I flew the Cessna 205 back to its home in Connellsville, PA (KVVS) yesterday. I had to wait for the fog to clear before I took off from the lonely Donegal Springs Airport (N71) which is a mere 4 miles from our place in Mount Joy.
Donegal Springs looks like an airplane graveyard -- there are more airplane carcasses falling apart amid weeds then there are flyable types. The hangars are in terrible shape -- several have doors permanently open with all sorts of rusting trash laying about. The runway is clear but the markings are gone. There has been no surface treatment in a very long time. I counted four airplanes that looked like they might be flyable. The rusting fuel pumps have a twin parked in front. Several aerostars site on flat tires around what looked like an FBO.
There are a few trailers next to the parking area that have a sign for the Donegal Springs Skydivers Club. I don't thin there's been a jump in a couple of decades.
I've flown in a couple of times and it's a nice enough strip -- clear approach either end, with the first half of runway 10 slightly downhill. Too bad there's nothing else to recommend the field except proximity.
Anyway, I bid adieu to this sad little airfield and climbed to 4500'. I requested advisories from Harrisburg Approach and stayed with them until I cleared Blue Mountain. They gave me a switch to Johnstown but I was too low and too far to make contact.I tried a couple of times and then just switched back to 1200 and descended to ridge skimming altitude.
I had a conference call at 1130 so I landed at Bedford (KHMZ), parked, and set up on the lone picnic table near the ramp. It was warm enough to conduct my meeting outside with cell phone and wifi provided by the FBO.
I launched an hour later and now the air was rougher. I followed the Turnpike for a while, then turned left at Somerset towards Connellsville. I've done the flight enough times to know a straight shot to Seven Springs then the next to the gap in the ridge formed by the Youghigheny would take me right to the airport. I was high (as I usually am to clear the ridge), slowed to 100 MPH, dropped 20 degrees of flaps, and slipped a bit to reach pattern altitude. I turned final and had a nice gentle landing on runway 23.
I put the airplane away with Bill's help. We wiped off the bugs and loaded up and headed to Dairy Queen for some fast food.
It looks like he has a motivated buyer for 8104Z, and though I'm sad to see her go I'm happy that Bill can finally sell her. He hasn't flown much the past year and hangar fees, insurance, annuals, subscriptions and the rest can add up quickly.
I had to go pick up the trailer from U-haul so headed off to Hopwood where the process took four times longer than necessary. Finally I was able to hook up and roll out 45 minutes later. I drove straight to Waynesburg where I planned to do 1/2 the loading, park the trailer in the hangar, and finish loading Saturday. But there was no way to unhitch the trailer solo with all the weight in it, so I committed to loading the rest of the stored items boxes.
I checked in on John and saw my engine back on its mounts on 24286. He was looking for a few parts so he could finish. I didn't have them in the hangar (he later called to tell me he found them). The annual should be complete Sunday and I should be able to fly it home anytime after Monday, weather permitting.
He said some of the valve clearances were way out of spec. So with the valves adjusted to book spec and the new head gaskets preventing blow-by I should have a smoother running, more powerful engine -- and every additional horse is welcome when you only have 65 to start with!
We also replaced all the pushrod tube seals (which was the cause of the nuisance oil leak).So I'm looking forward to flying behind an engine that has essentially had a top overhaul completed.
Donegal Springs looks like an airplane graveyard -- there are more airplane carcasses falling apart amid weeds then there are flyable types. The hangars are in terrible shape -- several have doors permanently open with all sorts of rusting trash laying about. The runway is clear but the markings are gone. There has been no surface treatment in a very long time. I counted four airplanes that looked like they might be flyable. The rusting fuel pumps have a twin parked in front. Several aerostars site on flat tires around what looked like an FBO.
There are a few trailers next to the parking area that have a sign for the Donegal Springs Skydivers Club. I don't thin there's been a jump in a couple of decades.
I've flown in a couple of times and it's a nice enough strip -- clear approach either end, with the first half of runway 10 slightly downhill. Too bad there's nothing else to recommend the field except proximity.
Anyway, I bid adieu to this sad little airfield and climbed to 4500'. I requested advisories from Harrisburg Approach and stayed with them until I cleared Blue Mountain. They gave me a switch to Johnstown but I was too low and too far to make contact.I tried a couple of times and then just switched back to 1200 and descended to ridge skimming altitude.
 |
| Three Mile Island behind the strut, Harrisburg Airport (KMDT) in front |
 |
| Three Mile Island, Susquehanna River |
I launched an hour later and now the air was rougher. I followed the Turnpike for a while, then turned left at Somerset towards Connellsville. I've done the flight enough times to know a straight shot to Seven Springs then the next to the gap in the ridge formed by the Youghigheny would take me right to the airport. I was high (as I usually am to clear the ridge), slowed to 100 MPH, dropped 20 degrees of flaps, and slipped a bit to reach pattern altitude. I turned final and had a nice gentle landing on runway 23.
 |
| Endless Ridges seen from 4500' somewhere near Shippensburg, PA (Looking west) |
 |
| Somerset, Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Turnpike |
I put the airplane away with Bill's help. We wiped off the bugs and loaded up and headed to Dairy Queen for some fast food.
It looks like he has a motivated buyer for 8104Z, and though I'm sad to see her go I'm happy that Bill can finally sell her. He hasn't flown much the past year and hangar fees, insurance, annuals, subscriptions and the rest can add up quickly.
I had to go pick up the trailer from U-haul so headed off to Hopwood where the process took four times longer than necessary. Finally I was able to hook up and roll out 45 minutes later. I drove straight to Waynesburg where I planned to do 1/2 the loading, park the trailer in the hangar, and finish loading Saturday. But there was no way to unhitch the trailer solo with all the weight in it, so I committed to loading the rest of the stored items boxes.
I checked in on John and saw my engine back on its mounts on 24286. He was looking for a few parts so he could finish. I didn't have them in the hangar (he later called to tell me he found them). The annual should be complete Sunday and I should be able to fly it home anytime after Monday, weather permitting.
He said some of the valve clearances were way out of spec. So with the valves adjusted to book spec and the new head gaskets preventing blow-by I should have a smoother running, more powerful engine -- and every additional horse is welcome when you only have 65 to start with!
We also replaced all the pushrod tube seals (which was the cause of the nuisance oil leak).So I'm looking forward to flying behind an engine that has essentially had a top overhaul completed.
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