A warm sunny day and light winds was perfect for our annual Father's Day fly-in/drive-in pancake breakfast!
Monday, June 20, 2016
Monday, May 2, 2016
Flight to Slatington PA and short hike on A.T.
A couple months back I was thinking ahead towards adventures to take when better weather arrived. Looking over topographic maps of the Appalachian Trail I found an airport in Pennsylvania that was about a mile from a trailhead. It was at the Lehigh Water gap at the town of Slatington.
Originally the plan was to fly down then hike along the A.T. to a designated campsite where I would spend the night. The following day I would hike back and either fly home or spend the night in town. However on the dates I had planed for this and taken time off from work, a storm system with rain moved through the northeast.
This time with only the day to do it, this was a scaled back version of the original plan. Fly down, hike, and fly home.
I got an early start and was in the air about 7:30 am. The flight down was smooth in the morning air, but haze made photography difficult from my cruising altitude of 5,500 feet. There was a slight tailwind allowing me to get there in about 1:40.
From the left seat looking east over Binghamton, NY. Sunlight and haze. Returning home in the afternoon the sun would again be on my side looking west. Perhaps I should sit on the other side?
Passing Sky Haven Airport. I would return to this field in the afternoon for fuel.
Originally the plan was to fly down then hike along the A.T. to a designated campsite where I would spend the night. The following day I would hike back and either fly home or spend the night in town. However on the dates I had planed for this and taken time off from work, a storm system with rain moved through the northeast.
This time with only the day to do it, this was a scaled back version of the original plan. Fly down, hike, and fly home.
I got an early start and was in the air about 7:30 am. The flight down was smooth in the morning air, but haze made photography difficult from my cruising altitude of 5,500 feet. There was a slight tailwind allowing me to get there in about 1:40.
On the ground at Slatington Airport. The mechanic based on the field gave me a tour of the facilities and a ride across the runway to a campsite along the river.
Walking along a rail-trail to the Lehigh Gap Nature Center (lgnc.org) and the trailhead for the Appalachian Trail several swallows perched on the fence allowed me to get quite close before taking to the air.
From the rail-trail on the way to the Nature Center. The Appalachian Trail crosses the river on this bridge then returns to the ridge top.
This area was once a Super-Fund site. Pollution from a Zinc smelting operation just downwind of the ridge resulted in toxic and acidic byproducts funneling through the gap killing plant life and leaving the area devoid of any life. Through the efforts of a conservation group considerable progress has been made in revegetating the area which will keep toxins from continuing to wash into the river or be ingested by the returning wildlife.
A view from the top across the gap
The zinc smelting operation in Palmerton
Slatington Airport and the Lehigh Gap
Returning home with 'maybe' enough fuel for the flight back, I stopped in at Sky Haven for about 10 gallons of 100LL. Watching fuel gauges approaching empty seems to take the fun out of flying...
Sky Haven had no fuel, but they did offer a car and gas cans for a ride up the street to a gas station. My other option, which I took, was a 10 minute flight over to Seamons where there was fuel. With a straight out departure I passed over the Tunkhannock Creek Viaduct at Nicholson.
The flight home was uneventful. The small tailwind on the way down, became a headwind slowing my return. Going down was about 1:40, returning 2:20 for a total flight time of 4:00.
Sunday, March 13, 2016
Late Winter / early Spring Flight to Chittenango Falls
A pleasant day with weak sun shining through thickening clouds. With a forecast of rain all week I thought I should get out for a ride while I can...
I spent a little time close to the airport taking pictures before heading east to Chittenange Falls about 30 miles away. With a layer of cirrostratus softening and scattering the sunlight it was a good opportunity to visit this high contrast scene. In past attempts I haven't had good luck here. Dark gorge walls and bright water made for unsatisfying results. Today should be better.
Knowing there was precipitation to the south of me in PA, I zoomed out ForeFlight to see how radar would be displayed.
Nine mile Creek meandering along Gorge Road just south of Camillus. It drains Otisco lake into Onondaga Lake
The town of Camillus
Our new movie theater under construction in Township 5
Onondaga Community College
Syracuse and Onondaga Lake
Another of Syracuse and Onondaga Lake
Chittenango Falls State Park
Course entered back to Marcellus (yes, I am slightly to the left of course...)
A good afternoon. Now I can survive the rain until the next good weather...
The following day I stopped by the falls for some ground shots
Monday, January 25, 2016
Lake Ontario and ADS-B "in" with Raspberry Pi
Finally, an opportunity to try out my $100 ADS-B set-up in the air.
I'm using a Raspberry Pi and USB radio receiver to WiFi data to ForeFlight on my iPad. Though I have been able to see traffic while on the ground, weather can only be picked up once in the air.
I'm not sure how high I was when the signal was first received but leaving the pattern at 800' my screen indicated "1 tower". Even though most of the flight was below 3,000 there was always a signal from between 1 and 3 towers.
Originally, the plan was to fly north along the shore of Lake Ontario to the mouth of the St. Lawrence near Cape Vincent and photograph lighthouses and ice. But, skies remained overcast and hazy with the forecasted clearing today not arriving until after I had landed and put the plane away.
In spite of the clouds and haze, flying up to Ontario was worth it. Along the way I played a bit with the weather and traffic displayed on my tablet, and on Lake Ontario there were some interesting patterns in the ice.
I'm using a Raspberry Pi and USB radio receiver to WiFi data to ForeFlight on my iPad. Though I have been able to see traffic while on the ground, weather can only be picked up once in the air.
I'm not sure how high I was when the signal was first received but leaving the pattern at 800' my screen indicated "1 tower". Even though most of the flight was below 3,000 there was always a signal from between 1 and 3 towers.
Originally, the plan was to fly north along the shore of Lake Ontario to the mouth of the St. Lawrence near Cape Vincent and photograph lighthouses and ice. But, skies remained overcast and hazy with the forecasted clearing today not arriving until after I had landed and put the plane away.
In spite of the clouds and haze, flying up to Ontario was worth it. Along the way I played a bit with the weather and traffic displayed on my tablet, and on Lake Ontario there were some interesting patterns in the ice.
My first look at traffic as I headed to the western corner of Oneida Lake. Here two aircraft are displayed to the east of Syracuse Hancock. One 200 feet above my altitude and another 2,100 feet above.
Zooming out a little later in the flight shows aircraft over Rochester and Utica. Touching an aircrafts' icon opens up a box with more information. Though most of the time I had airports displaying ceiling information, here airport temperatures are being displayed.
For now my unit is only receiving from aircraft transmitting on 978 MHz. Later this week I'll complete the picture and add a second receiver that will bring in 1090 MHz on which most airliners broadcast their information.
Oneida Lake with ice as far as I could see into the haze
A meandering creek near Port Ontario
Port Ontario and dark tannin water flowing into Ontario
Nine Mile Point power station
Ice drawn away from the shoreline by the south winds.
I couldn't get over the size of this repeating pattern made by eddies as ice carried by winds and current moved out into the lake from west of Oswego
Oswego
On the way back I found that tapping on an airport brings up its complete weather information
Onondaga Lake ( for my fellow Yacht Club members )
Marcellus airport and the town beyond.
Mike Murphy (who also belongs to OYC) departing in his Piper Tri-Pacer
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