Weather and work conspired to keep me firmly grounded this past week. But this weekend promised blue skies, light winds, and warmer temperatures -- despite a nagging head cold, I had to fly.
I arrived at the airport at 7:40, checked the heater, opened the doors, and watches the sky slowly transition from night to day. Preflight, push, chock, start, climb in, taxi....
Runup, check controls, trim, doors, seatbelts -- good. Centerline, brakes, full power, all good, release. Soon I was climbing out, once again enjoying the view from up here.
Lancaster County was covered in a thin veil of haze in some spots, but up here 1000' above the ground the air was clear and cool. I pointed the nose southwest and noticed the ground passing underneath at a glacial pace -- a check on the GPS revealed a ground speed of 53.6 MPH. Airspeed is indicated 80, so I'm fighting a 30 MPH headwind. Oh well, I'm in no hurry...
This is the sort of day that will make the planned trip to visit Mom and Dad in Northern NY a breeze -- a 30-40 tailwind and clear skies would shorten the trip to 4 hours -- or less! In no wind conditions it's a 5 hour flight. Or rather 5 hours total flying time with a couple of landings along the way to refuel and uncramp.
I level off, pull back the throttle to 2350 and enjoy the view. It's a spectacular January day. There's enough green below to avoid the grey tedium of winter that envelops other areas. I notice an Amish farmer driving a team over a field, trucks driving down farm lanes -- even a person running on the track at L-S High School.
I climb a bit to avoid the bumps down low (a southerly flow will be disturbed as it rolls over the ridges along either side of the Susquehanna). Ahead is Mount Joy. I nose back down and do some orbits over home. Janet is outside in her white sweater. I wave then waggle the wings and head towards the small grass field just east of here. I do a low pass and enjoy the sensation of speed.
I tune Lancaster Tower into the handheld in case I graze the Class D on the way back. I hear a Grumman request permission to land from 10 miles out. The Tower replied to report base for Runway 8. I remained clear of the airspace but stayed on the frequency to hear this exchange:
My guess is the pilot wasn't looking out the window and was instead staring at the tiny screen on the panel.
45 minutes have passed and I need to head back. The new heading results in a 100 MPH groundspeed -- nice. I fly over downtown Lancaster that seems quiet and still. Soon Smoketown is in sight. Reduce power, join the left downwind, set trim, announce, roll onto base, then final. set up for a nice easy glide to the grass. I pick a closer aim point and it helps -- I touch down within a few feet of where I planned with the wheels barely rumbling -- nice.
I taxi back, wipe down, put everything away and drive home, wondering why our time in the sky is so brief.
I arrived at the airport at 7:40, checked the heater, opened the doors, and watches the sky slowly transition from night to day. Preflight, push, chock, start, climb in, taxi....
Runup, check controls, trim, doors, seatbelts -- good. Centerline, brakes, full power, all good, release. Soon I was climbing out, once again enjoying the view from up here.
Lancaster County was covered in a thin veil of haze in some spots, but up here 1000' above the ground the air was clear and cool. I pointed the nose southwest and noticed the ground passing underneath at a glacial pace -- a check on the GPS revealed a ground speed of 53.6 MPH. Airspeed is indicated 80, so I'm fighting a 30 MPH headwind. Oh well, I'm in no hurry...
This is the sort of day that will make the planned trip to visit Mom and Dad in Northern NY a breeze -- a 30-40 tailwind and clear skies would shorten the trip to 4 hours -- or less! In no wind conditions it's a 5 hour flight. Or rather 5 hours total flying time with a couple of landings along the way to refuel and uncramp.
I level off, pull back the throttle to 2350 and enjoy the view. It's a spectacular January day. There's enough green below to avoid the grey tedium of winter that envelops other areas. I notice an Amish farmer driving a team over a field, trucks driving down farm lanes -- even a person running on the track at L-S High School.
 |
| Somewhere West of Lancaster |
I climb a bit to avoid the bumps down low (a southerly flow will be disturbed as it rolls over the ridges along either side of the Susquehanna). Ahead is Mount Joy. I nose back down and do some orbits over home. Janet is outside in her white sweater. I wave then waggle the wings and head towards the small grass field just east of here. I do a low pass and enjoy the sensation of speed.
I tune Lancaster Tower into the handheld in case I graze the Class D on the way back. I hear a Grumman request permission to land from 10 miles out. The Tower replied to report base for Runway 8. I remained clear of the airspace but stayed on the frequency to hear this exchange:
LNS TWR: "Grumman 1234, Can you see the field?"
GRUMMAN: "Yes, we have it on the nav..."
LNS TWR: "Grumman 1234, The field is behind you..."
Pause....
GRUMMAN: "Oh. What do you want us o do?"
Pause...
LNS TWR: "Grumman 1234, enter a left downwind for Runway 8..."
My guess is the pilot wasn't looking out the window and was instead staring at the tiny screen on the panel.
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| Our apartment complex, The Crest at Elm Tree. Janet is down there somewhere... |
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| Mount Joy, PA (looking west) |
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| Farmland south of Mount Joy |
45 minutes have passed and I need to head back. The new heading results in a 100 MPH groundspeed -- nice. I fly over downtown Lancaster that seems quiet and still. Soon Smoketown is in sight. Reduce power, join the left downwind, set trim, announce, roll onto base, then final. set up for a nice easy glide to the grass. I pick a closer aim point and it helps -- I touch down within a few feet of where I planned with the wheels barely rumbling -- nice.
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| Smoketown Airport from midfield left downwind, 28 |
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