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!

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