Bob Gordon
Active Member
With friends in Carolina Beach, NC awaiting a visit, Barb and I deliberated over the weather on Sunday the 26th March. It seemed the only place with weather of any kind was at home, Dover DE. A review using Checkoway's weather page and follow up with Altoona FSS suggested a good flight, so off we went. We launched from Cheswold (33N) with the tail end of a low trough departing to the northeast. The runway was a bit damp and a light mist touched the windscreen between Dover and Salisbury MD. We stayed at 1700 feet. Enroute southbound towards Cape Fear NC, the overcast went to scattered and visibility picked up to 20+ miles. By the time we hit Cape Charles VOR the sky was clear and vis was a million miles with a front-row view of the entire Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and Norfolk. A scattered deck at 5000 feet started again along the Virginia coast and stayed with us to Oak Hill (KSUT). In the never ending pursuit of a smooth ride I topped the deck at 8500, then 10500. But enough already, as we also wanted to see some of the New Bern / Jacksonville NC area. We accepted a light to moderate chop underneath for the rest of the way. Great friends and good food during our stay. Gary showed us all his fishing spots along the barrier islands, and all the new housing along the beach routes. This guy even put duck decoys in the catch basin for the street's storm drains in hopes of wildlife. Did I mention they lived on Delmarva for many years?
The reward was a fantastic night flight home. Sunset was 30 minutes into the flight home, through the scattered layer. Shortly after, the sky went clear for the full color sunset - deep blue above to deep red at the horizon. Smooth air greeted us all the way home. The blackness between Edenton (EDE) and Chesapeake Regional (CPK) was replaced by the mass of lights - far left to far right- making up Newport News, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach. Stretching out to the north ahead of us were the line of lights on the Bay Bridge Tunnel, snaking along a table of black. All at 3500 feet with a carpet of stars overhead. We both agreed it was better than NYC at night. Awesome, unforgettable sights.
When Norfolk Approach handed us off to Patuxent River northbound, things got quiet again as we rode the peninsula back home. The patches of light making up Tangier Island and Crisfield off to the left in the distance, restricted areas cold. Salisbury, Easton, then finally Dover. Five clicks on 123.0, then work the pattern, then down. We logged 4.9 hours round trip. It happened all too fast, but I guess that's what an RV is all about.......
The reward was a fantastic night flight home. Sunset was 30 minutes into the flight home, through the scattered layer. Shortly after, the sky went clear for the full color sunset - deep blue above to deep red at the horizon. Smooth air greeted us all the way home. The blackness between Edenton (EDE) and Chesapeake Regional (CPK) was replaced by the mass of lights - far left to far right- making up Newport News, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach. Stretching out to the north ahead of us were the line of lights on the Bay Bridge Tunnel, snaking along a table of black. All at 3500 feet with a carpet of stars overhead. We both agreed it was better than NYC at night. Awesome, unforgettable sights.
When Norfolk Approach handed us off to Patuxent River northbound, things got quiet again as we rode the peninsula back home. The patches of light making up Tangier Island and Crisfield off to the left in the distance, restricted areas cold. Salisbury, Easton, then finally Dover. Five clicks on 123.0, then work the pattern, then down. We logged 4.9 hours round trip. It happened all too fast, but I guess that's what an RV is all about.......
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