Dude, Where's My Syrup?

Pancakes in Piseco

Pancakes and airplanes may not seem like an obvious pairing, but pancake breakfasts have given weekend warrior aviators an excuse to fly for decades. Pancakes are as much a part of the collective aviation psyche as high wing/low wing debates, exaggerated tales of superior airmanship, and sounding cool on the radio (trolls on Guard excepted). But the availability of pancake breakfasts in 2021 has been sparse in Upstate NY. Even stalwart flapjack-fests like the annual pancake breakfasts hosted by the Williamson Flying Club and the Penn Yan Flying Club were cancelled in both 2020 and 2021.

By the time that the Speculator Lions Pancake Breakfast at the Piseco Airport rolled around, I could not recall the last time I indulged in a traditional short stack of griddle cakes served outside on an airport ramp with the ubiquitous flimsy plasticware. Tucked against the eastern slope of an Adirondack ridgeline, the Piseco Airport is a rural gem. I had missed the breakfast in years past, but my calendar was clear in 2021.

Terrain! Terrain!

Date	Aircraft	Route of Flight	Time (hrs)	Total (hrs)
28 Aug 2021	N21481	SDC (Sodus, NY) - K09 (Piseco, NY) - SDC	2.6	2346.1

As Jamie and I followed Tom and Alicia toward Piseco, a low cloud deck pushed us down to 3,000 feet and closer to the unbroken wilderness than I would have preferred.

Jamie and me. Photo by Jamie.

ForeFlight ground track from the Hinckley Reservoir to Piseco (K09)

Because of the ridgeline west of the airport, a GPS-direct course to Piseco from Sodus is a poor strategy that would result in overflying higher terrain, making the airport more difficult to find, and requiring a rapid descent to join the pattern. My strategy is to fly direct to Piseco until spotting the distinctive Hinckley Reservoir, then following NY-8 eastbound through a gap in the terrain to the south end of Piseco Lake. From there, the airport is trivial to locate and there is plenty of time to manage altitude and determine an appropriate pattern entry.

Ahead, Tom was following the same route. "Two Six Romeo and November Four Eight One, rising terrain ahead," warned Syracuse Approach as we neared our destination. But we knew that our planned route would allow us to manage the terrain and we both simply acknowledged the warning.

Entering the valley that would conduct us to Piseco Lake, we passed a Piper Cub inbound to Piseco flying much lower than we were.

Once over Piseco Lake, the airport could be seen at the north end. Traffic was landing to the south, so we simply turned toward the airport and entered an extended downwind leg for runway 22.

Culture Shock

The ground crew at Piseco did a great job directing aircraft to parking, orchestrating traffic flow to avoid conflicts, and shooing non-pilots away from whirling propellers. As we taxied onto the ramp crowded with seemingly careless non-pilots, the very familiar scene was nonetheless a little startling to me because it had been so long since my last breakfast event.

Me, Tom, and Alicia on the ramp at Piseco with our airplanes behind us. Photo by Jamie.

People wandered through parked aircraft, curiously peeking into cockpit windows, but generally being respectful and not touching anything. It was a well-behaved crowd.

Dan and Mary arrived from Sodus in their RV-12. While still in the air, we heard them on the radio and knew that they were behind us. They meet family for breakfast every year at the event.

Airplane Watching

After breakfast, we wandered the field while ogling the assembled aircraft. Aircraft turnout was light compared to previous years, probably due to the lower ceiling.

Spinner selfie! Photo by Jamie

Is Jamie pondering an addition to his existing SEL/SES ratings?

While low clouds may have deterred some from joining by air, the number of cars parked at the airport was stunning. When we took off, I could see that parking extended well beyond the airport grounds and along the road into the property.

Smile! You're on Candid Camera

As Jamie and I departed, a photographer was crouched along the taxiway. Jamie gave him a wave and a smile. The photographs, attributed to Ray Bedard, later appeared on-line.

Jamie and I taxiing for departure. Photo by Ray Bedard.

Launching skyward in Warrior 481. Photo by Ray Bedard.

Tom and Alicia preparing for engine start. Photo by Ray Bedard.

Tom and Alicia taxiing for departure. Photo by Ray Bedard.

Tom launches from Piseco. Photo by Ray Bedard.

On departure, we followed NY-8 through the terrain and back out of the mountains before turning direct for home. It was a morning of simple pleasures and a welcome return to pancake breakfasts.