J3 Cub, around the patch, video

I’ve always wanted to fly in the venerable Piper J3 Cub. This is a legendary aircraft, an original, an icon. No doubt thousands of people learned to fly in this type of plane. Fortunately, there’s a couple of nice guys at my local airport who own them. While working on another video project from the air, I managed to get a few minutes of stick time in this plane. Take a look at the video of us flying around Brandywine Airport (KOQN).

An absolute joy to fly in the J3. It’s aviation at its most simple. The basic instruments, controls, and machinery. More than that, you don’t need. Plus, flying with the old stick and rudder forces you to be a good pilot, controlling the aircraft properly all the way from the hangar and back. Special thanks to Dave Nelson for taking me for a ride in his bird. By the way, most of the camera work you saw was done with a GoPro Hero 2. The shot in the middle of the runway was with a Canon XF100.

Published in: on October 25, 2012 at 12:50 am  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Fall Foliage Final, photo

Here’s a fall foliage final approach photo from my flight this morning. This was heading in to Runway 29 at Chester County Airport (KMQS).

Final approach to 29 at KMQS.

It was a great morning to go flying. Smooth air, no traffic, friendly controllers, and the Diamond DA-40 was flying well. Then the weather came in from the northwest and I had to head back. Still, the leaves were spectacular and great to view from up in the air.

Published in: on October 23, 2012 at 5:04 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Snacks at Nectar

Nectar (located in Berwyn, PA, USA) offers great food, atmosphere, and people watching. Thus, I like to stop in there at random times to spur the imagination and satisfy a culinary craving. The latest excursion was for drinks and snacks as you’ll see here, beginning with the dim sum sampler for two:

Dim Sum for Two at Nectar.

Amazing flavors there. Clockwise from upper left, you have the fried dumpling, spring roll,  pork pot sticker dumplings, edamame dumplings. The drink backing the platter was a berry martini (not consumed by me because you know I’m a strictly whiskey imbiber). Then we moved on to some lobster ravioli that you see next:

Lobster ravioli at Nectar.

Very, very good. It’s hard to have just one order of them. Then, just to pack things down, I went with the steamed pork rolls. This is a very creative dish. A slice of pork cooked exactly right with a sort of hoisin sauce, tucked inside a steamed roll. The roll has a consistency I’ve never had before: smooth inside with a firm outside but no “crust” like area. Take a look:

Steamed pork rolls at Nectar.

Wow. So there you have it. Another pleasant foray into food fun at Nectar. Well-made drinks here, too, and a staff that knows what they’re doing. This place gets it right every time.

Published in: on October 21, 2012 at 10:54 am  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A return to Republic, lunch

Republic serves a quick (if noisy) lunch at their place on New York City’s Union Square. I’ve been stopping in here for years and have never been disappointed. They have those giant noodle dishes as well as a selection of others over rice, which are more to my liking. Here’s a look at the fried wonton appetizer:

Fried wontons at Republic.

That’s a great way to start the meal. The sauce is tangy with lots of flavor and just a touch of heat. And those wontons are packed with diced stuff that will get your taste buds excited. Moving on to the main course, I went with the grilled pork chop over “broken rice,” which is how the menu describes it. Take a look:

Grilled pork chop at Republic.

That’s a tasty bowl full of goodness. The portion seems a little small, but with the appetizer, it’s the perfect amount. Seating at this joint is a little crowded, giving you the opportunity to eaves drop or meet new people. Enjoy every meal!

Published in: on October 19, 2012 at 10:01 am  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »