA (RDG).


The sky gradually became more overcast and visibility started to come down over rural PA.


You'd think they were splitting atoms or something down there but it's actually a coal-burning plant. It sits adjacent to the Delaware River, which serves as the border between Pennsylvania (on the left) and New Jersey (on the right).


Flying over the Hudson River again, this time at 3,500 feet. It felt like I was on the home stretch on this point, even though I was just over halfway back and still had over an hour to go.


Passing north of HPN.


Approaching a rainbow just west of the Connecticut River. This was probably one of the coolest things I've seen while flying.


Flight Watch wasn't reporting any precipitation between myself and PVD, but you can't make rainbows without... well, rain. I passed through this light shower pretty quickly but had to slowly descend as I made my way east to stay below the clouds.
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And finally, a solo cross-country from PVD to Keene, NH (EEN). I took a Cessna 172R this time... It's always fun to be flying an airplane built in the past decade, let alone during my lifetime. Triple-digit airspeeds are nice, too. However, after having spent the summer in a C152, I felt like I cheated by using the GPS and autopilot:


Cessna 172R instrument panel.


Flying past ORH again.


Flying about 5 NM south of Mount Monadnock in Jaffrey, NH, while descending to land at EEN.


Flying over a scattered layer at 7,500 feet enroute from EEN to PVD.

Thanks for looking!
 
I've got the YouTube videos posted here now.

Did anyone go to keep you company?
Unfortunately, no. While the long one had to be solo; looking back it would have been nice to take people along on the others.

Looks like you've had some fine flying weather...
It's been pretty good, although back in late June/early July it seemed like I had my fair share of weather-related cancellations. Cape Cod had been fogged in for a while; it took me forever before I could head out that way.
 
Wow! Awesome shots man! I've got a suggestion...next summer/spring...make the stop in Jaffrey, walk down the hill to Kimball Farms right by the airport. Ice Cream & Lobster Rolls. Period. Great fly-in location, though watch for the guy who runs AFN, he likes to play control tower and makes his point by blocking the runway with his fuel truck.
 
Wow! Awesome shots man! I've got a suggestion...next summer/spring...make the stop in Jaffrey, walk down the hill to Kimball Farms right by the airport. Ice Cream & Lobster Rolls. Period. Great fly-in location, though watch for the guy who runs AFN, he likes to play control tower and makes his point by blocking the runway with his fuel truck.

Yeah people have been complaining about Harvey for years, but it's "his" airport. If pushed he will remind you of that fact.
 
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And finally, a solo cross-country from PVD to Keene, NH (EEN). I took a Cessna 172R this time... It's always fun to be flying an airplane built in the past decade, let alone during my lifetime. Triple-digit airspeeds are nice, too. However, after having spent the summer in a C152, I felt like I cheated by using the GPS and autopilot:


Cessna 172R instrument panel.

That plane looks familiar. Oh wait... it's the on that's supposed to be at the OWD location. Anyways, who's your instructor down at PVD?
 
That plane looks familiar. Oh wait... it's the on that's supposed to be at the OWD location. Anyways, who's your instructor down at PVD?
Yeah, it seems to have switched places with 172SJ. I'm currently flying with Vikki, working on the CFI while wrapping up my hours for the commercial.

all that NE flying and yet another flyer who didnt make it to ACK.... we dont bite I swear
One of these days I'll make it out there... is that miniature golf course still by the airport? J.J. Clamps I think it was? Was that walking distance? Also, I think I read that Hutch's closed, is there another restaurant on the field?
 


What a small world...

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