Coastal Flying

Back in February, I took a nice flight to Cape May, NJ, right before a snowstorm. I decided to retrace that flight and add another leg to it along the coast. Therefore, I flew to Cape May then turned north, skirting the New Jersey beaches all the way to Monmouth County Executive Airport. Since we’ve already seen photos of Cape May’s airport. Take a look at Atlantic City International as seen from 3500 feet.

As you can see, there’s plenty of runway over there in the haze. Atlantic City also has approach controllers, which is a handy feature for those of us flying under visual flight rules. We call them on the radio, give them our tail number, and if they have resources available, the approach controller will provide what is known as “flight following.” In this case, they give you a discrete code for your transponder and they keep an eye on your progress through their airspace. They provide traffic advisors which makes it easier to see the other guy, especially in conditions like today, when it was hazy.

Well, looking out the other side of the plane, you can see Atlantic City itself. Check it out.

Poor folks down there dumping money into the casino. Or, maybe they’re on the beach. Moving right along, the next photo shows Barnegate Inlet. The lighthouse stands on the south side. I’ve been in and out of there on boats a few times.

All in all this was a terrific flight. The Cessna 172 performed well, the weather cooperated, and while there were plenty of other planes in the air, none of us got in each other’s way. And how about that view!