Fancy Feast

These Friends of Mine

Is there anything simpler than a picnic? A light meal in a bucolic, even rustic, setting? How could anyone possibly improve on the basic picnic?

Date	Aircraft	Route of Flight	Time (hrs)	Total (hrs)
06 Sep 2020	N21481	SDC (Sodus, NY) - K09 (Piseco, NY) - SDC	2.5	2149.9

Five airplanes flew in trail (some more in trail than others...), dodging clouds between the Williamson-Sodus Airport and the remote Piseco Airport in the southern Adirondack Mountains, each one carrying a variety of picnic baskets for a simple Club outing to the country.

Inconveniently placed clouds inspired everyone to take different paths through the air, both in route and altitude. Near the end of the journey, most of the ships deviated from GPS guidance. The airport is tucked against the eastern slope of a ridge line and hidden to anyone approaching from the west. It is easier to pick up a highway near the Hinckley Reservoir and follow it to Piseco Lake south of the airport. In the mountains, tactics that account for the terrain are often more useful than GPS direct courses.

Aboard Warrior 481, relatively new club member and enthusiastic pilot acolyte Ziad flew right seat. His wife, Eman, was a few miles ahead with Ed and Stacey. Not surprisingly, our in-flight conversation focused on airplanes.

"Extra" Doesn't Necessary Suggest Aerobatics

Alicia, Brad, Melodie, and Tom landed behind us in Brad's Cirrus. As I waited to help push their airplane back into parking, something unusual occurred.

When the engine stopped, Brad's door popped open. He scurried around the airplane to delicately lay a red carpet on the Cirrus wing walk. Before Alicia could exit the Cirrus, Melodie pressed a gold tiara into her hands.

When Alicia finally emerged, she did so with the haughty grace of a visiting dignitary. Her princess wave seemed curiously well-practiced.

Her tiara glittering in the sun, Melodie followed Alicia, taking her place on the red carpet with practiced poise.

As the two posed, they explained that they (Tom/Alicia vs Brad/Melodie) were in a competition over who could make our simple picnic excursion the fanciest or most "extra". Evidently, arriving in a Cirrus was just not fancy enough. Did anyone tell them that we were going to rustic Piseco?

Up, Up, and Ugh

Parked nearby was a beautiful Cessna 195. While it is no Beech Staggerwing, it combines practical utility with the graceful aesthetic of a mid-century executive aircraft. But what was that on the left wing? At first, I though that it was a parrot.

But I was wrong.

It is difficult to look dignified with a pitot tube up your [CENSORED], but Superman managed to project some gravitas nonetheless. That can't be easy.

Hey Boo-Boo!

Like pioneers circling the wagons, we pulled the picnic tables we found into a loose semicircle.

Tom and Alicia upped their picnic game with sushi.

Meanwhile, Brad and Melodie worked to foster an air of exclusivity.

Yes, we are still getting mileage out of our friend "Cirrus" from our trip to Lake Placid in July. Brad explained, "I spent more time designing that bottle label in Microsoft Word than I did planning the flight!"

I think this picture should be used to promote joining the Williamson Flying Club. "Fly with us, we're (apparently) fancy!"

[Disclaimer: all alcoholic beverages in this photoset are simulated. We're fancy, not stupid.]

Scott and Kim joined us, arriving in One Delta Tango. 

Dan and Mary arrived in their home built RV and we spent time talking about our odyssey through the New York airspace on the previous day.

As new members, Eman and Ziad fit right in as enthusiastic participants. With that said, I think they would rather be able to fly themselves to events, but that darn training curriculum has to be accomplished first.

I sat with Stacey and Ed. Among all of my friends on the trip, it is hard to believe that I have known them for over 20 years through what seems like a few different lifetimes; before the Williamson Flying Club, before moving to Rochester, and in Ed's case, before my time in Kalamazoo.

As the picnic came to an end, I paused to capture the scene of a quiet airport, WFC picnickers, and the low mountain peaks surrounding us. Piseco was a great place to have a picnic, but I have known that for years.

Sadly for me, I left my red carpet and tiara at home and arrived in a 40+ year old Warrior. I was not even in the running for fanciest.

As for the contest between my friends, I remain unsure of who won. Frankly, I think the real winners were those of us entertained by their antics. 

This is why I love my Club.