A Bear's Adventures in the Flight Restricted Zone

Psychological Games and Imaginary Constructs

Even though the view beyond the windscreen remains unchanged, entering the Special Flight Rules Area (the SFRA or "Sifra") around Washington DC places ForeFlight users' aircraft avatars in a zone shaded red. Plunging even deeper into the specially-regulated airspace, passage into the Flight Restricted Zone (the FRZ or "Freeze") results in the digital aircraft swimming through a region that is somehow even more red than the SFRA. It is an off-putting psychological discrepancy for pilots, that even for those vetted to enter this inner sanctum of secure airspace, the aeronautical chart seems to scream, "You do not belong here!" 

July 19, 2025 marked both my third foray into the FRZ and the achievement of a long-held goal. As I described in 2023 ("Into the Flight Restricted Zone | Part 1, Of PINs and Prop Locks"), the post-9/11 secure airspace complex girding our nation's capital creates additional procedural challenges for pilots flying in the region. This is particularly true for anyone aspiring to land at the College Park Airport (KCGS), one of two general aviation airports trapped within the heart of the Flight Restricted Zone immediately surrounding the capital. In 2023, I achieved the necessary security vetting to earn FRZ flight plan filing privileges into this protected airspace. My reasons were manifold and interrelated:

• College Park is the oldest continuously operating airport in the world and a worthwhile destination all on its own.
• College Park is the only general aviation airport in the greater Washington DC metropolitan area with convenient access to the Metro, Washington DC's very capable subway system. Access to the Metro essentially means access to the entire city.
• As someone who has traveled to Washington DC many times over the course of my career, I have always found it to be a worthwhile destination, steeped in history and offering many incredible Smithsonian museums worth exploring.
• I have always wanted The Bear to visit Washington DC, an opportunity missed as an 8th grader when the usual school excursion to Washington was scuttled by Covid 19.

Thus, my ultimate goal in all of this was a family vacation to Washington DC so that The Bear could experience the city. On July 19, we finally made that happen.

"What Route Are You On?"

Date	Aircraft	Route of Flight	Time (hrs)	Total (hrs)
19 July 2025	N21481	SDC (Sodus, NY) - CGS (College Park, MD)	2.7	3021.5

As I worked through the usual steps to ready Warrior 481 for flight that morning, this mundane activity had an undercurrent of finality. This would be our last family vacation together in the airplane before The Bear left for college.

"Wait! We need to get a departure photo," I pleaded as the hangar door powered down. That this would be the last flight together in the foreseeable future seemed to be understood by everyone, even if the sentiment remained unspoken.

We were airborne at 7:35 am that morning. While the teenager balked at waking early, I successfully appealed to logic. "The earlier we go, the more we can see in DC."

By now, I had learned that filing direct to and from College Park is a no-go. Rochester might have cleared me direct to College Park from Sodus, but such a route would not survive past Harrisburg, PA. That morning, I filed a previously successful route: BEEPS T445 HAR V265 BELTS, where BELTS is a waypoint set roughly six miles north of College Park at the edge of the FRZ.

Keuka Lake, home of Glenn Curtiss.

We navigated over the Finger Lakes on a southbound route out of the area. While tracking along T-route 445, I was given a curious re-route by Elmira Approach. "Proceed direct GUYED and rejoin Tango 445." This directive confused me momentarily. I was already on T445, why would I need to rejoin it? As is often the case, consulting the chart resolved the confusion. By flying from our position just east of Penn Yan direct to GUYED, we would depart T445 temporarily, avoid a bend in the T-route, and rejoin the route at GUYED halfway between Elmira, NY and Williamsport, PA. I am still not sure why this deviation was issued by the controller, but it was functionally a short cut that worked in our favor.

Southern end of Seneca Lake.

Reaching the southern tier of New York, a dense undercast filled in below and obscured the entire state of Pennsylvania from view. I logged 1.1 hours of instrument time on the way to College Park that morning as we flew through valleys of cumulus. A headwind stretched the flight time to 2.7 hours.

Harrisburg Approach had another re-route waiting for us when we checked in. "Cherokee Two One Four Eight One is cleared to College Park via Westminster (EMI), KRANT, direct." KRANT is so deep within the FRZ that it is only a couple of miles from the US Capitol. "We'll never get all the way to KRANT," I opined to Kristy. "But if we do, have a camera ready."

Making contact with Potomac Approach for the first time that morning resulted in an odd sort of greeting.

"What route are you on?" queried the controller. 

Shouldn't you already know that? I thought to myself. "Four Eight One is direct Westminster, then KRANT, direct." This passed without further comment.

"Say approach request," asked the next Potomac controller. College Park showed marginal VFR, but considering that the airport is small and difficult to spot, I decided that it would be best to fly the instrument approach to runway 15 rather than break out low and search for the airport under the overcast. At the time, College Park was served by two RNAV (GPS) approaches, Alpha and Bravo. RNAV-A was ostensibly intended for runway 15, but the final approach course formed just enough of an angle relative to runway heading that it could not be named for the runway. (Interestingly, this changed on August 7, 2025 when an RNAV-15 approach was commissioned for College Park that lines aircraft up directly on the centerline. RNAV-B remains to serve runway 33.)

We were cleared direct to the initial approach fix and proceeded to descend through layers of clouds from our cruise altitude of 8,000 feet. We entered the FRZ with zero fanfare just prior to intercepting the final approach course.

Our first view of Maryland after breaking out.

We broke out of the clouds prior to the final approach fix and, despite the angle between the runway and the final approach path, easily spotted the airport. I cancelled IFR in the air with Potomac Approach and was reminded to carry the squawk code all the way to the ground. Pressing that VFR button on the transponder while airborne in the FRZ would have made for a poor start to our vacation.

Despite focusing on flying the airplane, I spared enough attention to point out where the Washington Monument was visible a few miles off our front starboard quarter. College Park Airport welcomed us over the radio and offered an updated wind report as we lined up on final approach.

On the ground at College Park.

We made it! We had landed as a family just a few miles from the United States capital and we did so by navigating some of the most secure airspace in the country. As I have explained to others who have asked, the actual flying is not so difficult, there is just more work upfront to make it happen. And, of course, there is the psychologically daunting effect of that doubly red FRZ airspace depicted on the electronic chart.

The Footsteps of Wilbur Wright

Photographed July 6, 2024.

College Park Airport is considered the oldest continuously operating airport in the world, established when Wilbur Wright was contracted by the United States Army to train the first military pilots there starting in 1908.

Photographed July 6, 2024.

As we often do, we goofed around at the airport before leaving for the city.

"Oooo!" The Bear and I said simultaneously, when we spied this Lego rendition of the 1903 Flyer.

Outside, The Bear was drawn to this kiddie-sized control tower that seemed to stand watch over WFC member Chris K's V-tail Bonanza that lives at College Park most of the time. I texted a photo of Chris' airplane to him and received one of mine tied down at College Park from him later in the day. We never managed to cross paths in person, though.

Despite a tight fit through the hatch, The Bear managed to position herself in the tower cab and made her air traffic control debut! (Pro-tip, as a controller, it is better to face the runway you're in charge of managing. I’m sure the FAA covers that in orientation.) 

After a short walk from the airport, we boarded a Metro Green Line train toward Branch Ave for the Gallery Place / Chinatown station. I ensured that everyone had SmarTrip cards linked to their phones before we left home and this made for a smooth run through the Metro system.

When we emerged at street level in Washington DC, there was no denying that we were in Chinatown! Our hotel was within two blocks of the Metro stop, the Hampton Inn Washington Downtown Convention Center. As Hamptons go, it was a nice one. While jaw-droppingly overpriced, that was offset by its convenience to the heart of Washington DC. Because it was too early to check in, we left our bags with the hotel and ventured out to explore the city.

First stop: the Irish Channel Restaurant & Pub for some Guinness meatballs with fish and chips.

Scenes from Washington DC

What follows is a pictorial summary of our two days in the beautiful capital of our nation, presented in no particular order. From the sights along the national mall to the wonders on display by various Smithsonian museums, we saw many terrific things.

United States Capitol.

Proof that we made it using our own version of planes, trains, and automobiles. Neal Page might have struggled with ol' Del Griffith, but at least he didn't have to deal with IFR re-routes or a prop lock in the FRZ.

The Bear: "Wait...is there a statue on the dome of the capitol?"

The Bear and Kristy at the Capitol reflecting pool.

Ulysses S. Grant Memorial.

"I know no method to secure the repeal of bad or obnoxious laws so effective as their stringent execution." -- Ulysses S. Grant.

National Archive.

Inside these walls are original renditions of what should be required reading for all citizens: the United States' founding documents including the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights.

Jefferson Memorial.

Lincoln Memorial.

Lincoln Memorial.

Oh, Abe, have I got some stories for you.

"Bright light, bright light!"

"On your left!" The Bear was particularly interested in visiting the reflecting pool to reenact the scene from Captain America: The Winter Soldier where Steve Rogers laps Sam Wilson. I portrayed Sam while The Bear videoed herself running past me.

Washington Monument.

Washington Monument and US Capitol.

Washington Monument.

Heh...nice dumpster.

These tidy row houses caught everyone's eye.

Mellon Fountain, National Gallery of Art.

National Gallery of Art.

Chilling on the National Mall.

Eye catching oxalis triangularis flowers outside the United States Botanic Garden.

Slow Rondo, 2018, Don Merkt.

High above the entrance to the Keck Center of the National Academies stands this compelling, slow moving sculpture.

Inscribed on the Keck Center of the National Academies.

These wise words from Einstein seem particularly relevant today.

See the above quote from Einstein.

Hirshhorn Museum.

Smithsonian Castle.

National Museum of African American History and Culture.

National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden

Aurora, 1993, Mark di Suvero.

"Phineas?"

Thinker on a Rock, 1997, Barry Flanagan

The Thinker and the Stinker?

Cheval Rouge, 1974, Alexander Calder.

As alumni of Indiana University, Kristy and I both recognized this as work of Alexander Calder. A similar Calder sculpture called Peau Rouge Indiana (1970) stands before the IU Musical Arts Center (MAC).

Graft, 2008, Roxy Paine.

As the Browncoats say, "Shiny." They're just not usually describing trees.

Tom's, 1974, Alexander Calder.

Wait, Calder made them in black, too? Evidently so.

Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum

Continuum, 2005, Charles O. Perry, positioned outside the Air & Space Museum.

The Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum is still undergoing renovation and timed entry tickets are still necessary for visitor flow control. Sadly, some of the newer exhibits were scheduled to reopen just a few days after our visit. For more photos of the newerAir & Space Museum exhibits, see my prior post ("Into the Flight Restricted Zone | Part 2, Air & Space").

Just inside the Independence Avenue entrance, we found this original television model of the U.S.S. Enterprise.

The glass case made it difficult to capture good photos without annoying reflections.

But it did not matter. The Bear, who has developed into quite a Star Trek fan in recent years, and I were both delighted. Periodically, the model lights up and the tiny motors that spin lights in the warp nacelle caps operate to ensure that they don't seize. The Bear and I were lucky to witness this.

Gazing at this spacesuit, I saw many things. Hope, innovation, courage, adventure, and...

...us!

Photo by Kristy.

Just me chilling with the Wright brothers. In many ways, I feel that the Wrights truly earned their lionization as aeronautical pioneers. Through meticulous experimentation, they not only solved the problem of controllable heavier than air flight, but they laid the groundwork for what would become the modern field of aeronautics. Sadly, after their triumphs in the first decade of the twentieth century, they put more effort into defending their patents and actively discouraging competitor innovation than advancing the field in a meaningful way. These patent dispute battles were so vicious that Orville Wright literally blamed aeronautical nemesis Glenn Curtiss for the untimely death of Wilbur who perished from typhoid while fighting Curtiss in court.

Photographed January 22, 2012 when The Bear was four years old.

The Bear has a long history with the 1903 Wright Flyer. She used to enjoy playing with a small model on my desk that was a present from the Air Zoo during my time there as a volunteer. She referred to it as the "airplane with no wheels", which was quite appropriate. The Wrights did not add wheels to their aircraft until the Wright Model B was introduced in 1910.

The Bear at the marker for the first successful flight in the 1903 Flyer. Photo taken August 31, 2013.

In 2013, we made a family trip to the Outer Banks and visited the Kill Devil Hills, NC site where the Wrights achieved their successful first flight. The Bear earned a Junior Flight Ranger Badge at the Wright Brothers National Memorial.

As a result of her long history with the "airplane with no wheels", she was truly excited to see the genuine airplane at the Air & Space Museum. (We may have artificially played-up that excitement for this photo.)

Much like the Enterprise, we recognize that this X-wing fighter is not a genuine spacecraft, but it was nonetheless fun to see. I might have preferred an original trilogy example, but I'll take what I can get.

As unlikely as it may seem, the National Air & Space Museum was not the only place in Washington DC where we encountered R2-D2. Stay tuned.

Naturally, The Bear and I needed a selfie with the X-wing. Seeing us nerding-out, a docent approached and shared some interesting facts about the X-wing’s placement in the museum. It was a perfect opportunity to ask her something that I was already incensed about.

"Tell me about what's happening with Discovery." As background, a provision in the so-called "Big Beautiful Bill" passed earlier this year included language intended to relocate the Space Shuttle Discovery from the Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy Center to Houston, TX.

"Never gonna happen," replied the docent. She proceeded to rattle off several reasons why, including that ownership of the shuttle was transferred to the Smithsonian and the federal government no longer has any say in its disposition plus the cost and logistical nightmare of moving the fragile space vehicle such a great distance now that the 747 shuttle-hauler is decommissioned.

Upstate New York, represent! Photo by Kristy.

Moving on to the Early Flight exhibit, I spotted some artifacts from the Wright brothers' arch nemesis, Glenn Curtiss. Based in Hammondsport, NY at the southern tip of Keuka Lake (see photo at beginning of this post), Glenn Curtiss is hailed as the father of Naval aviation for the capable seaplanes he created. Moreover, Curtiss popularized the use of ailerons for aircraft roll control. Intended as a way to circumvent the Wright patents on wing warping, the aileron was simpler to build and more cost effective, thus becoming the basis for lateral control on the vast majority of airplanes flying today. 

It may be a long way from the F-14s of Top Gun, but this is the world's first military aircraft. The 1909 Wright Military Flyer was used by Wilbur Wright to train the first three U.S. Army pilots at College Park Airport. After being acquired by the U.S. Army, the aircraft was designated Signal Corps Number One. It has been part of the Smithsonian collection since 1911.

The Bleriot XI was one of the most mass-produced early aircraft (which surely maddened the Wright brothers), though it is best known as the first type to fly across the English Channel. Early monoplanes were not known for durability, but this particular Bleriot was flown by Swiss aerobatic pilot John Domenjoz who was also known as "upside down Domenjoz". This explains its unusual attitude in the exhibit.

Although the Wright brothers despised Glenn Curtiss, Herman Ecker recognized a good design when he saw it and built this 1911 Flying Boat as his own version of the capable Curtiss design.

The Milestones of Flight gallery has been closed for several years. During that time, the exhibit has been reworked and the aircraft have undergone restoration. Due to reopen a few days after our visit, one of the gallery's many famous artifacts could be seen around the drapes screening the area from view.

One has to give props to the Ford Trimotor; at least three of them.

This and the following three photos are presented out of love for the capable DC-3, an early airliner, troop hauler, and military cargo glider towplane.

I was riveted by this perspective on the DC-3!

I wish the belly of Warrior 481 was this clean.

Photo by The Bear.

In the gallery about space travel, we found this copy of the cover for the metal record sent into the darkness with Voyagers 1 and 2. The pictograms on the cover were intended to teach any intercepting aliens how to recover information from the record. Of course, no one could predict that at least one of those probes would be discovered by a machine civilization and transformed into the special effects-laden antagonist of the most boring Star Trek film ever made.

Photo by The Bear.

Perhaps the cover's message should have been personalized in a different way? Live long and prosper, bitches!

A Meal with Karizma

For dinner on our one evening in Washington DC, we walked a couple of blocks from our hotel to Karizma Modern Indian for some high end Indian cuisine. For those paying attention, yes, we enjoyed  some excellent Indian food while in Chinatown.

On the way, we were caught in the only downpour we experienced on our trip. We were prepared with umbrellas, but when the rain vector includes a significant horizontal component, there is only so much an umbrella can do.

Our meals were as delicious as they were beautifully plated. This made for a Happy Bear.

Harbinger at the National Museum of Natural History

A significant portion of Day 2 was spent at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, which I last visited with the Williamson Flying Club when we flew into College Park in 2024.

As a rock hound with a keen interest in the environment, there was much to enthrall The Bear at the Museum of Natural History. For some exhibits, she meticulously devoured the contents of every placard with a level of enthusiasm not seen since my visit to Air & Space!

But it was a very different experience for me. Shortly after entering, I was suddenly overcome by a severe headache, overwhelming fatigue, and a strong sense of something being physically "off". After wandering extensively through the city the day before in 92 °F temperatures and making a not-entirely-successful effort to remain hydrated, I wondered if I was experiencing the aftereffects of dehydration. (I wasn't.) I excused myself to a museum cafe where I slowly sipped an overpriced bottle of water while contemplating my newest conundrum.

We were scheduled to fly home that evening and, in my current condition, I would not pass the aviators' personal IMSAFE (illness, medication, stress, alcohol, fatigue, emotion) preflight checklist. Slowly, I worked through a set of hypotheticals involving rental cars to get home and variations on how to retrieve the Warrior from College Park afterward, an issue complicated by the Flight Restricted Zone that would significantly narrow the field of friends and other pilots who could assist. If anything, working through these options just made my head hurt more, but I made peace with the idea that we might not be flying home that evening.

While The Bear continued poring through the exhibits in the Museum of Natural History, Kristy and I departed to find some ameliorating medication. By the time I had taken some ibuprofen and imbibed some electrolytes (sugar free Gatorade consumed while still operating under the shaky hypothesis of dehydration), I completely felt like myself again. My appetite returned and I was well throughout lunch at the Elephant and Castle Pub. With greater confidence, I called Washington Center to file our FRZ flight plan home with a planned departure time of 4:00 pm.

National Museum of American History:
"What's Your Name, Man?"

After lunch and more time at the Museum of Natural History, we thought it would be fun to finish our Washington DC jaunt with a visit to the pop culture exhibit ("Entertainment Nation") at the National Museum of American History.

C-3PO and R2-D2.

Here, The Bear posed happily with a "mindless philosopher" and an "overweight glob of grease". They paired wonderfully with the '70s-style Star Wars T-shirt that The Bear picked up at Air & Space.

Muppet Fozzie Bear.

Compared to my college-bound Bear, this one once described himself as a "bear of very little brain." Wocka wocka!

Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street.

The rubber ducky had a profound and essential impact on pop culture. Unfortunately, the only example that the Smithsonian could find of these extremely rare artifacts was attached to these two random marionette / puppet things that had to be displayed along with it. Just ignore them.

Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton costume from Hamilton.

This figure represents an alternate history on the life of founding father Alexander Hamilton in which the titular character's head wound up in a basket instead of Louie XVI's. This version of the popular Broadway musical was never staged, but is tantalizingly presented by the museum to inspire consideration of branching timelines in our own multiverse reality.

From the set of M*A*S*H.

Encapsulated within this glass case is an early 1950s navigation device recovered from somewhere north of Seoul, South Korea. Compared to modern navigation systems, especially since the advent of WAAS, this instrument is noteworthy for its limited database of destinations and imprecise course guidance.

From Star Trek: Discovery.

More recent additions to the exhibit included a tribute to female characters in science fiction and contained these two costumes from Star Trek: Discovery: Empress Georgiou's (Michelle Yeoh) gown and the Red Angel. The katana in the foreground was wielded by The Walking Dead's Michonne (Danai Gurira). Just out of frame was Dana Scully's (Gillian Anderson) FBI badge from the X-Files.

Archie and Edith's iconic chairs from the set of All in the Family.

When I was young, I used to love watching All in the Family. (Mostly, I think, because my younger self was amused by Archie calling future heavy metal documentarian Marty DiBergi "meathead" throughout the run of the show.) For some reason, Archie Bunker reminded Mom and I of her father. I say "for some reason" because they were actually nothing alike. My grandfather was gruff but possessed a kind soul without a prejudiced bone in his body. He was quite unlike the caustically bigoted Archie.

Heck, the exhibit even contained the original Lamb Chop! Even though Lamb Chop and Shari Lewis were way before my time, I know an iconic bit of pop culture when I see it. Overall, the exhibit made for a fun coda to our trip with all three of us delightedly exclaiming, "Look what I found!" with each unexpected discovery. Entertainment Nation made for a fun museum palate cleanser before saddling up for home.

Watch out for Morlocks!

Making funny faces on the Metro escalator as we escaped DC.

We retrieved our bags from the the hotel and made our way into the subterranean realm of the Metro. On the train ride back to College Park, I carefully reassessed my condition and determined myself fit to fly. The headache did not return.

To exit the FRZ, I filed the reverse of my inbound flight plan with a route consisting of BELTS V265 HAR T445 BEEPS and an expected flight time of 2 hours and 46 minutes. I checked the fuel tanks and verified 30 gallons remaining, equivalent to 3 hours and 45 minutes of flight time. With 90+ °F temperatures at College Park, a shortish runway with tall trees off the departure end, and three of us on board, I did not want to take on additional fuel. Calculations showed that we had sufficient fuel to return home with an hour reserve without taking on any additional.

When I called Potomac Approach for clearance, they changed my filed route to something slightly more circuitous, but not unreasonably so: radar vectors, then EMI V3 VINNY T291 HAR, then the rest as originally filed. This added a slight eastward excursion to the route.

Departure from College Park always feels a bit hairy; ensuring the transponder code is correctly programmed before going airborne, popping up into the busy overlying airspace, checking onto a congested Potomac Approach frequency, and managing vectors and climb instructions while receiving handoffs to multiple Potomac sectors before clearing the SFRA and Bravo airspace. I hand flew the Warrior during this busy phase as we clawed our way to higher altitude in the turbulence of the hot day, first out of the FRZ, then ultimately exiting the SFRA.

Unanticipated Emergency

Date	Aircraft	Route of Flight	Time (hrs)	Total (hrs)
20 July 2025	N21481	CGS (College Park, MD) - PEO (Penn Yan, NY) - SDC (Sodus, NY)	3.3	3024.8

The Susquehanna River in central Pennsylvania.

We spent far less time in the clouds (0.3 hours) during the return trip than the prior day, but this was intentional. Building cumulus made for a less benign cloudscape than what we experienced previously and I worked to avoid buildups. ATC was generally accommodating of each deviation request, including one that I maintained for at least 20 miles before turning back on course. On the way out of the SFRA, I noticed that VINNY intersection appeared to be inside a developing thunderstorm and persuaded Potomac Approach to turn us direct to Harrisburg. When granted (somewhat grudgingly), this change eliminated a significant portion of the detour from my departure clearance.

South of the Pennsylvania-New York state line, I noticed a concerning set of contradictory indications from my instruments. Though we were progressing along the route close to the anticipated timeline, both fuel gauges indicated much lower than expected. Kristy noticed this as well and had already raised an eyebrow at me. It is difficult to trust the arithmetic when the gauge needles are telling a different story, so I decided to make a precautionary diversion for fuel.

But where? Gusty wind was howling around the terrain of the state border region below. I contemplated Bradford County, Elmira, and Painted Post airports, but knew that the combination of wind and terrain would make for a rough ride and that it would alarm my wife. Though reading lower than expected, the fuel gauges indicated that I should be able to reach Penn Yan easily and Elmira Approach granted my request to divert there. 

Clearing some of the last of the weather west of Elmira, NY.

Dynamic weather around Penn Yan shifted from good VFR to IFR as we neared and I requested an instrument approach. Elmira steered us around a small thunderstorm cell before vectoring us onto the approach. As the mileage to Penn Yan ticked down, both fuel gauges actually hit empty. Curiously, despite sitting on empty, both needles bounced whenever we hit an atmospheric bump, suggesting that the floats were still responding to a reasonable volume ofliquid in the tanks. Based on their readings when I first decided on the Penn Yan diversion, these indications reached empty impossibly quickly. Something did not add up.

Just in case the readings were real (remember that time my fuel burn increased significantly due to a carburetor issue?), I stayed high and only began a descent once Penn Yan was in gliding distance. Just a few miles south of the airport, we broke out of the clouds. I cancelled IFR, changed frequencies, and focused on getting the airplane on the ground.

While staying high until within gliding range was a good strategy, I stayed high too long and realized that I was now at risk of not being able to descend steeply enough without overrunning the far end of runway 1 (5,499' long). I performed some S-turns (which Kristy did not like) and transitioned to an aggressive, power-off forward slip (which Kristy also did not like) to get the airplane safely onto the runway. We touched down softly on the runway just past the midpoint.

At the fuel pump, Warrior 481 would only swallow just shy of 40 gallons of fuel. This meant that we still had enough fuel on board for an hour of flying when we touched down at Penn Yan, exactly as I had calculated from my measurements at College Park. We could have made it to Sodus easily.

Stupid fuel gauges. At least I did the math correctly...but better safe than sorry.

Something strange happened when I entered the FBO to use the bathroom. When I stepped into the air conditioned building, I was instantly chilled to the bone and shivered uncontrollably the whole time I was inside. It was strange and very unlike me because I normally tolerate cold air very well. I wondered if it was from the adrenaline rush of being fooled into thinking that I had nearly run out of fuel with my family on board. (Not a delightful thing to contemplate, incidentally.)

It wasn't. Instead, it was another harbinger of things to come.

Uh Oh

We stayed low and slow for the remaining 20 minute flight back to Sodus. I flew by hand as golden hour light spilled from the evening sun and shadows lengthened eastward across the agrarian landscape. After a perfunctory landing, pushing the Warrior back into the barn, and cleaning the bugs from her wings, the intense headache from that morning returned with a vengeance. It came on suddenly enough that I wondered if I had unconsciously kept it at bay by sheer force of will while flying home. Because I was practically incapacitated by it, The Bear drove us home. I spent the next two days knocked down by fever, severe chills, recurring head and body aches, and a variety of other weird symptoms. The only thing I completed over the next two days was passively binge watching Fallout season 1, which I found quirky and enjoyable (if violent and gory), but it was not a particularly impressive accomplishment for the week.

What now?

Mission Accomplished

I have always loved visiting Washington DC and even though I have deep concerns about what is happening there politically, I was glad to have finally fulfilled a long held desire to share the city with The Bear. Moreover, I was gratified that she genuinely enjoyed the visit. With The Bear departing for college at the end of August, our window of opportunity was almost closed and it was fitting that our last pre-college adventure in the airplane was so worthwhile. I could have done without the drama and added stress of flaky fuel gauges and a mystery illness, however.