I took my (now outted) closet rotorhead wife out in the R44 today. The first leg was intended to be direct to the Delaware Water Gap through Allentown Class C. Turns out they couldn't see my transponder nor the one on another helicopter at 1500 msl when we were to the south. Finally when I was southeast they called and said they had radar contact and that I could resume my course.
It was beautiful this morning -- nice smooth air, good vis. About the time ABE had me, I had the gap in sight. I flew through it at 1500 msl, which was a few hundred feet below the top. What a fantastic view of the cliffs. The I pulled some pitch to get up to 2400 msl over Sunfish pond, and then a right turn to the southwest to follow the ridge. When we cleared Mt. Tammany, my wife kind of gave a little gasp. For those who haven't flown an a/c at a few hundred agl over a cliff, it is momentarily disorienting, particularly in a helicopter -- where you had familiar ground contact, all of a sudden you are very high over the terrain. I explained what had happened, and she was fine at Wind Gap.
I called ABE again because I was pretty sure I was going to be drifting in and out of their airspace, got a squawk code, and followed the ridge at around 500 agl. The view was spectacular! When the ridge started to peter out, I went south and dropped a bit so we could pass below the "Pinnacle" and then over the Pulpet. I dropped down to 1500 msl so she could get a good look at the new Cabalas, and then direct LNS for a great lunch. LNS tower was cooperative as always, cleared me for 26 hold short of 31, but as I started to slow down to hold short, I was cleared to air taxi to the grass opposite the west ramp to land.
Leaving was even easier -- I called the tower and asked for a southeast departure, was immediatly cleared to depart and to make a left turn on to course. The wife says she'd like to see the Paoli battlefield from the air so I followed route 30 and orbited the battlefield. Return to N99 was uneventful.
Bottom line, a great flight, and I'm so pleased my wife in really getting into helicopter flight
Sorry there's no pics
She wants to go to the Grand Canyon of PA next!
It was beautiful this morning -- nice smooth air, good vis. About the time ABE had me, I had the gap in sight. I flew through it at 1500 msl, which was a few hundred feet below the top. What a fantastic view of the cliffs. The I pulled some pitch to get up to 2400 msl over Sunfish pond, and then a right turn to the southwest to follow the ridge. When we cleared Mt. Tammany, my wife kind of gave a little gasp. For those who haven't flown an a/c at a few hundred agl over a cliff, it is momentarily disorienting, particularly in a helicopter -- where you had familiar ground contact, all of a sudden you are very high over the terrain. I explained what had happened, and she was fine at Wind Gap.
I called ABE again because I was pretty sure I was going to be drifting in and out of their airspace, got a squawk code, and followed the ridge at around 500 agl. The view was spectacular! When the ridge started to peter out, I went south and dropped a bit so we could pass below the "Pinnacle" and then over the Pulpet. I dropped down to 1500 msl so she could get a good look at the new Cabalas, and then direct LNS for a great lunch. LNS tower was cooperative as always, cleared me for 26 hold short of 31, but as I started to slow down to hold short, I was cleared to air taxi to the grass opposite the west ramp to land.
Leaving was even easier -- I called the tower and asked for a southeast departure, was immediatly cleared to depart and to make a left turn on to course. The wife says she'd like to see the Paoli battlefield from the air so I followed route 30 and orbited the battlefield. Return to N99 was uneventful.
Bottom line, a great flight, and I'm so pleased my wife in really getting into helicopter flight
Sorry there's no pics
She wants to go to the Grand Canyon of PA next!
