Valentine's Day Flights

For the second year in a row, as part of our "Ultimate Valentine's Day
Package" we offered 30 minute airplane rides over Iowa City. (Along
with champagne, chocolates, roses, etc...)

See pix he

http://www.alexisparkinn.com/valentines_day_2005.htm

This year we were only able to get three couples airborne due to poor
flying weather -- but those three couples were exposed to G.A. in a way
that very few people ever get to see. (Last year we had seven couples
go up -- the weather was perfect in '04.)

Hopefully, we've made at least six new converts to to general aviation!
(Hey, that's six fewer noise complaint calls in the future...)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay,

The Valentine's Day Flight is a great way to introduce couples to
aviation. Just hope that this 'tradition' spread to many FBOs and
Flight schools.

Last Sunday, we had a great Valentine's Day flight, first from KPOU
to N82 (across the Hudson River in NY) to meet some friends. From
there, we flew our Cardinal and they flew their Skyhawk to 1B1 to fuel
up before heading up to KHIE, Mt. Washington Regional Airport. We did
not mind having to slow down to 95kts to keep pace with the Skyhawk.
The slow pace allowed us to enjoy the view of slow moving barges
cutting paths into the intricate ice patterns on the Hudson River. We
were somewhat concerned of potential turbulence but at 5500', the air
was smooth and the visibility was pretty much unlimited. Spreading
below us were snow-covered hills, mountains, rivers, lakes, reservoirs
and farmland. We tried to take some pictures of the Skyhawk against
beautiful mountains, but our simple P&S Nikon 3200 did not have great
zoom and Rick wanted me to keep a great 'safe' distance.

We first visited KHIE in October 2003 attending our first Cardinal
Flyers fly-in. It was our first long x-country trip flying over 6500'.
It felt like we were in heaven with perfectly calm air, unlimited
visibility, hovering about the broken cloud layers over mountaintops in
full fall color display. This second trip in the winter showed a
completely changed landscape but no less enchanting with snow-capped
mountain peaks, white lakes, rivers, ski trails, golden hills and warm
dark patches of farmland. Here is the link to pictures of this trip.

http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=hgsw2kn...&x=0&y=-5vu2up


We heard a voice from unicom asking to confirm that a Cardinal was
landing at KHIE. Knowing the host of our last fly-in, Bruce Hutchings,
was based on the field; I jokingly asked whether the unicom mistook us
for Bruce. It turned out that it was Bruce himself. He had just
finished plowing the rest of the parking area and was just about to go
home.

We learned that due to financial difficulty, the county-owned
airport had to let go of the Airport Manager. Bruce volunteered to
serve as the new manager taking care of plowing the snow, mowing the
grass, offering warm, friendly welcome to visitors whenever he was
around. Bruce's real life job was in carpentry business. He proudly
showed us the album documenting the entire construction history of the
Timber-frame airport terminal from the time the yellow pine trees were
logged from Northern New Hampshire woods, stored in a pond, cut in a
mill, raised into the beautiful A frame etc.. The operating income
for the airport came mainly from hangar rents of about 25 planes and
fuel sale. If it weren't for dedicated volunteers like Bruce, these
small airports would have disappeared at a much faster rate.

Anything that we can do to spread our love of aviation, to get more
people to involve will help to sustain GA, to keep great little
airports like KHIE to remain open for generations of flyers. Jay,
thank you for continuing to offer this great Valentine's Day Flight
tradition. Keep up your great work.

Hai Longworth

Anything that we can do to spread our love of aviation, to get
more
people to involve will help to sustain GA, to keep great little
airports like KHIE to remain open for generations of flyers. Jay,
thank you for continuing to offer this great Valentine's Day Flight
tradition. Keep up your great work.

Thanks, Hai. (Great pix, by the way!)

We have a great time with the Valentine's Day flights. We only charge
$60 extra for the flights (which is the great deal our local FBO has
cut for us), and then I end up spending 30 minutes taking pictures and
fawning all over the couples -- so it's really a money-losing
proposition for us.

But it's the most fun imaginable! It always kills me how the guys are
SO much more nervous than the girls, and I just love how excited they
are when they come back to the inn.

Ah, if only we could bottle that enthusiasm, and spread it somehow...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Nice, Hai!

Been up there and seen those conditions a lot . . . really beautiful
and the airplane LOVES the weather :-)

You picked some really nice imagery to capture. The "refueling" scene
looks SO familiar . . . bundled up against the winter cold. Your
plane's paint scheme looks a lot like mine, too . . . you're just
missing a strut LOL . . .
thanks for sharing.

On my way to San Francisco (had to go commercial--only a five-day trip
and have the wife with me) . . .

Fly safe, everyone!

Jay,
Just $60 extra for the flight, champagne, roses, chocolates and
pictures? What's a fantastic bargain!
I'm not surprise that the guys are more nervous. People who like to
be in control get quite jittery when they are not in control (speaking
from own experience here ;-)).

Ross,
You are right that airplanes just love winter flying. We always
get over 1000 fpm climb rate in the winter. The reward of winter
flying makes up for all the extra work such as pre heating, shoveling
snow, cleaning off ice, frost etc.. It took us less than 2hrs to fly
200nm from KHIE back to KPOU including extra time circling mountains
for picture taking.

The pictures were shot with an inexpensive digital P&S (Nikon
Coolpix 3200) through the old plexiglass. We are still comtemplating
different photo window options. We have decided to postpone the window
replacement and painting to a later time instead of early March. First
we have to decide on a design, then to get the STC etc. I have no ideas
on how long it will take to get the STC.

We are just amateur photographers. Rick has some nice cameras: Mamiya
645 and Nikon N90 with all kinds of lenses but we have not used them
much while flying. Digital photography is just so convience, almost
unlimited images, no waiting, no development, printing cost, no need to
scan in the negatives for editing, uploading etc. We are checking out
the Nikon D70 vs. Pentax *ist D/DS and most likely will upgrade to
either one after getting the photo windows.

Hai

Just $60 extra for the flight, champagne, roses, chocolates and
pictures? What's a fantastic bargain!

Boy, wouldn't it be?

Nah, that's $60 for the flight. Extra for the other goodies!

:-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" writes:

For the second year in a row, as part of our "Ultimate Valentine's Day
Package" we offered 30 minute airplane rides...

... but those three couples were *exposed* to G.A. in a way
that very few people ever get to see.

Valentine's Day...airplane ride...exposed...snicker

Or is it just me??

Valentine's Day...airplane ride...exposed...snicker

Or is it just me??

Heh. I think the FBO would need to use something with a wider CG than a
Skyhawk, if you know what I mean...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Very cool idea Jay! Of course, now that you've had this offering it won't
be long before the less-than-shy couples suggest that you offer 'Mile-High'
club flights for couples... grin

--
--
=-----
Good Flights!

Cecil
PP-ASEL-IA
Student - CP-ASEL

Check out my personal flying adventures from my first flight to the
checkride AND the continuing adventures beyond!
Complete with pictures and text at: www.bayareapilot.com

"I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery -

"We who fly, do so for the love of flying. We are alive in the air with
this miracle that lies in our hands and beneath our feet"
- Cecil Day Lewis -
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Very cool idea Jay! Of course, now that you've had this offering it won't
be long before the less-than-shy couples suggest that you offer
'Mile-High' club flights for couples... grin

It's already been suggested, believe me!

We juts need a Cherokee Six, and some curtains...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"