Flight 99

07-01-00

C172

N07-N12-N07


2.0 solo; 2 landings

"BEAUTIFUL DAY!! took Kerin for a ride- xwind at N12 (5-10 kts); best vis. in this area in a long time!"


SCT CUM 5000
@75F, dry, breezy- beautiful!

Last night I mentioned to Kerin, Lyell's friend who's moved into the loft for awhile, that I'd be flying this morning, and she accepts my offer to let her tag along.
I'm not worried about her being sick or scared, even if it might be bumpy- she's been sailing for years,and has endured some dubious island-hopper flights in the Caribbean.

I've been investigating a flying club found on the internet; their next meeting, which I plan to attend, is at Lakewwod Airport, one of their bases of operations. So I decide to go have a look at the approaches there,as they keep their only 172 there, and I intend to be flying it quite often, very soon.

I explain the risks of a Hudson VFR corridor shortcut to my intended destination, and she's game. I like Kerin.

The weather is grand. The horizon, as we ascend, is crisp, and the sky is a dreamlike blue punctuated with harmless puffs of cloud.

Perfect.

Kerin kicks her shoes off and is no doubt enjoying the feel of (25L's) cheap carpeting on her bare feet as I  take her down the river, a relaxed hand on the tiller. New York sprawls before us, basking, seemingly relaxed. What a fine day!

Once abeam Liberty State Park I relax even more, especially because I'm about to try my new strategy for getting between the VOR exclusion and Sandy Hook.

After Governor's Island I veer east, keeping close enough to Brooklyn to make the BQE if need be, or a park. The shore itself is very rocky, and the thought of ditching in the foul depths of the East River is most unpleasant indeed.

Once over my former home in Seagate, I make an earnest beeline for the very tip of the Hook.

It's pushing it a bit to cross these miles of water in a 172 at less than 1500 feet, but I've come to  believe that in the event of engine failure here, what would screw me up would not be the planes' inability to glide the necessary distance from the halfway point (barely 3 miles), but my failure to establish the best glide on the right heading. I just have to be precise. I'm running the emergency checklist through my head as I ask K. if she understands and is still willing.

She does and is, and it turns out fine. Soon we're on an easy course following the breakers on the Hook's lovely, wide, flat, firm beach.

I'm now clear to climb to 3000 if I want to. I'm tempted to stay low, relying on the vast expanse of flat open ground, but I decide to wait for the return leg to try that. Level, trimmed and leaned at 3000, K. and I chat and take pictures. Sharing the fun and challenges of flight is greatly magnified by having someone to share them with.

Over the bridge at Manasquan,I realize my planned right turn here was well-chosen. The field is in sight. I'll make a wide, high approach and circle down to a downwind.

  The air is a little burbly below the treeline, but we touch down pretty cleanly, park 15L, and step out into the parking lot for a cigarette. K. leaves her shoes in the plane; she's quite at ease and is obviously enjoying this little outing.

We stay only a few more minutes, then off we go.

  Climbing out, I think of a banner-towing crash I'd heard about- a pilot met his end quickly and with no mercy on the very runway receding behind me. The thought evaporates in the glowing summer sky as we head back towards the beach.

Under these conditions, it's easy to slip 15L down to about 500 above the breakers. We pass a banner plane going the other way. It's a 180 with its cowling removed, fighting along with a huge banner strung out behind it.

I divert for a minute to climb and circle above Spermaceti Cove to get a good look at a couple of magnificent sailing ships anchored there in preparation for OpSail 2000, which will take place in three days, on Independence Day.

Over the harbor we pass a Marine strike vessel with Harriers and helicopters on the deck. I think of how awesome it would be to patrol this corridor during the great gathering of ships, but there will also be a great gathering of military aircraft, so the airspace will be closed.

The rest of the trip is by rote:
Left at the GWB, beeline to Paterson, descent towards the water towers, and soon we're rolling out after a good landing on 01 at N07.

I thank Miss Jones for being such good company, and she thanks me with a wad of cash- her share of the expenses. All-righty, then...