X-Country!

Hello guys! I'm currently on my second solo x-country and I'm really stuck on where I should head to. Can anyone reccomend some nice x-country airports to head too, maybe somewhere with a nice restaurant? I'll be departing from Toms River, NJ. So anywhere in the Tri-State area, maybe? Thanks guy!

Block Island KBID gets my vote this weekend. Might be too far for your second solo though. Go to KWWD it's not that far, qualifies for xcountry and there is a diner on the field.

Well I need about 2.6 hours for this x country, and also two airports to land at.

Head North then. There is a beautiful place by Lake George KGFL Glens Falls 207 nm from you. Land anywhere in between. It's a picturesque route and restaurant on the field is like a museum. You won't regret. Watch the weather. Navigation is very easy if lost just track the Hudson River Watch airspace and beware of attack waitress.

That looks awesome! But since i'm flying a C152, it would probably take forever to get there and back haha.

Another option for slower bird like 152. KMPO has crew car and if you call with ETA they will hold it for you. Pocono Mountains Municipal has long crossing runways really hard to screw up. Intermediate landing could be anywhere in between. Sky Manor N40 has nice restaurant on the field but approach may be tricky if windy and runway is narrower. Allentown Queen City is a good intermediate stop.
Don't forget to have fun!

Fencer, you're the man! Totally forgot about KMPO! N40 seems like an awesome airport as well! Thanks for the suggestions!

Decided on KMJX - 12N - N40 - KMJX --- Thanks again!

Just be a little careful on that first leg, you'll have the western edge of the NY class B there! There's R5001 and Lakehurst / McGuire to deal with too but I'm sure you're familiar with those. Have fun!

KMQS, Coatesville, PA has a nice little restaurant on the field that I eat at on a regular basis it seems.

Just came back from the trip. Awesome trip.. Other then the gusting winds, the places were nice. Unfortunately, N40's restaurant is closed Tuesdays & Wednesdays, so I just landed and got out to stretch. Thanks for the suggestions web265 & Crockrocket94! I think though, next time, I won't be visiting these short fields with winds like how they were today.

Thanks for good tip. Went there today niiiiiice!

Saw some real jetts!










The restaurant is way cool and food is awesome! Well worth the price.

And that's all? Where is the fun? We want some pictures and a write up! You just landed and got out to stretch?????? Congratulations on second solo anyway....

Fencer, we almost had a pick up around noon in our Citation VIIat MQS. Too bad the trip cancelled out or we would have ran into each other!

Sorry!!! Forgot to make a complete write up. No pictures though, unfortunately.



Since I have class @ 12PM, I agreed to meet up with my instructor at 7:30AM to get my sign off.

Finished all my flight planning the previous night and was pretty confident that the heading I calculated would get me there haha.. So after calling the fright briefer and after a quick lecture from my instructor, he cut me loose. After that, I went out to my little soda can (C152) and preflighted the mighty duck. Now I don't know about everyone else, but I got a little paranoid in the morning regarding winds, and kept looking at the wind sock every few seconds to see where the wind has gone. By the time I completed the pre-flight winds were 330@10, so winds were favoring 24 that morning. After taxing and doing my run-up, I got myself on the runway, and a few seconds later, I was off!

As soon as I was off the ground, I continued runway heading until I reached about 800 FT, then started circling around the airport until I got to my cruising altitude (5500). (This is just something my instructor taught me so I can get all settled in the air before dealing with ATC). After reaching 5500, I contacted McGuire APP requesting flight following over to 12N, Aeroflex-Andover (Of course, I always remember to say "Student Pilot" in the beginning). The air traffic controller was in a peachy mood this morning and all transmissions went without trouble. I won't lie, sitting in a 152 for a pro-longed period of time could get awfully annoying at times, and those are the times I wish I would've had the bigger cockpit. The winds were not to choppy at 5500, and only a bump here and there, nothing to crazy. After about 20NM, McGuire handed me over to New York APP....... all I can say is Holy Sh... The guy wasn't too bad with me, and I won't lie I'm not too bad with radios, but God Bless this guy. Every 2 seconds he has something to say to someone, somewhere... I just thought it was amazing that he's able to control such a great magnitude of airplanes including my 90KT self.

I was approaching the edge of the Class B of New York, and without a problem, the Godly controller cleared me through the class B. There is always a sigh of relief whenever I am cleared through the Class B! After about another 20NM, New York handed me off to another controller, I don't remember the station of the top of my head, but after being with him for a few, I went ahead and told him I have the field in sight, and looking to cancel flight following. (Always a bitter-sweet moment) haha. But, indeed I did have 12N in sight, and that's when the sweat on the back started building up (lol). 12N is a 1916ft runway that has a lake on both sides and winds were 360@11 to my understanding, so I felt like I was a KLM Boeing 747 pilot for a few seconds... then reality checked in, and I'm only a broke college student flying a Cessna 152 from NJ.. Oh well, this will do for now. So after choosing runway 06 for my landing, I started my pattern for landing, and my instructors voice was in me the whole time, telling me what to do on a short field landing. On downwind I start to get a little worried with how the winds are doing and with the short field and all, I wasn't really sure if it would be doable, so I said to myself I'll extend my downwind, turn base, final and see how I feel on the extended. And that is just what I did. I felt comfortable to land and gave it a go.... On final, the winds are more variable then Kim Kardashian... I put aileron into the wind and start controlling with rudder, short final I feel very confident with landing and tell myself "your good to go", the mighty 152 roars down and then finally, I hear the glorious chirp. I've done it. I've landed at the airport I've dreamt of landing at!


After landing at aeroflex, I decided to leave right away, just because there really is nothing to do there. I taxi to the end of the runway, turn left onto the taxi way, and taxi onto the runway. Flaps 10 degrees, feet on breaks, full power, breaks release, and its a go! I take off, and see a few boats waving at me, and I couldn't help but wave back, even though I knew they couldn't see me waving back.... Anyway, after departure I contact New York App again, and to my stupidity, I had the wrong freq and he gave me the right one (Thank you, New York APP, again!). After contacting the right station, the controller asked me for all the usual, destination heading, aircraft type etc. etc...... After being about 12 NM out, I cancelled flight following since I had the field in sight, the controller told me of the traffic around me and advised me to squawk 1200 VFR. Approaching Sky Manor was very weird. There are two airports right next to each other, and I got really confused to which one was which, so I went back on with the kind controller and briefly explained to him my situation and he gave me a heading vector to the correct airport (BIG thanks to that kind gentlemen). After thanking him dearly and going off his frequency again, I started my downwind into Sky Manor again. Winds @ Sky Manor were 340@12 --- So the winds were picking up pretty quick, after setting up to final I start to realize that I am coming in too fast and too high, without hesitation I pushed the power in to full and went around instead of attempting a stupid landing. After calling my Go Around, and setting up again, this time with the proper cross wind procedure, I had an "ok" landing and proceeded to taxi to the on airport restaurant.

To my surprise, the restaurant is closed Tuesday & Wednesday... Just my luck. Was really hoping to get a $100 burger. Nonetheless, I went outside, stretched a little, and took a quick wiz. After so, I got in my plane started her up again, and started my taxi to the runway. After take off, I was relieved to be going back honestly, the winds were just not in my favor today, and it called for an not so pleasant flight with the 152. After heading out of the pattern, I contacted APP again, and got my squawk etc.. After a bit of staring out for traffic etc, APP handed me off to McGuire APP. I got handed off to this very sweet lady, seemed young, but seriously, she was the nicest air traffic controller ever. She joked around a bit, and was just an awesome person. After about 40 NM, I had the field in sight and cancelled flight following, and told the controller we need more nice people like you in the world haha. She laughed and thanked me, and I went off. Approaching MJX was second nature since this is where my training is out of. Approaching 06 was nothing out of the norm, but yet again, I did a go around just because the wind pushed me a bit too much on my first approach. Second try though, I went onto a left downwind, turn base, then final. Let me tell you, this was my best x wind landing yet! After that, I proceeded to taxi, park, tie her up, and finally pay the lady. A whopping $230 for 2.6 wet. Welcome back to reality. Also treated myself to a slice of pizza since the restaurant was closed... Excuse any grammar errors, wrote this up barely awake.

Aeroflex is a short little strip. Good work! I just recently landed at my first strip that was less than 2,000' and I've had my private for a couple years!

12N looks like a neat airport, I'm going to make it a point to do a XC there one day.

Good stuff! Don't overlook 26N, great diner on site and a quick walk to the beach. ACY is fun for many reasons, long runways, at night they are lit up like it's a high volume class B, some fun airplanes or helicopters in the pattern and the off chance an f-16 will be takingoff or landing. Controllers there are super nice, one gave me an awesome treat, we were going IFR and he asked me to pull over to let traffic by, we were ready and had clearance but I didnt argue, then an f-16 rolls passed, the pilot gives me the surfs up sign and he lit the afterburner on takeoff...our little 172 was shaking like crazy but it was awesome.

WWD is cool in the summer, fly along the coast low level. going into PA LNS isnt bad, decent diner on the field and it is wide open and impossible to miss.

RDG is great as they have a museum on the field which is a great way to spend an afternoon.

9N1 - vansant airport, a great little grass strip on top of a hill. You fly in from the river and you land going uphill. Small FBO on the field, but on the weekends they seem to always have something going on. Normally the grill is going so you can grab a hot dog or a burger for cheap and a soda out of the machine. They tow gliders regularly and they also rent a Stearman and a Cub so sometimes you'll see them up flying.

This thread is awesome. Need to get back to flying. Been to almost all of these places, and need to go back.

You and me both, I have not flown in going on two years. Writing about those airports brings back memories clear as day about fun times had, makes me miss it so much.

Fencer should write a book on all the places to go in the northeast.

When did WWD get a restaurant on the field?