Beautiful airports

Bill

Bill

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Tuesday it was really nice after work, so I snagged the Skyhawk and flew down to Guntersville, Al (8A1) http://www.airnav.com/airport/8A1, which is on a lake in the TN river. What a beautiful place! Interesting flying too, as the surrounding hills were quite high with very steep slopes.

Funny how you can approach an airport, monitor CTAF, look look, and just as you enter the pattern, *poof* there are several airplanes wanting to land. Luckily, everyone had a clue and we all fell in one after the other polite as you please. Sometimes it works the way it should!

Nice place, the actual airport, with picnic tables and a nice camping area. The approach to 21 is cool, as the threashold is not very far from the lake.

Departing, I wanted to stay close to the lake, but I noticed a float equipped Cessna fly along the deck below me, and I couldn't raise him on CTAF. So, I climbed to about 3000, and zigged as he zagged so I could keep an eyeball on him at all times. He was having a great time flying along the lake and occasionally swooping up and over the shoreline. Looked like he was flying about 500AGL. Beautiful, but ballsy.

The flight back to Chattanooga was hazy, but quite pleasant. We are blessed to be able to do this!!!
 
Try Knoxville Downtown, DKX, it's in you neck of the woods, as it were, and it has a pretty approach over the water as well. Stopped there for fuel to and from Florida a few times, good fuel prices and a homey atmosphere. Lots of activity, but not overly busy, just a nice constant flow. Nothing I hate to see more than an airport with no planes flying.
 
Kyle,

DKX is on my list of places to visit. Another treat in the Knoxville area is Skyranch, a 2200ft grass strip on the river, with water at each threshold! Approaching to the north is really fun, you fly at a 45 degree to the runway up a slough in the river, and then turn final at about 100AGL. Neat!

I drive my wife nuts, I have a BIG list of all the scenic and fun places I want to visit!
 
The way my better half works, I need to have a long list of places to go. She hates to go up and 'just fly in circles'. There must be a destination, but doing the same one all the time doesn't cut it either, so I have to have the variety. Besides, I think driving her nuts was one of my wedding vows.
 
Bill Jennings said:
He was having a great time flying along the lake and occasionally swooping up and over the shoreline. Looked like he was flying about 500AGL. Beautiful, but ballsy.
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I think it rather peculiar that you call a Cessna on floats flying along a lake at 500 feet 'ballsy', yet call yourself a 'crazy motorcycle rider'. This says something about our accomodation to risk.
 
Richard said:
I think it rather peculiar that you call a Cessna on floats flying along a lake at 500 feet 'ballsy', yet call yourself a 'crazy motorcycle rider'. This says something about our accomodation to risk.
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Very true! For that guy, I'm sure it was totally controlled and just a fun evening of flying. As a new pilot (95hrs), swooping along at 500AGL is nowhere near the comfort envelope. Maybe someday.

OTOH, I have no problems going to Deals Gap and grinding down my footpegs :D
 
Bill Jennings said:
Very true! For that guy, I'm sure it was totally controlled and just a fun evening of flying. As a new pilot (95hrs), swooping along at 500AGL is nowhere near the comfort envelope. Maybe someday.
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Remember - he had floats - he was by a lake - he had his landing area in sight and reachable. :)
 
I thought a beautiful airport was what you found at the end of an IFR approach to minimums. :)

Jim
 
Bill Jennings said:
OTOH, I have no problems going to Deals Gap and grinding down my footpegs
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Been there, done that - AND - I have the T-Shirt! :rofl:
 
Greebo said:
Remember - he had floats - he was by a lake - he had his landing area in sight and reachable. :)
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This one is called, Moosehead Lake, way up North in Maine.

HR
 
Richard said:
I think it rather peculiar that you call a Cessna on floats flying along a lake at 500 feet 'ballsy', yet call yourself a 'crazy motorcycle rider'. This says something about our accomodation to risk.
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My brother has been riding harleys for years and has a custom bike now.

He thinks I'm crazy to fly airplanes.
 
I was actually asking!! Someone sent a few challenging airport pic to me and I didn't know where they all were.

Dave
 
Dave Siciliano said:
Hey guys. Where's this one?

Dave
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I don't know but I want to go NOW.
 
Looks like Hawaii to me. Color of the water and stuff...
 
Bill Jennings said:
Very true! For that guy, I'm sure it was totally controlled and just a fun evening of flying. As a new pilot (95hrs), swooping along at 500AGL is nowhere near the comfort envelope. Maybe someday.

OTOH, I have no problems going to Deals Gap and grinding down my footpegs :D
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So you probably wouldn't have wanted to strafe Saginaw Bay with me at 10' AIL ? Yes A.I.L.
 
I thought this airport in Danbury CT was beautiful...DXR.
 
Heres one to guess at...took this on Final. This trip was an ADVENTURE!
 
Eric Davis said:
I thought this airport in Danbury CT was beautiful...DXR.
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Would you believe I have flown over this airport many times and haven't gotten up the courage yet to fly down between those mountains? I should take someone with me someday.
 
Dave Siciliano said:
Thanks Richard!

They sent this one too!!

Dave
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HI, indeed! Anyone can tell it's an atoll. Even going all the way up the Empire chain there are no atolls like what's in the pic.
It's Majuro Atoll, Marshall Islands. What's most thrilling is there is a reef showing some action just to the left of the approach path and it's in the lagoon. So, fly in and play. hoo boy
 
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Yeah, Toby I flew that F90 in there a few times but not on the short RWY between the hills. Landed 8/26 but it was still exciting! :) Where were you flying out of when passing Danbury Toby? It was sooooo pretty up there.

Chip...don't give it away!
 
Guess I'm just gonna haveta come up there to the northeast sometime. Those pics are wonderful!!

Dave
 
you must spend a lot of time on Airliners.net ! :)
 
Eric Davis said:
I thought this airport in Danbury CT was beautiful...DXR.
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Oh yeah Danbury KDXR. That place is a hoot very nice controllers. flew there for a family reunion Landed on 8 but took off on 17. I think they call the approach and departure on 17 through the hills, the Valley of the shadow of death or somethng dramatic like that. You have to get to like 1700' before turning on an IFR plan. We were climbing out in the Tiger and nothing but green trees to the right and left . I rather depart 17 than land on it. On the approach to 26 you have a nice drop over a hill to the runway as well. But you are right its a pretty area.
 
Dave Siciliano said:
Guess I'm just gonna haveta come up there to the northeast sometime. Those pics are wonderful!!

Dave
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This one may not be "pretty", but all the surrounding areas/towns are, and we like it.

HR
 
Gee, Harley, didja take those through a peephole or something? Or maybe a drain hole? The pics would open to maybe 1/40th of my 17" monitor. Looks enticing though.
 
Dave Siciliano said:
Geesh Richard!! You're tough! How do you know this stuff??

One more.
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This one I'm gonna' guess. Volcanic banded formations, it's cold, and it's a small island. I say it's a small island because why would you put an aprt way out there if you had room elsewhere on a larger landmass?

Either N. Atlantic or way NW. Pacific. If the Pacific it would have to be Japan since I don't think there are any exposed volcanic banding on small islands further north (backside of island arc). But the buildings don't look like asian architecture. I'd say N. Atlantic, maybe an emergency rwy for the G.C. route. And because of the visible volcanism it's either Iceland or Greenland. Probably Iceland since it has more offshore islands than does Greenland. Final answer: Iceland.
 
Eric Davis said:
Yeah, Toby I flew that F90 in there a few times but not on the short RWY between the hills. Landed 8/26 but it was still exciting! :) Where were you flying out of when passing Danbury Toby? It was sooooo pretty up there.

Chip...don't give it away!
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Eric,

I fly out of HWV (Brookhaven, on Long Island). I'm usually going up to POU or Sky Acres or just putt-putting around Connecticut. Yes, it is certainly a beautiful landscape. If you could land there, I should be able to!
 
Dave Siciliano said:
Guess I'm just gonna haveta come up there to the northeast sometime. Those pics are wonderful!!
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Yes, Dave, come on up! Fall's a good time -- nice foliage and no haze.
 
Kyle Thornley said:
Try Knoxville Downtown, DKX, it's in you neck of the woods, as it were, and it has a pretty approach over the water as well. Stopped there for fuel to and from Florida a few times, good fuel prices and a homey atmosphere. Lots of activity, but not overly busy, just a nice constant flow. Nothing I hate to see more than an airport with no planes flying.
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Oobetcha, DKX is beautiful. Visited there last June. Fresh black pavement and new markings in lush green grass. Downwind over the bluffs and final over a freshly mown hayfield. Then across the river to the threshold.
 
Richard said:
Gee, Harley, didja take those through a peephole or something? Or maybe a drain hole? The pics would open to maybe 1/40th of my 17" monitor. Looks enticing though.
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I didn't take them; I think I took them off AirNav.com or one of the other airport listing sites. Here's a couple I took, but not from the air. One is Henry's award-winning 1941 Aeronca; another is FBO Ann Walco(on the right), with Jennifer and Jennifer's beautiful Luscombe. The T-28 is owned by the former FBO at LEW(Auburn-Lewiston).

HR
 
Eric Davis said:
I thought this airport in Danbury CT was beautiful...DXR.
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I learned to fly at DXR (wow, has it really been) 20 years ago. Flying final between the mountains was fun. It can get exciting on windy days :)

Dave
 
Bill,

I agree with you on Guntersville. I believe they used to have cookouts on Saturdays during the summer, but I don't know if they still due. Worth checking into though.

Have you been to Andrews-Murphy yet. That is a real nice flight up in the mountains.

Dave
 
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