Another new pilot recruited

BobS

BobS

Pre-Flight
Joined
May 24, 2005
Messages
49
Location
New York
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Display name:
BobS
Yesterday was one of those rare summer days in the northeast, unlimited visibility, warm, no clouds. I had colleagues visiting from Boston with whom I had made plans to meet for dinner near my office in New York. They were staying in White Plains, right near where my Arrow is parked when I'm working here. I suggested I take them out in my plane for dinner.

I was going to do the Hudson River flyway, a spectacular trip below 1100 feet along New York and NJ skylines; it's always a crowd pleaser. I lined them up for the trip and got my briefing, only to find out that there was a home Yankees game (I'm not a fan) and the VFR flyway would be closed.

We headed north to Columbia County, 1B1, where I knew there'd be an open restaurant. Little did I know that one of the guys had dreamed about flying since he was a kid but had never been in the front seat of any airplane. He flew course and altitude like an ATP because he's logged more hours with MS Flight Stimulator than I have in Cherokees. They all loved following the busy ATC chatter from White Plains, New York Center, and Albany Approach. After dinner it was pitch black as we tried to find the gap in the fence to get back into the tiedown. They couldn't believe we could just be walking around an empty airport with nothing but stars above. Boy were they surprised when we got in the plane and I clicked on the airport lights.

The same guy flew back, and his face was cramping from grinning. As they drove me back to the subway he pumped me for details about becoming a pilot, and is committed to joinng our ranks of hopeless addicts. I feel a little like a pusher, offering "the first one's free," but I think we got another member of our cult.
 
Great! Columbia county is great. Where on the field are you @ HPN? I am at DXR and HPN. The ATC at HPN is great, and I run an ATC feed for it (see signature) The tower chief is great! Pat, who is a supervisor is also very sharp.
 
HPN reply

HPNPilot1200 said:
Great! Columbia county is great. Where on the field are you @ HPN? I am at DXR and HPN. The ATC at HPN is great, and I run an ATC feed for it (see signature) The tower chief is great! Pat, who is a supervisor is also very sharp.
Click to expand...

I am actually based in Glens Falls, KGFL, but I spend about three days a week as a regular transient at Westair. Where do you park when you're at HPN?

I agree with you about the local controllers--they are the best; they juggle traffic loads that other sectors would choke on and they almost always take on VFR when they can. In addition to the audio feed, have you seen http://www.westchestergov.com/airport/radar_flight_tracking_system.htm
Click on the link at the bottom.

this system is available for other airports at: http://www.passur.com/sites.htm
 
Bob, that is great news. To continue the drug analogy, have you given any thought to how you are to support his new habit?

I finally got my younger brother to do more than jaw about his desire to learn how to fly. We are several hundred miles distant and he is currently involved in a messy divorce. Plus he is in his last year of acquiring his teaching credential. Yeah, he's busy. Still, I need to continue not so much to push, but keep the fire lit.

I've sent him the Jepp Pvt pilot course but it'll be shelved unless he gets some face time with a local and accessable CFI. Old sectionals or other learning aids are fun but he needs the human contact at least to provide a measure of progress, which can be motivational.
 
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