Lake Placid, NY

BrianR

BrianR

Pre-takeoff checklist
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BrianR
Took the 182 from Syracuse up to Lake Placid in the Adirondacks yesterday. It was my first experience with anything resembling mountain flying, though I'm not sure the Adirondacks really qualify as mountains. They did, however, look pretty mountainous in places...especially when they're close to the arrival end of the runway, requiring a fairly tight pattern.

It's a good 3.5 hours in the car. Fifty-five minutes direct...and that was with an 18 kt headwind! About 45 minutes on the way back.

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Looking northeast up the Mohawk Valley about 30 miles out of SYR

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Great trip, great photos!

Reminds me of my New England flying. Not really mountains, but it is really a good starter.
Nothing like everything west of Denver.
 
BillTIZ said:
Great trip, great photos!

Reminds me of my New England flying. Not really mountains, but it is really a good starter.
Nothing like everything west of Denver.
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Yep nice shots! Looks like a fun trip.

The rocks are just as hard, but you are right, nothing like the big rocks out west. The DA, and updraft, and especially downdraft issues are much different.
 
My Ooooold stomp'n grounds... Got my PPL in Plattsburgh, NY. I loved flying up and around that area. Nice Photos.
 
Oh neat!! I used to go up to Saranac Lake in the winters to visit friends and we would (try to) ski Whiteface. :D
 
Cool pictures. I took my first discovery flight out of SYR. I'll have to fly up there once I get my ticket.
 
Wow, gorgeous pictures. Thanks for posting them.

And Godot, Welcome to the POA! We've been waiting for you! (Ba dum dum).
 
Very nice! My parents live just north of the hills near Potsdam, NY. We usually do some flying when we're up visiting and it can be truly spectacular in fall.

I won't fly over that area SEL at night, however.
 
The western pilots sneer at eastern mountains, but the eastern ones make lots more wx. nice pics, thanks for sharing.
 
Godot said:
Cool pictures. I took my first discovery flight out of SYR. I'll have to fly up there once I get my ticket.
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Welcome! There are a few of us from the CNY area here on POA. Are you training at Waypoint?
 
BrianR said:
Yeah, it made me nervous enough in broad daylight. Landing options aren't all that plentiful up there...
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Right -- ditch in a cold lake miles from anyone or into trees miles from anyone?

Another sad fact - several of those hills have the remains of A-10s that splatted back during the cold war heyday in the 80s.
 
steingar said:
The western pilots sneer at eastern mountains, but the eastern ones make lots more wx. nice pics, thanks for sharing.
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The thunderstorms in that area are legendary. And IMHO typically those who sneer at a particular landform's characteristics are dealing with size issues of their own. :D While the altitudes are much lower, rotors off a ridge and steep deep canyons can be found aplenty. Great photos!!!
 
Threefingeredjack said:
The thunderstorms in that area are legendary. And IMHO typically those who sneer at a particular landform's characteristics are dealing with size issues of their own. :D While the altitudes are much lower, rotors off a ridge and steep deep canyons can be found aplenty. Great photos!!!
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My peak is taller than your peak :D
 
Any mountain, even what Coloradans would refer to as foothills, should be treated with respect. Mountain waves do not require the Rockies to form. If your unfamiliar with any dirt pile, give it as much altitude as you can.

-John
 
Tracey said:
Wow, gorgeous pictures. Thanks for posting them.

And Godot, Welcome to the POA! We've been waiting for you! (Ba dum dum).
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Lol I knew that would come eventually, just not so soon.


BrianR said:
Welcome! There are a few of us from the CNY area here on POA. Are you training at Waypoint?
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I was training in Fulton until I ran out of money. Now I'm saving so that I can finish up. Until then, I'll occasionally sit down near Landmark to watch the planes. It satisfies the craving a little bit. Lol
 
Godot said:
Lol I knew that would come eventually, just not so soon.




I was training in Fulton until I ran out of money. Now I'm saving so that I can finish up. Until then, I'll occasionally sit down near Landmark to watch the planes. It satisfies the craving a little bit. Lol
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If you see someone prepping their airplane alone, ask them if they would like some company. You have nothing to lose. Just try to read them as far as when to talk and when to shut up. Personally, I much prefer having someone in the right seat when I fly but do not want to hear from them below 1500 feet AGL.
 
Lake Placid is a great $100 hamburger destination. Especially fun to come in over the Olympic ski jump and then climb out over Whiteface Mt.

Lots of great airports in and around the Adirondacks to visit. For fun, my PPL long solo XC was Columbia County (1B1, south of Albany) to Plattsburgh to Rome (ex Griffiss AFB) and back.
 
upstateny said:
Lots of great airports in and around the Adirondacks to visit. For fun, my PPL long solo XC was Columbia County (1B1, south of Albany) to Plattsburgh to Rome (ex Griffiss AFB) and back.
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Neat! one of my to-do fields is GAFB -- Last time I was there I was prepping nukes to be dropped on various parts of the USSR.
 
Godot said:
I was training in Fulton until I ran out of money. Now I'm saving so that I can finish up. Until then, I'll occasionally sit down near Landmark to watch the planes. It satisfies the craving a little bit. Lol
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Well, including myself, there are three of us on POA who are members of the Syracuse Flying Club, based at Landmark. Can't speak for the others, but I am always happy to take anyone along who is interested, if I am flying by myself.
 
upstateny said:
Lake Placid is a great $100 hamburger destination. Especially fun to come in over the Olympic ski jump and then climb out over Whiteface Mt.

Lots of great airports in and around the Adirondacks to visit. For fun, my PPL long solo XC was Columbia County (1B1, south of Albany) to Plattsburgh to Rome (ex Griffiss AFB) and back.
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I had never been to Lake Placid previously, despite having lived in NY for 25 years. We just spent the afternoon there, but could have easily stayed the entire weekend without running out of things to do...and it's not even tourist season yet! Tons of restaurants and cool shops, and a cab ride into town cost us all of $6.
 
dmccormack said:
Neat! one of my to-do fields is GAFB -- Last time I was there I was prepping nukes to be dropped on various parts of the USSR.
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Yep, gotta love that nearly two mile long runway! And it's the only place I've ever parked next to a 747 on the ramp! I did one of my student XC solos to there, and have been there a few times since. However, that's the place where MillionAir gets you for $25, if you park, and there is no other FBO.
 
My first ever small plane ride was sea plane somewhere north of Old Forge. I was about ten and do not remember anything about the plane other then it was red and on floats.

Had family the lived in Old Forge and I used to vacation up there quite a bit. They owned the movie theater.
 
BrianR said:
Took the 182 from Syracuse up to Lake Placid in the Adirondacks yesterday. It was my first experience with anything resembling mountain flying, though I'm not sure the Adirondacks really qualify as mountains. They did, however, look pretty mountainous in places...especially when they're close to the arrival end of the runway, requiring a fairly tight pattern.

It's a good 3.5 hours in the car. Fifty-five minutes direct...and that was with an 18 kt headwind! About 45 minutes on the way back.
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Great pictures Brian, thanks for posting them.
Looks like this was the 2nd good deed of 5MC that day. She took my one year old son flying for the first time earlier that day. :)
 
Great view of the Mohawk. Spent some time in those hills are creeks past summer. Kyle
 
sballmer said:
Great pictures Brian, thanks for posting them.
Looks like this was the 2nd good deed of 5MC that day. She took my one year old son flying for the first time earlier that day. :)
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That's awesome Stefan! Hope he enjoyed it!
 
dmccormack said:
Neat! one of my to-do fields is GAFB -- Last time I was there I was prepping nukes to be dropped on various parts of the USSR.
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I grew up in Rome, so the constant roar of jet engines was the norm. Check out one of their favorite activities, the Minimum Interval Takeoff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNxmorJtq_8
They'd launch everything on the base as quickly as possible. Guess they weren't too concerned about wake turbulence. It's fun to come into the base now as a GA pilot and see the difference between the military and us.

BTW With the turnoff midway down a two mile runway, there's no prize for landing on the numbers. You'll just have to taxi for a mile to get to it.
 
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