June 17, 2026 - Flying around Southeast Pennsylvania
Today I thought I'd fly to somewhere I've never been before.  So I headed northwest.  Here I'm crossing the Baltimore Beltway (I-695).
   
Passing over Liberty Reservoir, which I've done a thousand times before.  Hey, you got to get away from home base a little to see something new!
   
Passing by Clearview Airpark, which I've also been to a thousand times before..
   
Now here is a place I haven't seen in a long time.  It's the Flying H Farm (8MD5), a private grass strip near Libertytown, Maryland.   It's often called Harrison Farm Airport because it is located on the Harrison family's farm.  They used to have a big, annual Ultralight fly-in here years ago.  I flew a Kolb Ultrastar to it and had a great time.  Like this!  The runway is 2,000 feet long.  I could get the RV-7 in here, no problem..
   
The Capital Area Light Flyers still hold events here.
   
After the Flying H, I turn due north and parallel the Catoctin Mountains.  Don't want to fly over there; it's the P-40 Prohibited Area.
   
Flying past Keymar Airpark (MD42), a private grass strip near Taneytown, that has been an Ultralight hang-out on and off over the years.     Link.
   
I fly around the north half of P-40, past Gettysburg, and then head northwest.  Soon I see my first stop:  Franklin County Airport (N68).
   
Turning right base for runway 24.
   
At this point, my camera inexplicably shifted over to black and white.
   

On the ground at Franklin County.  It's absolutely deserted.

Franklin County Regional Airport services the town of Chambersburg, PA.
   
But they do have a nice little terminal where a pilot can hang out.
   
I continue west across the tree-covered ridges.
   
Highway 30, the old Lincoln Highway, snakes its way west.
   
Looking down at Greater Breezewood Regional Airport (P17), a grass strip primarily used for glider operations.
   
On final at Greater Breezewood.
   
Parked on the grass at Greater Breezewood, which is also deserted.
   
A beautiful grass runway, all to myself.
   
A huge hangar; to store gliders, no doubt.
   
It's always nice when an airport posts the important information for visiting pilots.
   
It's a short hop northwest to my next stop:  Bedford County Airport (KHMZ).
   
Now this airport was attended .  In fact, a couple of FBO guys were waiting to ask questions about the RV-7 when I parked.
   
The FBO office.  Very friendly folks work here.  They have THREE courtesy cars.  The town of Bedford is couple of miles south of the airport.  This might be a good fly-to breakfast or lunch place.
   
My RV-7 looks pretty small compared to that big King Air.
   

There is a big helicopter operation at this airport.

I pass by this big CH-47 Chinook sits on the ramp.
   
 
   
Departing Bedford County.
   
Flying northwest over a windmill-covered ridge.
   
Looking down at Ebensburg Airport (9G8).  It looked pretty dead so I didn't land.
   
A closer look at Ebensburg Airport.  The road behind it is lined with car dealerships.
   
Retracing my steps southeast towards Altoona (KAOO).
   
Altoona Airport is big, yet is a good 12 miles south from Altoona downtown itself.  Surprisingly for such a big airport it doesn't have a control tower.
   
On a crosswind for runway 21.
   
Now on downwind for 21.
   
And final.
   
Altoona has a big passenger terminal.  But for me, it was this little FBO office.
   
A nice lounge area for pilots.  This airport was a little impersonal; nobody said a word to me.  I walked in the FBO building, looked around, then walked out.
   
A nice corporate jet sits out on the ramp.
   
Passing by the Altoona passenger terminal.
   
Just to the east of Altoona airport, I came to this.  It definately needs a closer look!
   
Rolling in hot.
   
It turns out this is Raystown Lake.   Although the first Raystown Dam was built in 1905, this man-make lake wasn't completed until 1973 by the Army Corps of Engineers. It is around 200 feet deep in the deepest area near the dam. The lake was created primarily to control floods, provide electricity, and support recreational activities
   
Passing the Lake Raystown Point Marina on the east side.
   
Much of the land surrounding the lake is owned by the Army Corps of Engineers and is not available for residential development; because of this summer homes were built near the lake rather than on the waterfront, and most of the lake remains undeveloped. This makes the experience of boating on the lake very different from many other lakes; the hills on the shores of the winding lake are blanketed right down to the water by the trees.
   
Approaching the Seven Points Marina on the west side.
   
 
   
Approaching the Raystown Dam which is actually at far left.
   
 
   

Here's a good look at the earthen embankment dam.

The construction of the new Raystown Dam and Raystown Lake was completed in 1972. The lake was conveniently nearly filled by Tropical Storm Agnes.   It is estimated that Lake Raystown Dam was effective in preventing Agnes damages in the Juniata Basin downstream from the dam of $48,100,000 and of $11,900,000 along the lower Susquehanna River" (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1974).
   
What is left of the Raystown River Juniata Branch.
   
I continue east and encounter a much larger river: the Susquehanna, north of .Harrisburg, capital city of Pennsylvania.
   
Looking north.  The Susquehanna runs all the way to New York.
   
 
   
I skirt the northern edge of the Harrisburg Class C airspace and come to Hershey Park, PA.
   

Hershey is, of course, the home of the famous Hershey Company, one of the largest chocolate manufacturers in the world.

In 1903, Hershey began construction of a chocolate plant in his hometown of Derry Church, Pennsylvania, later known as Hershey, Pennsylvania.  The town was an inexpensive place for the workers and their families to live, though the factory was built without windows, so that employees would not be distracted. To increase employee morale, Hershey provided leisure activities and created what would later become Hersheypark. The milk chocolate bars from this plant proved popular, and the company grew rapidly.

Hershey Park was founded in 1906, by Milton S. Hershey as a leisure park for the employees of the Hershey Chocolate Company.

The park opened its first roller coaster in 1923, the Wild Cat, an early Philadelphia Toboggan Company coaster. In 1970, it began a redevelopment plan, which led to new rides, an expansion, and its renaming. The 1970s brought the SooperDooperLooper, an early complete-circuit looping roller coaster, as well as a 330-foot-tall observation tower, the Kissing Tower. Beginning in the mid-1980s, the park rapidly expanded. Between 1991 and 2008, it added eight roller coasters and the "Boardwalk at Hersheypark" water park. As of 2020, the park covers over 121 acres, containing 76 rides and attractions, as well as a zoo called "ZooAmerica". Adjacent to the park is Hershey's Chocolate World, a visitors' center attraction that contains shops, restaurants, and a chocolate factory-themed tour ride, where visitors can get their picture taken and receive a piece of chocolate at the end of the ride.

In 2020, the park hosted 1.7 million visitors.  It is the most visited theme park in Pennsylvania and the ninth most visited theme park in North America.

Hershey Park used to have its own airstrip.  It has long been closed but is still clearly visible at lower right.
   
A good look at the park.
   
The old runway is clearly visible at right.
   
 
   
Three miles to the east of Hershey Park is Reigle Field (58N).  It's just outside the Harrisburg Class C airspace.  It didn't look like much was happening at this airport so I passed on landing.
   
No activity.
   
Ten miles south of Reigle is the one airport I have been to previously, but a long time ago, in the old Citabria.  It's Donegal Springs Airport (N71) and is actually underneath the outer ring of Harrisburg Class C airspace.
   
On final for Donegal Springs.  The airport is unusual is that it has a single taxiway midfield that leads to the ramp.  You have to back taxi for takeoff in either direction.
   
Parked on the ramp at Donegal Springs.  I walked into what looked like the FBO only to discover it is the office for an Avionics shop.  But the woman who worked there was nice and friendly.
   
Self-service fuel is available.
   
Taxing to the runway, this RV-7A who had just landed, waited until I got on the runway so he could use the taxi way.
   
Two miles south of Donegal Springs was the Susquehanna River which I followed southeast for awhile.
   
Sand bars on the wide Susquehanna.
   
I turned south towards Baltimore.
   
I passed by Shoestring Aviation Airfield (0P2) which as you can see is grass strip, primarily used by ultralights and light sport planes.  It is privately-owned but public use.  It has intersecting 1,000 foot runways.  I don't think I could get the RV-7 down and stopped on a thousand foot runway but  the runway running top to bottom looks longer than that and I think I could do it if I had to.
   
North of Baltimore is Loch Raven Reservoir.
   
Flying over an obviously affluent area north of Baltimore.  I think it is Hampton
   
More Hampton.
   
Flying past Towson Town Center, a big shopping mall.
   
A road leading directly to Baltimore.
   
Yes, Tiki Lee's is definately open!
   
Key Bridge Building Status Update:  No change.  After two and a half years, nothing has been done.
   
Joe M. at Essex Skyparking proudly stands in front of his new ride:  a fully-aerobatic Skybolt!
   
 
   
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