Flight with Phil in his Cessna 140 to Laconia, NH

Phil invited me along for a flight up to Laconia, NH. Originally we had planned on landing on the ice runway at Alton Bay on Lake Winnipesaukee. However recent rains and mild temperatures opened up water along the shoreline forcing the closing of this seasonal landing strip.

Pre-heating the engine on a frosty morning.


Readying radios, GPS and other equipment for the flight.


On take off climb the 115 HP engine gave us a strong climb even with full fuel.


Clear skies and good visibility enabled us to almost see our destination hundreds or miles distant. At 9,500' there was a moderate north wind that cut our ground speed at bit both directions.


After parking and tying down at Laconia, Phil's sister met and then joined us for lunch at a local resturaunt.


Back in the air, we photographed some property in the vicinity of the Laconia Airport.


From the south looking across the village of Alton Bay, Lake Winnisesaukee and beyond to a cloud capped Mt Washington.


As a child I had stayed somewhere along here with my grandparents. (almost 50 years ago!)


Though the ice runway was closed, we made an approach and low pass over the runway.


We flew around the shoreline of the lake towards Laconia. (keeping a safe distance from people and structures)


The ice may not have been good for airplanes, but ice fishermen and ice kite skiers were making good use of it.


Wing struts with a shallow depth of field


Me


Phil with the setting sun on his face


I don't know... Thought this looked interesting :-)


On final runway 35 at Hamilton.


Phils Cessna 140. Such a nice plane. I want one.

First flight of 2010

On the coldest day of the year yet Jeff invited me out for a ride in the Lambada. I was unable to met him until noon so he went up for a ride and was landing to pick me up just as I arrived.


I always try to get a picture of Otisco Lake for Kate. A few years ago I was able to kayak until the end of January on this lake.


There was a west wind blowing across the hills between the lakes and these clouds had the look of some light wave action down low.


Lake Ontario was covered in lake effect clouds and showers. Snow showers we trailing off to the east over the Tug Hill Plateau and beyond.


A short climb to warm the engine and deliver a little heat to our feet.


Returning to Skaneateles we saw Bill Volcko taxiing his Challenger II towards the runway. We contacted him on the radio and connected up for some air-to-air photos...










Town of Skaneateles.


Jeff let the plane descend "hands off" to explore its stability. With the engine off, prop feathered and spoilers open we settled into an 800 FPM descent in a gentle spiral.

Inspection Day '09

First, I would like to welcome 2 new members to our club. Steve and Vince Cusumano. Both were out Saturday to help with preparing the club ships for inspection.


With the tow plane, 3 club gliders and 5 private ships assembled and ready for inspection, Dave Jones went right down the line and checked all our ships.



From near to far. Don w/ Russia; Jeff w/Cirrus; George's Libelle.


David Jones CCaviators


I love the smell of Jet fuel...


With the inspection complete. Jeff Shingleton and Danny Guido decided to fly. With changeable conditions timing was everything. Unfortunately for Danny in the club L-33 a shower moved through the area just as he was towed up.

Jeff launched later in his Club Libelle and found good lift.
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From Jeff,

I did get a nice appx 2 hour flight in after inspections were complete. I launched at around 3:00 into low gray skies with scattered rain. I probably would not have flown under normal circumstances, but had decided that I would be DARNED if I was going to rig the glider (for the inspection) and NOT fly. So with a feeling of resignation and anticipating a short flight, I launched behind Jay and Ames in 18L.

Jay took me to near cloudbase of 3500’ over the village, where I released into zero sink. Promising! Well, in 20 minutes I managed to lose 1000’, and was prepared to maneuver for pattern entry, when I finally kinda figured out the lift, and made a connection to 1 kt going up. There was not much wind so it seemed I was grinding away in the same spot SW of the airfield for twenty more minutes. I finally made release altitude and cloudbase. Whoopee! In fact I could net get over 3900’ the entire flight. Cloudbase varied between 3000’ and 3900’. The clouds were raggedy, and most of the good lift was around the cloudbase perimeter. The center of the cloudbase actually had sink, there was so much moisture in the clouds. And where the lift was working, there was definite cloudsuck going on. At one point, I was going 100kts in a 45 degree bank in a big sweeping circle around the cloud perimeter, and was being sucked up into the cloud. During the worst of that, I looked over my shoulder and 80’ above me, in the cloud, was a turkey vulture, circling. I think that he was lost, because no way could he see the ground. One minute later, as I darted in and out of the cloud, there was the vulture 50’ below me. He too had found a way out of the cloud.

Jay’s and Danny’s advice was good – Get high and stay high! That was the ONLY place today that there was any lift.



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Interesting skies...

Is this wave?




Danny, Amy and Don



A couple hours later Jeff returns

Jeff pulling up into the pattern




All this and pizza afterwards!

A beautiful day! Jeff and I flew up to Rose, NY (just south of Sodus Bay) for breakfast at the EAA1017 annual fly-in before cruising over to Hamilton for the afternoon.

We had a good turn out of members and 2 rides flown by Jeff K in the clubs' 2-33.




Randy Baker, one of our CFIGs rode in on an electric bike and allowed anyone interested to take it for a spin.


Greg Natke showed his "green" side by bringing his Army truck to the field. It also serves as mobile bleachers and I imagine could tow all the gliders to the staging point in one trip.


Brett took up the club L-33




Jeff launched in the Lambada right behind Jay in his ASW-15b, then returned to pick me up for some air to air photos. Unfortunately Brett found only sink and was in the pattern before we could join up with him. Jay headed W and we passed below him on his return from the Tully area.


We found pretty good lift and managed to climb up to cloud base with the engine off before turning west towards Skaneateles. Hamilton is visible just to the left of the nose.


When we were just west of Hamilton a call came on the radio from a Guard C-130 that it would be transitioning the Hamilton area at 500'. Shortly afterwards we spotted it below moving fast.


Most of the flight back was made with the engine idling. If we weren't headed upwind we might have been able to soar the entire distance. Looking north some large buildups could be seen in the distance near Canada.

Flight to visit the Pitcairns

Jeff and I flew down to Vansant Airport near Allentown, PA then a couple miles south to the Pitcairn's airport to meet another Lambada owner and compare possible structural changes to the Lambada.

Along the way our traffic watching was aided by this little device that watches for transponder signals from nearby aircraft. It compares the broadcast altitude from an encoding transponder to its own pressure altitude to determine how far above or below it is. The signal strength is used to calculate distance. Until the nearby aircraft is spotted it feel like something out of a scary movie, you know something is approaching but you can't see it...


Two Lambadas.


Lauren Pitcairn and his son David. A very interesting family history. Pittsburgh Plate Glass; Pitcairn Aircraft
Family History
John Pitcairn


Looking for any difference in construction.


As we were leaving David fired up the Stearman for some air-to-air photography.






Some interesting cloudscapes returning to CNY.




Approaching Skaneateles, we spotted Jim Murphy departing Frozen Ocean and were treated to a brief fly-by of his newly built RV