Got a chance to play with the big boys today. The Mid-Atlantic Aviation
Coalition, a PAC that tries to protect NJ Airports from local NIMBY's and
developers, had its annual meeting at the original terminal building
(Building 1) at Newark Airport this morning. The airport waived the landing
fee for 20 private aircraft, so a bunch of us flew in to mix it up with the
big boys.

We were told to expect rw 11, which is the crosswind runway at the north end
of the field, adjacent to Building 1, but when I was on a three mile final
for rw 11, the tower suddenly told me and two other planes to break off our
approach and turn right to land on rw 4R. As I was told to turn base for 4R
I asked if I could land long, since otherwise I would have had to taxi a
couple of miles. I was told that I could, but to be aware that there was an
Airbus on 8-mile final behind me. I basically flew down the runway at 200'
and landed on the last third. I was then told to exit off high-speed taxiway
Lima, which I did at at least 40 mph. I was thanked for expediting my exit,
since the Airbus was now on three mile final! I suspect that it might have
cost me a bundle if I'd made the Airbus go around. The other two small
planes circled for nearly 10 minutes until another big slot opened up for
them to land on 4R.

At any rate, it was great fun landing on a runway I've landed on many times
in an airliner. The meeting was good, and the departure (off 29) was
uneventful.

Here are some pictures.
http://www.geocities.com/viewptmd/EWR4RShortFinal.JPG
http://www.geocities.com/viewptmd/EW...hindArcher.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/viewptmd/EWRHoldingShort4L.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/viewptmd/EWRParked.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/viewptmd/EWRParkedAtUnited.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/viewptmd/EWRFirstTerminal.jpg

I was by myself, but I couldn't resist snapping one picture on short final.
The rest were less of a distraction. The last is of Building 1, which was
the first purpose-built airline terminal in the US, and possibly in the
world. It still has its original control tower on top. It is listed as a
national monument, and was moved almost 3/4 of a mile a few years ago to be
out of the rw 11-29 safety zone so that people could occupy it. It was then
restored and is still being used as the Admin building for the airport. A
really interesting bit of history.

--
Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways)