August 8, 2015 - Flying the Susquehanna River Part 2
Leaving Wilkes-Barre, the river is now taking me northwest.
   
Skyhaven Airport (76N), across the river from Tunkhannock, PA.  Have you ever met anyone from Tunkhannock?  I haven't.
   
Farmland art.
   

The river really started winding after Tunkhannock, and then I came to the largest building in terms of area I have ever seen.  And I've seen the Boeing plant in Everett.  It turns out this gigantic building

is Proctor & Gamble's Mehoopany manufacturing plant, warehouse and distribution center.  It sits in the bend of the river and is really located in an undeveloped area; i.e.,the sticks.
   
Continuing on.
   
Pretty country.
   
I was feeling tired so when I saw this airport ahead of me, I decided to take a break and land.  The airport is Bradford County (N27).
   
On final at Bradford County Airport.  It turned out to be a very good stop.  The avgas prices were on the low end of the spectrum and they had a nice FBO area to relax in.
   
I was at Bradford County less than an hour, and then I was on my way, refreshed, heading due north.
   
 
   
Approaching Endicott and Binghamton, I encounter Tri-Cities Airport (KCZG).
   
Binghamton, New York.
   
Now I'm heading due east.
   
Yep, I'm in New York all right.
   
Heading southeast.  Notice how narrow the river has become.
   
The river makes a sharp turn from southeast to north up ahead.
   
Looking east into the Catskill Mountains.
   
 
A bunch of motorcycles having a get-together by the river.
   
Hey, I didn't know the Romans conquered this part of the country and built aquiducts!
   
House overlooking the river.
   
The river breaks into parts here.
   
Just off the river, Sidney Municipal Airport (N23) is another airport that gets good AirNav marks.
   
The river has gotten so small, I'm starting to have a hard time following it.  Here, the highway is wider than the river.
   
Even small towns have big WalMarts.
   
I was surprised to see a dam this far up.  But yet there it is, forming Goodyear Lake.
   
Soon the river is back to normal.
   
Now it is hardly more than a creek.
   
The river branches near Milford.  The northeast branch goes right by Cooperstown Airport (K23) which as you can see is a grass strip.  Cooperstown itself is on the other side of that ridge.  You can get a taxi from here to the town for $20 bucks or so one-way.  Why would you want to do that?  Because Cooperstown is the home of the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.
   
 
Here is where I gave up on the river, a little north of Cooperstown airport. It's pretty much done.
   
I bopped west over the ridge to Cooperstown which is at the bottom of Otsego Lake.
   
 
The Baseball Hall of Fame is that building complex in the middle of the picture.  I really should visit it someday.
   
Now it was time to head for home.  I climbed to 8,500 feet and headed south.
   
Pepacton Reservoir in the Catskill Mountains.  I picked up a tailwind here up high which was nice, but as you can see it is hazy.  Flying up high is boring.
   
You know I'm bored when I'm taking pictures of clouds.
   
Through the haze you can just make out the Delaware Water Gap where the Delaware River cuts through a large ridge.  At one time, this was one of the most popular vacation destinations in the country.
   
Looking down at where it all began this morning -- Smoketown Airport.  The fly-in is long since over.  Seems like a million years ago.
   
I descended as I approached Essex Skypark from the north.  Things are much clearer now.  I got a transition through Martin State Airport's Class D airspace.  Since I don't pass through this area much, I took some pictures of the waterfront just north of Martin State.
   
I hadn't realized there is so much waterfront property here.
   
And there is little Essex Skypark, by itself surrounded by forest.  Flew a lot today.  Good times.
   
 
   
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