Video: Lake Placid flight.

ripnet

ripnet

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ripnet
Wife and I flew to Lake Placid from Binghamton in a Mooney 201 (amazing plane, btw). This was our first real cross country together after getting my PPL. We've taken the kids >50nm away and flew right back a few times, but this was the first "trip." We did some x-mas shopping downtown for a couple of hours before flying back.

It was a lot of fun, both flying it and making the video. I have a new appreciation for flying near mountains. We used our GoPro knockoffs; they were like $100ea with all of the accessories.

 
Nice!

Go anywhere good to eat? Big slide brewery is walking distance from the airport, good food!
 
Very nice! Which GoPro knockoff? The video quality is great (make sure you watch it in 1080).
 
Thanks, all! We didn't do any eating there, although we probably should've. The most food we consumed was at the olive oil and balsamic vinegar shop, with something like 100 different varieties. I'm sure we'll go back.

The cameras are the Gitup Git2: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XRTW3PS/ The app is a bit kludgy, but it has an API so if you can make something on your own that fits your needs. The battery life is, well, meh. I get about an hour with the HDR and Gyto stabilization on. Normally, I just hook up a USB battery to them.

Although I didn't capture audio on this flight, I have used this which works great: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01NAQHYRG/ You can even capture intercom to your smartphone if desired.
 
Nice flight and video... Snow in Nov. brings back memories from my days in Rome...:yikes:
 
Nice man. Thanks for sharing! Lake placid is my #1 destination I'd like to fly to after I get my PPL. How did the mountains treat you? I think the first time I go, it'll be with a CFI.. I've never flown into the Adirondacks before. I'm especially partial to Big Mountain Deli and Smoke Signals! I feel like I am in Lake Placid every month.
 
How wide is the runway at Lake Placid? [ To lazy to look it up ] Thanks, great video!!
 
Ben said:
Nice man. Thanks for sharing! Lake placid is my #1 destination I'd like to fly to after I get my PPL. How did the mountains treat you? I think the first time I go, it'll be with a CFI.. I've never flown into the Adirondacks before. I'm especially partial to Big Mountain Deli and Smoke Signals! I feel like I am in Lake Placid every month.
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The mountains were beautiful! A bit bumpy during descent, maybe 5k-3kft. Highly recommend the flight. It all happened fast for me, descending in an M20J, but it was rewarding.
 
ripnet said:
The mountains were beautiful! A bit bumpy during descent, maybe 5k-3kft. Highly recommend the flight. It all happened fast for me, descending in an M20J, but it was rewarding.
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Did you have good VFR weather the whole time? Nice!
 
The J is really the sweet spot of the Mooney lineup. I think that's about the fastest you can go on an I0360 in the certificated world.
 
Hey congrats on the flight. Having just finished my PPL, Lake Placid is #1 on my list of places to take the wife for a day trip. I have flown all around the "thruway corridor" and Fingerlakes, KBGM, and KELM areas, but not north to the ADKs yet. How was the flight? Looking for any PIREPs that might be useful to another low-time guy like myself.

Clearly weather is the biggest concern - especially this time of year. But I was thinking more along the lines of stuff that would be generally useful. Like approach into the airport, FBO, Food (I guess you didn't eat), rental cars etc.
 
Ben said:
Did you have good VFR weather the whole time? Nice!
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Yup! SKC. About a 20kt wind at altitude. 7500 on the way there and 8500 on the way back.

steingar said:
The J is really the sweet spot of the Mooney lineup. I think that's about the fastest you can go on an I0360 in the certificated world.
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I'm in love with it. I even helped the AP-IA take all of the panels off during the 100hr/annual last week to learn more about it. At only 80 hours when I started flying the J, I was a bit nervous it would be too much, but it wasn't. Sims helped. Having a good instructor helped. Mastering go-arounds because you came in 4kts too fast and floated into the next state helped. Trueing out at ~175mph with ~11gal/hr was totally worth the effort.

jbrinker said:
Hey congrats on the flight. Having just finished my PPL, Lake Placid is #1 on my list of places to take the wife for a day trip. I have flown all around the "thruway corridor" and Fingerlakes, KBGM, and KELM areas, but not north to the ADKs yet. How was the flight? Looking for any PIREPs that might be useful to another low-time guy like myself.

Clearly weather is the biggest concern - especially this time of year. But I was thinking more along the lines of stuff that would be generally useful. Like approach into the airport, FBO, Food (I guess you didn't eat), rental cars etc.
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Again, congrats on the PPL. This flight was amazing. Being at 5k and still seeing mountains higher than me was breathtaking. It makes me really want to fly some of the bigger ranges in the west. As it was my first time in the mountains, I stayed high and dropped it in. Boston center helped me with the seemingly high amount of 1200 traffic in the area. To do it again, I would make sure I had a high ceiling and low-ish winds. The few knots of wind at altitude really made it a bit bumpy while flying through the mountains. I need to learn more about that. Make sure your wife takes plenty of pictures for you because you'll miss some great views while maneuvering. Enjoy a few more: https://imgur.com/a/9ojfa

Runway 32 is the calm wind runway. Looong displaced threshold; you probably saw it in the video under the snow. The FBO didn't charge me for day parking. The fuel is not self-serve, but it was reasonably priced... I think around $4.85/gal. Careful with ice on the ramp. The 100LL fuel pump is at a lower spot, and water/ice seemed to collect there. Idle power was enough to slide around. The spot that I taxied to for parking had tiedown ropes already there. Unsure about the rest as they were covered w/ snow. If you time it right, you can ride the free shuttle into downtown. I think it picks you up across the street from the airport at the Ski Jumps. We missed it, so the guys at the airport called us a cab. $6+tip into downtown. We Uber'd the way back; about the same price as the cab. They don't have a rental/crew car. We started at one end of downtown on main st, near NBT Bank. Walked down one side, then back the other, visiting shops along the way. Plenty of places to eat. You'll have a great time.
 
Thanks for the first-hand info. Your videos were awesome, its pretty amazing how high those mountains look around you - I'd want to be higher I think :)

We went on vacation to Long Lake this past August. Took the family on a float plane ride there, was a blast. Really wanted to ask the pilot to let me fly, but I think that would have been frowned upon ... :)

Hoping to make the trip up to Lake Placid sometime this winter - or if not maybe in the spring. Just joined up with East Hill Flying club in Ithaca, so after I get checked out I will have access to more and better aircraft. Thanks again for the great info and pics/videos!
 
Agreed- thanks for the information! I didn't know they offered a shuttle, or if there were good taxis/uber around. I have been using the ability to fly to lake placid to sell my wife on the PPL- so the gouge is helpful!
 
got my ppl at (now closed) Clinton county airport in Plattsburg back in 1984... Loved flying in the NY upstate! Great video...
 
I also got engaged at Lake Placid- in the little area in front of mirror lake with the gazebo/stage. Next to EMS.
 
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