FLYER Exhibitions
We decided that we didn't want to head straight out over Lake Michigan without lifejackets, gyros, or any experience of the engine. So we picked a destination that we could reach before it got too dark, called the FBO and took off heading to Valparaiso, Indiana.
The route took us past downtown Chicago at sunset:
and overhead the former Meigs field:
Just after sunset we landed at Valparaiso. The advance phone call to the FBO meant that someone came and tied the aircraft down, and delivered the free crew car right to the plane. And they'd reserved a hotel for us at a discounted rate, and recommended a decent steakhouse. Their fee for all that was the profit margin they got for 12 gallons of avgas.
Joe and the Decathlon, and the free courtesy car:
Next morning was very frosty, so we called in at Walmart to buy some deicing fluid, and snacks for the journey. The deicing took a bit longer than expected, and we had to coax the Decathlon to life after its first night outside a hangar in years - or possibly ever. Eventually we got underway, and headed East towards Cleveland, and Port Meadville in Pennsylvania.
On the way we passed the Goodyear Blimp, heading West:
Then spotted the only clouds of the trip over Cleveland:
At Port Meadville we decided that we would aim for Binghampton, New York, for the night. Although the Decathlon is equipped for night flying, neither of us really wanted to try landing at night before getting a bit more used to the aircraft.
Here's the view from the back seat . As you can see, Joe is in shirt sleeves in the front, while I froze from the knees up in the back, and roasted from the knees down. We have some work to do on draft exclusion!
We passed a very secluded private airport on a hilltop, near to a very large house:
Then passed Harris Hill Gliderport, near to Elmira New York. It is the birthplace of gliding in America, and home to the National Soaring Museum:
After an overnight stay in Binghampton, and more de-frosting in the morning, we headed East for the last 300 miles back to the Atlantic coast of Maine. It was my turn to fly, so I got to enjoy the warmth of the front cockpit (and a banana for breakfast) while watching New England slide by below:
We soon were passing the mountains and lakes of New Hampshire:
And a rather nice fly-in community called Windsock Village, with a 4000ft grass runway:
Around lunchtime, we delivered the Decathlon to its new home in Brunswick, Maine.
Rather a fun trip! The weather was as perfect as November can be, The flight planning took all of 15 minutes, and was mostly of the "make it up as you go" variety, and the Decathlon is a hoot to fly. Not as easy to land as my Jodel, unfortunately, but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it soon!
Here's the route (more or less), courtesy of skyvector.com
Login / Register