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It's been a tough flying year - it seems that I have cancelled more flights due to weather than any other year. This, however, looked like the perfect weekend to make a trip to Buffalo to visit some of my best friends. Usually I fly the direct flight from KDMW to 9G0, but I never liked the LONG stretch over north-central PA where the terrain is most unforgiving. So I decided to take a route slightly to the west which I *thought* would afford me better terrain underneath of me.  It seems the items I transport become stranger with each trip - Ginger beer, ginger root, crab cakes, Natty Boh beer, dog treats and toys this trip.  The weather in MD was simply spectacular. Serious CAVU.  If I had to make ANY complaints, it would of been the headwinds. The forecast was for 30 kts, so this guy was a happy camper. My CHT's seems to be lower than they typically are - I am attributing this simple observation to my latest plenum sealing attempt.  PA Turnpike at the Kittatinny Mountain Tunnel.  Raystown Lake just to the east of Altoona. It looks like a fun place to be on a boat for Memorial Day weekend!  So remember what I said about trying to find hospitable terrain to fly over? The leg between Debois (KDUJ) and Jamestown (KJHW) did not offer this!  I flew close to Allegheny Reservoir, where I will be camping over 4th of July. I did a couple of tight turns over this campsite in hopes the camp chairmen, Ray and Von, would see me.  Jamestown, NY airport, adjacent to Chautauqua Lake.  Lake Erie with Buffalo in the distance.  New Era Field - Home of the Buffalo Bills.  Buffalo Airport (9G0). I was the only airplane on the ramp with an engine! This airport is truly a gem for access to the greater Buffalo area.  It was rather breezy when I landed - the 12 pack of beer offered excellent ballast to secure the canopy cover.  The RV securely tied down for a couple of nights.  I had the most enjoyable couple of nights in Buffalo with my friends. I highly recommend the Hamburg Brewery. Excellent outdoor facilities - and the locals were fully taking advantage of it. It was an outstandingly beautiful day.  Who knew a Jean Jacket could offer me the extra bit of warmth I needed as we got closer to the chilly Lake Erie. Ladies and Gentlemen - there is a very good reason why I have been sequestered to the back seat at this point in my trip.  Sunday offered me a not-so-easy trip home. Storms were rolling through southern NY and all of central PA. It made me leave my friends a little sooner than I wanted to. Most interesting was the amount of fog west Buffalo had rolling off the lake. This is one of the most unique places I've ever flown to in terms of weather. One side of Buffalo was completely socked in, while the other was beautiful blue skies.  It was a relatively easy flight home - I needed to keep east to avoid the storms.  It was a little disconcerting to see lightning emanating from the storm clouds to my west, but I kept a safe distance from them and my eye on what was ahead. ADS-B painted a perfectly accurate picture of what I needed to navigate around. Awesome trip with great friends!! 
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Last Modified: October 5, 2024 |