| We'd
decided that in the interested of safety we'd be doing our flying during
the daylight hours, so we planned for a 7:00 AM departure. I picked up Jack
at his house and, with a trunk full of luggage, charts, snacks, and a survival
kit, we headed for the airport. Nature favored us with a cool, clear, breezy
day that unfortunately included very strong winds against us at the alitude
where we'd be flying. These would slow us down, but at worst this would
lengthen the trip, not pose any sort of risk. So, at slightly after seven,
we took off, and begain the trip west. |
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Our
planning for the trip was for it to be completely under Instrument Flight
Rules, which meant (among othe things), that we'd have a little less control
over our route, but it would be monitored closely by air traffic controllers
- we be in voice contact at all times. The
first part of our route was a climb to 8000 feet, heading directly north
of New York City. With the weather as clear as it was, we were treated to
a spectacular view of the area. In the picture to the right, you can see
from the bottom to the top, the Throg's Neck Bridge, the Whitestone Bridge,
and near the center at the top, just beneath the clouds La Guardia Airport.
Once at this altitude, our
speed along the ground dropped from the 150 knots (~170 mph) or so we'd
have been seeing with no headwind to only about 105 knots (120 mph). The
forecasts for the headwinds were accurate.
Despite the winds, after about
2 hours, we were closing on Erie, Pennsylvania, our first planned fuel
stop. But the weather was clear and the ride was pleasant, so we decided
to extend our ride to Ashtabula, Ohio, mostly wo we could have three states
behind us (NY, NJ, PA), not just two.
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