GREAT DESTINATIONS # 1 - Goodspeed Airport

Our first Destination Review has been provided by Jim Wayman in his trusty 172. Jim spoke recently about a quaint airstrip along the Connecticut River called GOODSPEED (42B). Goodspeed Airport is about 149 miles from Sidney according to airnav.com. Jim says it is easy to find the 2120 foot paved runway right along the river and if not, just look for the working drawbridge nearby.

Ironically Jim says one of the neat parts about the airport is the landing fee. The fee is based on a good old fashioned honor system. Near the runway is a small slot where anyone who lands is required to slip in the $5 fee! It helps maintain the airport for continued future use by the public.

You really don't need transportation except your own feet when landing at Goodspeed. The small town of East Haddam, CT has all of its sites within a mile of the airport. Within a few hundred yards of the runway is a historic nineteenth century hotel where you can find a delicious lunch or dinner and right next door is an old opera house where you might take in some great entertainment before having to depart. If you are up for a short walk into town, there are several other places to eat including a dockside restaurant on the river. Businesses in town include a gift shop, bakery and ice cream parlor. You could pick some up snacks up in town and spread your blanket at the airport for a riverside picnic!

Before departing you could spend several relaxing minutes by the river watching seaplanes come in and out on the 4500 foot part of the river designated as a seaplane base. In fact, you can even get your seaplane rating if you are interested! Jim says the view of the river is great and the atmosphere is friendly and inviting.

Thanks to Jim for the first installment and I have a feeling our roving air reporter will contribute again!!!

GREAT DESTINATIONS # 2 - Cherry Ridge Airport, Honesdale, PA

Our second Destination Review is a place many pilots flying in our area may be famliar with. Although many conversations about “where to fly to today” have included Cherry Ridge Airport in Honesdale, PA, we thought we would do an official destination review for those who may not have ended up aboard!

Cherry Ridge is fairly easy to find and if you depart Sidney pretty much due South, you should be able to find the 2420 foot paved runway under your wing. Usually the unicom frequency is full of planes chatting about Cherry Ridge and on any given weekend the airwaves are full of traffic in and out. Anybody who has a radio tuned to 122.80 certainly is familiar with the amount of traffic that visits!

We had a chance to visit Cherry Ridge for the first time a couple of Sundays ago and the trip was great. As soon as we departed Sidney and pointed the 172 south, the conversation turned to the diner at the field. We talked about what we could eat and how the hopes were that we could squeak in before closing time. The flight enroute seemed to go quick. We first noticed the resevoir, Deposit and then White Birch field. From there we were able to pick out a few lakes and ski slopes to the west and before you know it, Cherry Ridge appeared under the left wing. The amount of traffic going in and out was amazing and it didn’t take long to learn they were landing to the north on Runway 36. Everyone was pleasant on the air and everyone seemed very willing to give way to other traffic and there was never a feeling of being rushed (which is always a good thing). The approach was easy and before you know it we were putting chocks under the tires next to the many other parked planes. It was not until we started walking towards the diner did I stress about the landing. I quickly realized that the entire east wall of the diner is glass and that everyone sitting over their eggs or burgers take time to watch all the planes land. How was that landing anyway???

Once inside, we asked the waitress what time they closed and she was more than friendly stating that “you have plenty of time”. It is always a good feeling when your waitress isn’t upset that you got there as they were trying to leave! We sat and had a variety of food and it was a good meal. We sat right next to the window and were able to watch a great mix of planes, and one of those rotor thingys, come and go. The people were friendly, the prices were fair and it was a great $100 hamburgher! The trip back was pleasant and we took a bit of a detour so my favorite passenger could get a look at her new house from above.

Although Cherry Ridge is only talked about a lot, if you have a chance to make a trip down, it is worth it. Easy to find and not too far so you don’t need a lot of time to do it. You have to treat yourself to go so the next time you hear all the announcements of aviators on “final to land at Cherry Ridge”, you know what they are thinking!

www.scottkinzinger.com/cherryridgeairport-index.html