Diversion Flying

No, I wasn’t flying to divert my attention from a writing project. My flying was diverted because the weather at the intended destination deteriorated and the wise thing to do was return to home base. As you can see from the photo above, the Susquehanna River has some ice and nearby Penn Valley Airport (Selinsgrove, PA) is surrounded by snow.

The airport is the dark strip of asphalt in the left side of the frame. Here’s a closer shot.

I landed there for a little break then took off, heading west for State College, but the ceiling got low. Hence, the diversion. I turned around and headed to Schuylkill County’s Joe Zerby Field. There I took another break before flying further south. On the way, I passed Reading’s Airport. It’s plenty big to accommodate all manner of flying machines. Take a look.

Reading is a controlled field, which means they have a tower with controllers directing traffic. I had no need to trouble them as I had plenty of fuel, knew where I was and where I was going. Hence, back to home base. Better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air then in the air wishing you were on the ground.

Published in: on January 18, 2011 at 3:42 pm  Leave a Comment  
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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!

Published in: on May 26, 2010 at 5:06 pm  Leave a Comment  
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