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Flying to Breakfast
Added 11/16/14, Uppdated 11/22/14. Click on images for a larger view.
November 16, 2014.
This morning my wife Sukey and I flew to breakfast. It was a
spur-of-the-moment decision when we noticed our neighbor's 1947 Stinson warming
up across the runway. It was a pretty good bet that Mike was headed to
breakfast. Sukey turned the stove off - the water warming for oatmeal
could wait for another time. I walked out to the hangar, checked the
plane, and pulled it outside.
We were in the air in a matter of minutes. Sukey took photos from the back
seat. This photo was taken as we took off to the south from
our airstrip. Sukey
liked that the clouds were visible in the reflection of the calm creek near the
south end of the runway.
Just a bit further to the
south lies the Little Wicomico River, shimmering in the morning light.
This photo is taken to the east, with the Chesapeake Bay in the background. A
boat is heading toward the jetties that mark the opening to the Bay. As we
were crossing the Little Wicomico, we heard Mike announce on the radio that he
was in the traffic pattern at Hummel Airport, just south of the Rappahannock
River. Our guess that Mike was headed to breakfast was correct. I
announced my location on the radio, and Mike replied that the coffee would be
ready.
Further south, the Great
Wicomico River displays a nice shade of blue. The air was velvet smooth as
we floated along at about 100 mph. Sukey was happy.
Our route took us over
Kilmarnock, Virginia. We spend a lot a time in Kilmarnock, the nearest small
town that offers a selection of shopping, dining, and medical facilities. The
name on the water tower is helpful to aviators who might be lost.
Sukey noticed a formation
of snow geese near a church cemetery. We were moving just a bit faster
than they were.
Crossing the Rappahannock
River, we pass by the Norris Bridge. The skies are overcast and there is a
little bit of haze, but flying is very good for us in this weather.
Temperatures are in the low 40's. We are descending a bit to reach the pattern
altitude for the airport.
Here is the destination,
Hummel Airport, designator W75.
It is the nearest public airport to us, about a twenty minute flight from our
Ophelia airstrip. We will land on the turf to the left of runway nineteen.
After we land, Mike is
waiting for us, parked near the Pilot House Restaurant. Breakfast was
tasty and reasonably priced. I recommend the three egg omelet.
I can't remember if Sukey
shot this photo before or after breakfast. Either way, I seem pleased and
satisfied. Was it my landing, or was it that omelet?
Near Hummel airport are
several marinas. This one caters to sailboats. On most weekends in
nice weather, the Rappahannock will be awash with sailboats.
After takeoff from Hummel,
Mike joined up with us off our starboard wing. He hung there for a while,
then proceeded north. His plane is faster than ours, but not by much.
Here we are almost home,
back over the Little Wicomico River, within a mile or so of our airstrip.
Mike is on final approach to landing, to our left. We made one circle so
Mike could back-taxi to his hangar.
Final approach to our
airstrip brings us close to the trees. We were back home before 11 am.
I can't tell you how fortunate I feel to be able to make flights like this.
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