Post Fly-B-Q destinations?

[EdFred]

After Adam's Fly BQ in May, I am going to do a quick tour of the Northeast. I haven't set foot in CT, RI, MA, ME, NH, or VT so I would like to know what airports have good food or good scenery close by in each of those places. I was thinking about flying the Hudson corridor before goint to CT, how difficult is that? I see a VERY narrow thread of non Class B between TEB and LGA, is that pretty much right over the river.
Or would a flight out over L.I. be better?
Anyway, places to eat/see in the Northeast, or couches to sleep on?

 

[HPNPilot1200]

After Adam's Fly BQ in May, I am going to do a quick tour of the Northeast. I haven't set foot in CT, RI, MA, ME, NH, or VT so I would like to know what airports have good food or good scenery close by in each of those places. I was thinking about flying the Hudson corridor before goint to CT, how difficult is that? I see a VERY narrow thread of non Class B between TEB and LGA, is that pretty much right over the river.
Or would a flight out over L.I. be better?
Anyway, places to eat/see in the Northeast, or couches to sleep on?

Hey Ed,

I've posted a few things you may be interested in a few different topics on a few different boards. I've thrown them in this post:

VT - VSF is a neat little airport to fly into and has a fairly long runway (5-23 is almost 5500 feet) and has great foliage in the fall. Overfly the town of springfield and towns around it and you will be amazed.

If you are interested at all in gliders, VSF is a fairly popular gliding spot (so be vigilant) so it's always interesting to look at the gliders tied down.

NH - Lebanon, NH (KLEB is also a great airport with a tower if you feel at all more comfortable in that type environment.

Mount Washington is an excellent site to be seen on a crystal clear day/great flight visibility. The white-snow covered mountain caps look incredibly beautiful.

MA - Has some neat spots as well, but some of the more popular are OWD, BED, and BVY. FIT also gets traffic sometimes. If you feel like venturing farther south, Marthas Vineyard (MVY) and Nantucket (ACK) are both *really* neat places to visit/fly into. They both have great sea-food at numerous restuarants. Block Island (RI) is also a great (short field) airport with an airport resturant, but is often gusty due to the winds that kick up off the shore.

NY - 1B1 (Columbia County) is a nice airport which has great roast beef a short walk from the airport (walk down the taxiway and out the fence and there it is)

CT - GON is an interesting, shore-line airport, but the diner closed some time ago

I'm based out of DXR, which is an interesting airport due to the surrounding terrain. The tower folks are great and have fun on weekends sequencing traffic when it gets really busy. In the summer time it gets nuts, and I've been #8 for landing only 5 miles out.

There are some other locations along the shore (BDR, HVN, etc) and inland airports in central CT that all make neat stops (BDL, HFD). I hear to stay away from HFD during northerly-wind blowing days though (using runway 2), due to a garbage dump north(west?) of the field.

Let us know if you'd like anymore suggestions and feel free to PM/E-mail me.
-------------------------------
Regarding the Hudson VFR corridor (x-post from JFKTower.com):

You don't need to call NY unless you plan to enter the class B. There is still a VFR corridor that allows you to fly underneath the class B up/down the hudson. Make sure you maintain an altitude below the Class Bravo limits. Sometimes if you call NY, they will indeed give you a class B clearance, but somtime they do not.

Make sure to self-announce (in proper phraseology and transmissions brief and to the point) on 123.05. Be sure to also monitor 121.5 (Emergency) and NY (NOBBI sector) on 126.4.

Also be sure you not only don't violate the Class B, but remember to always make sure you are clear of any class D airspace (HPN class Dairspace goes to up 3,000 feet).

Also be sure you read the charted instructions to:

1. Do not exceed 140 knots IAS
2. Turn on anti collision, position/navigation, and/or landing lights.

A NY Terminal chat is a MUST! Plan the hudson river corridor flight VERY carefully and be sure to do your pre-flight checks and write down all the altitudes and checkpoints you plan to descend [or climb]/announce ahead of time.

If you really want to know how to fly the route from an experts perspective, visit this site and visit CFI Doug Stewart's DVD on flying the VFR corridor. http://www.dsflight.com/ny_vfr_corridor.html

Feel free to ask more questions/e-mail me!

The VFR corridor extends from the Verrazano bridge up between LGA/EWR/TEB up to Lady liberty, north of the George Washington Bridge, then up the Tappanze and further north to Croton point and then all the way up the hudson [where it's not class B].
-------------------------

I can answer questions/post more destinations tomorrow when I have some free time (virtually none, but I wiil find some).

Regards,
Jason

P.S. Some recommended altitudes (for below the Bravo) for the hudson route (northbound):
Before reaching the Verrazano - 2900 ft MSL
Prior to reaching the Verrazano (just past the NJ coast and before reaching abeam Sandy Hook) - 1400 ft MSL
After leaving the Verrazano - 900 ft MSL (Quickly! Don't bust EWR's airspace [1100 ft MSL to 7000])
Abeam Van Cortlandt Park - Climb to 1400 MSL
Past the Alpine Towers - 2900 MSL until between the Tappanze and Sing Sing prison

For southbound, just reverse it all. If you want to go eastbound along the shore, (not in the class Bravo) after going down the hudson south, make the east turn and ask JFK for a transition eastbound through their airspace (within 8 miles and below 2,000 MSL, otherwise, call NY APP) or go around it to the south.

Also note: BE VERY CAREFULL and VIGILANT! If you're reluctant about the route, ask for a class B clearance up the route, consult an expert on the route, or buy Doug Stewart's DVD.

 

[SkyHog]

My suggestions: Jaffrey, NH (KAFN), and Nantucket, MA (KACK). Both have good food onfield, and both are absolutely stunning to fly to too - great terrain and or water

 

[flyingcheesehead]

After Adam's Fly BQ in May, I am going to do a quick tour of the Northeast. I haven't set foot in CT, RI, MA, ME, NH, or VT so I would like to know what airports have good food or good scenery close by in each of those places. I was thinking about flying the Hudson corridor before goint to CT, how difficult is that? I see a VERY narrow thread of non Class B between TEB and LGA, is that pretty much right over the river.
Or would a flight out over L.I. be better?
Anyway, places to eat/see in the Northeast, or couches to sleep on?

Ed,

My first thought was "Moultonboro, NH" but there's really nothing there... Except for a house that you'll buy if you see it! (But please don't, I want to!) It's right next to the runway on one side and a lake on the other side. Sweeeeeeet.

 

[EdFred]

Thanks guys. Nantucket was on the plan, and then a flight over the Cape with an overnight in Provincetown perhaps. I was planning on stopping at Pease, NH because I have a line that I rep in Stratham, and I figure I should stop in and meet everyone I've talked to and see the factory, so I may just overnight there instead. I have to keep in mind how small the NE is compared to what I've been flying. I can fly 2 hours and still be in the same state out here.

 

[Al P]

Hey Jason,
That was a great report on the Hudson corridor. The only thing that I can add is that the view at night is breathtaking. All those lights, the Statue of Liberty, and millions of city lights make it an unforgettable experience. Have to really pay attention because it is tight and busy every time I have been there.

 

[bstratt]

CT - Sky Acres; great breakfast spot and a favorite among pilots for Sunday morning fly-ins;

Be sure to visit Block Island - my all time favorite destination; walk downtown for views and meals;

Hudson River Corridor - only thing I can add to the above is to cross the George Washington Bridge at 1,000 at center of the span, i.e. where the suspension cables are lowest.

 

[Nav8tor]

CT - Sky Acres; great breakfast spot and a favorite among pilots for Sunday morning fly-ins..

Small correction, Sky Acres is actually in NY (which isn't on the list of states in Ed's original post). Nice restaurant though. I was just there two weeks ago.

http://www.airnav.com/airport/44N

 

[EdFred]

Well, I have been to NY before, so that's why it wasn't on my list. I haven't landed there in my plane yet, but was planning on stopping in Rochester on the way back to play golf with someone. But plans are always a'changin'

 

[Bob Bement]

On Marthas Vineyard, there is an airport called Katama Airpark ( 1B2) it is listed in the AOPA directory under Edgartown. It has a little cafe at the end of the landing strip and you can park and walk to the ocean on the opposite end. I didn't fly into it but I sure wish I had. It is a turf strip but is 2600' and 4000' on the cross strip. It would be a short hop to Nantucket.

 

[Skip Miller]

CT - Sky Acres; great breakfast spot and a favorite among pilots for Sunday morning fly-ins;

Be sure to visit Block Island - my all time favorite destination; walk downtown for views and meals;

Hudson River Corridor - only thing I can add to the above is to cross the George Washington Bridge at 1,000 at center of the span, i.e. where the suspension cables are lowest.

A big second to 44N Sky Acres which, as others have noted, is not as Mr. "Yes I can read the sectional" reported (just kidding, Barry!) in CT. The airport has a great feel to it, with many older taildraggers tugging at their tie-downs, and it is a great starting point or post flight gathering point for those flying the Hudson Corridor.

Two comments on flying the Hudson Corridor:

First, check this web site:

http://www.germaise.com/interests/aviation_flyinghudson1.htm

Second, I recommend to all the NY Helicopter Route Chart. Regardless of where your wings are and what they are doing, the HRC has twice the scale of the TAC and makes understanding the complicated airspace that much easier. Get it! The couple of bucks is certainly worth it for the peace of mind.

-Skip

 

[bstratt]

A big second to 44N Sky Acres which, as others have noted, is not as Mr. "Yes I can read the sectional" reported (just kidding, Barry!) in CT.

Hey, I was going from memory!! It's so close to Danbury it always seemed to be in CT. It's hard to see those state lines from the air!!