Questions pondered at 6500 feet

"Stubby" wrote in message
...

Maybe. It has been a few years since I last saw it. If it's not an
airship landing field, what is the large circular area?


I don't know what it's for, but I'm pretty sure it's not for airships.
Airship mooring facilities were typically just a circular track for the
landing gear around the central mooring mast. There just wasn't any need to
pave the whole circle.

Lakehurst was an airship/blimp base from 1921 to 1961, when the Navy got out
of the blimp business. In 1957 the Naval Air Test Facility moved there to
test catapult and arresting gear. In 1974 the Naval Air Engineering Center
moved there and later consolidated with the NATF. I assume the large circle
is or was part of the stations R&D function. Below is a link to 1997 aerial
photograph showing Lakehurst NAS. The present airfield is clearly visible
in the center of the photograph, the large circle you refer to is just west
of it and other test facilities of some kind are just west of the circle.
The old airfield is about a mile and a half ESE of the new one. It doesn't
stand out too well in the photo, but if you click on the "Topo Map" tab in
the upper right corner you can locate it easily.

http://makeashorterlink.com/?Q15121A7C

I'll also post an older aerial photo in alt.binaries.pictures.aviation that
clearly shows the older portion of the station. The large airship mooring
circles are clearly visible as well as the smaller blimp mooring circles.
There's a blimp visible on one of them and another visible entering or
leaving the large airship hangar at the top of the photo. The photo isn't
dated, but there appears to be a strip with arresting gear at the bottom of
the photo. Since arresting gear work began in 1957 and blimp operations
ceased in 1961 the photo appears to be from the late fifties. The photo is
looking east, it's from M.L. Shettle's book "United States Naval Air
Stations of World War II".

("RST Engineering" wrote)
Yep. A boxing ring.


Welcome to the Gillette Friday Night ...Flights.


Montblack

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:V7Oyf.702157$x96.414904@attbi_s72...
Have you been to the restaurants at Madison or Lone Rock? The food is
arguably better than Janesville. (Still a lot of greasy fried stuff)

Sure! We go to Lone Rock at least once a month.

I haven't been to Madison in over ten years. The restaurant was pretty
lame when I was there, last -- I take it they've improved?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Now it is pretty much knock your socks of for an airport restaurant. It's
on the east side (don't know where the old one was) and you can park right
out side and watch Atlas as you eat.

"Montblack" wrote in message
...
("Dave Stadt" wrote)
Also Watertown, Reedsburg, Palmyria, Prairie du Chien, Lake Lawn, Grand
Geneva, American club at Sheboygan, Baraboo and several others.


At Prairie du Chien, Jay radioed the FBO to have the Casino (buffet) van
pick us up. Is there another restaurant near the airport?

Nice smooth air, beautiful day, a train below us, river frozen over, State
Park on the bluffs - all very scenic. Very, very, very scenic was one
pilot's estimation of the the area's beauty. g


Montblack

Yes, a good old Wisconsin family restaurant just north of the airport. It
isn't much of a walk but the guy in the FBO loaned us his Caddy last time we
were there. You also get your picture taken and stuck on the wall.

At Prairie du Chien, Jay radioed the FBO to have the Casino (buffet) van
pick us up. Is there another restaurant near the airport?

Sure. "The Angus" restaurant is a fine steak house located right
across the street from the airport. There is also a Chinese restaurant
within walking distance, and a decent "breakfast-all-day" place down
the road a piece.

Next time you visit, maybe we'll be able to do the Angus for dinner.
(Once it starts staying light until 8 PM-ish, that flight is a lot more
doable for us.) They don't open till supper time.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Now it is pretty much knock your socks of for an airport restaurant. It's
on the east side (don't know where the old one was) and you can park right
out side and watch Atlas as you eat.

Madison, eh? Mary has already told me that we're going there next
Sunday for brunch, weather permitting.

How late are they open on Sundays, Dave?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Questions never pondered at 6500 feet:

Did I leave the stove on? :^)

The Monk
I fly to escape my mind.

They have somewhat limited hours- I think they close at or before 2pm.
However, the windows overlook the ramp, and the food is a lot better than
JVL. I was unaware that Palmira (?SP) had anything nearby, but it is too
short for me to land anyway.

Actually, Iron Mountain has a great Mexican restaurant (The Ruptured Duck,
or something similar sounding) that overlooks a scenic lake. It is at least
as good as the restaurant near Jay's place in Iowa City.

1. What is the lowest pubic airport in the USA? Cochran (TRM) is -114ft, is
there any lower?

2. What is the highest and lowest public airport int the world?

3. If I bought a CUB with floats from American Legend Aircraft Company how would
I get it home in Oklahoma (4O6)?

George
If you request flight following, can you really "slip the surly bonds of earth"?

On Mon, 16 Jan 2006 02:58:27 GMT, "Jay Honeck" wrote:

We enjoyed a 45 knot tailwind all the way to our favorite fly-in restaurant
today (The CAVU Cafe, in Janesville, WI [KJVL]).

This blessing naturally switched to a 45 knot curse on the way home.

Droning along has its advantages. The headwind gave my kids ample time for
a nap, and gave Mary and me plenty of time to ponder the following questions
for the group:

1. Airports were originally huge grass fields that allowed arrivals and
departures in any direction, on any heading. Are there any airports left
that provide 360 degrees of access?

2. We often hear commercial airliners "cleared for the visual approach" into
thus-and-such an airport. However, we *also* often hear commercial
airliners "cleared for the ILS Rwy 14 approach" (for example) -- even though
conditions in the area are perfectly CAVU.

Since we haven't heard the airliner SAY they wanted an instrument approach,
how/why does the controller know to clear them for anything other than the
visual approach?

Inquiring minds, doncha know?

:-)

JVL. I was unaware that Palmira (?SP) had anything nearby, but it is too
short for me to land anyway.

Palmyra!? Man, in '95-'96 we used to land there (on the grass) a couple
of times per month, back when we lived in Racine. We'd hike through a bean
field to get to the absolute GREASIEST spoon diner you've EVER seen.

The food was awful, the waitresses were ugly, the prices were cheap, and the
hangar flying was terrific. If that place is still in business, check it
out -- it's great fun!

I don't remember it being all that short. 'Course, at the time I was flying
out of C89 (Sylvania), so *nothing* seemed short....

:-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"