The quintessential honeymoon spot is supposed to be Niagara Falls. So I figured it was time to go on a honeymoon. Yes we had one more than 30 years ago but I figure it’s never too late for one more.
It was nice to wake up to good weather for a change, it was supposed to be hazy but clear over the entire route. This was close to reality but not quite what we got. Our initial climb to 9000 was all haze. I could barely see the ground below even though it was technically VFR. Our route to MTV, Blue Ridge Airport in Virginia, took us just East of Charlotte. I filed the T route that avoids Charlotte and just as I was joining T201, I was re routed a bit farther East via LILLS intersection, then direct. So much for the charted preferred routes.
As we had moved farther North, the haze abated a bit, we even picked up MTV about 15 miles out. It was quiet and we made a smooth arrival and pulled up to Self Serve. We have used MTV before because it has a long runway, good facilities, friendly folks and cheap gas.
The Baron takes a larger load of fuel so I really dislike slow pumps. MTV has a fast pump, you need to be careful to not go too fast as it can splash and the handle has a kick. We were soon topped and ready to go. On our way in to MTV I checked with the controller and he suggested the easiest way to get my clearance was airborne. With good weather we were happy to do this and after clearing the pattern, we checked in and we’re cleared direct destination at 9000.
Our next hop was direct IAG (Niagara Falls) though I actually did not attend to follow that plan completely, I had other ideas but that was a few hundred miles away. We were still fighting 12-16 knot headwinds and I was pretty sure the ride over the mountains would be adequate based on winds less than 25 knots. BTW, the headwinds would again be a central theme for this vacation.
Our ride was initially pretty good but we soon started to run into a layer with tops just above us. We chugged along for a while with turbulence in the clouds and it started to get old. I didn’t really want to go to 11,000 because of the fuel waste, the thin air and worse headwinds so I tried another trick. I requested 9 block 10. The controller was very understanding and let us have it. We drifted up to 9500 and this kept us on top. 100 miles later we cleared the mountains and we’re able to settle back to 9000 and give up our block. You can't typically get this in busy airspace but it is a nice trick when it works.
As we were handed off to Buffalo approach, I let him know that we intended to cancel IFR and take the falls tour before landing at IAG. The controller gave us a vector and we passed over Lake Erie. This was our 4th Great Lake this year. Crossing the edge of the lake we flew into Canada. We did not have to show our papers though we had the passports on board. Luckily you can overfly Canada without officially entering. Also in this area, the USA controllers handle the traffic.
The vector was a good one as it set us up for a smooth entry to the falls overflight pattern. The controller may have done this once or twice before. Clearing the lake, we canceled IFR and descended to 3500 to join the racetrack pattern over the falls. The FAA and Canada have a procedure to keep everyone safe. Tour operators fly lower, everyone goes the same way and we all talk on the same frequency.
After our second lap, we call IAG tower and were cleared into their airspace. You need to clear the special airspace before descending but the Baron can come down quickly, especially once the gear is out. We joined right downwind, made a smooth arrival and turned off at the only FBO, Calspan. Our car was waiting for us and we soon were in downtown Niagara Falls. For those keeping count, this was a new state and we now have 15 left.
Our best view of the falls was from the air but we went for a walk in Falls park on the USA side to see the falls from the ground. They are rather impressive falls and I am not gonna go over in a barrel. That said, they dump so much water that the mist obscures some of the fall view. We did enjoy the park and the walk.
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