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One week flying trip to the USA

(2002)

October 12, 2002, boarding a Delta Airlines 767 flight DL081 in Amsterdam for a short autumn holiday and 'flying experience trip' to JFK New York. 

Arriving in in JFK after an excellent ride with Delta Airlines we transfer to a brand-new Bombardier CL600 which was only 2 (flying) days old... The nice leathery interior, as well as the pilot's smile proved it's age. We arrived on schedule in Philadelphia.  

October 13th, checking our 'rental, the Cessna 172SP, N645PD.

IFR final on Trenton on a trip from Toms River (Miller KMJX)  to Trenton via RBV and back. Wouter's IFR check ride. Genuine IFR all the way... Scattered 700 ft, cloud base 1000ft topping at 3000-3500 ft. So we enjoyed some sunshine after all... By the way, look at the great avionics stack, especially the GPS map in the middle. 

Monday, October 14 2002, Wouter has his medical 09:00 AM at South Jersey (KVAY). Gives me a chance to look at the (outside) display of The Air Victory Museum. A E-2B Hawkeye and Sikorsky RH-53D Sea Stallion are shining in the clear autumn sky. .

Pictures left and right:

After a short visit to our friends at Inductotherm (Pvt) we depart to the south from Miller (KMJX). 

One of many fuel stops, this time at Kinston (KESO) in North Carolina. By the way, an airport were many 747's are demolished...

Pictures right:

We can't make it to Florida as scheduled, A strong front with thunderstorms, remnants of a hurricane just south of Florida stops us. After an unexpected night in South Carolina (Walterboro, KWBR) we file an IFR flight plan and wait from 07:00 AM in the pouring rain for the ceiling to rise. We're airborne at nine and have a beautiful, though bumpy ride south where the weather clears and the temperature rises...

After another 2,5 hours via Langley, Norfolk, Savannah and Jacksonville we approach Orlando (F) and get a VIP - reception at Kissimmee airport (KISM) around noon. The rental is waiting in the shade, nice when the temperature is around 28 C. The airport is located eight miles from Walt Disney World, Sea World Adventure Park Universal Studios etc.

Picture on the left, right and below: Wednesday October 16 2002 we spend some time shopping, and at 01.30 PM we take of for a 4 hour flight, crossing Florida to the Gulf of Mexico, to Naples (KAPF) , glancing at the Everglades and back north via Venice (Fl) crossing the swamps back to Kissimmee. 

Back at Kissimme we decide to take a helicopterride over Disney in a Bell 206. You can't have enough flying experiences, can you... After this great day we have dinner in a nice Italian restaurant in 'Celebration'.

Thursday October 17 2002, almost a 1000 miles back north to Miller (KMJX), refuelling at  Hilton Head (KHXD) and Rocky Mount (KRWI), VFR almost all of the way, but ending up in bad weather over Atlantic City an a night landing in the rain at Miller (KMJX) 07:00 PM. Thanks for the help Atlantic City (KACY) and Mc Guire AFB (KWRI) ATC!  

Visit to Inductotherm again on Friday October 18, 2002.  Then I'm allowed a few touch and go's at Milville (KMIV) and Wouter 'tricks me' into a simulated 'engine out' in the neighbourhood of Hamilton (N81) which seems deserted... until I'm on final without power...  A last picture at Toms River Airport of a beautifully restored war bird, goodbye to Arend (our 'host instructor') and dinner at home with Kurt, Trish, Chelsea and mother (in law). After that goodbye to Steve and son and girlfriend and of we are again to PHL (DL6026) and JFK Saturday night October 19, 2002 to arrive in Amsterdam Sunday 08:00 AM (DL080)