New Yawk

This morning the weather was nice, which I was glad for.  We had fierce tailwinds all the way here, and it took like an hour and 38 minutes to get from here to NY, and about 12 of those minutes were setting up for an approach.  It was VFR but they still had us shoot the RNAV to Runway 4.  It was *really* windy there, mostly a crosswind.  The airplane in front of us did a go-around, and when I got about 200' above the ground, it really got rough.  Updrafts, downdrafts, turbulence around the trees surrounding the runway.  I had to basically wrestle the Cheyenne down for a gusty crosswind landing, it was one of the trickier landings in there that I've had.  

The Uber car came and drove us into New York City, downtown, and we went to Leslie's apartment.  She lives right by the theater district, lots of places to eat, lots going on, so we stopped at McGee's Pub, the Irish Pub that the TV show "That '70s Show" was based on.  I had Shephard's Pie, and it was tasty!  When we sat down at the table, the waitress said she needed to see our ID's and our Vaccination Cards.  Didn't expect that one, though I suppose I should have.  And of course masks, but that I did expect.  Everybody lines up and shows their proper papers before going into the theater, restaurants, all of it.  It disturbs me, but you know that already.

We then walked to Times Square, with the sun shining, and hordes of people around.  There were also several Covid Testing sites out and about on the sidewalks and side of the streets, with people lined up, big long lines, to get tested.  

It was about a 10-11 block walk, with some interesting views of interesting people, including one guy painted in silver paint who called me "Mrs. Clause" because I was with Kevin who looks like Santa sort of.  ;)  We went in to see "To Kill a Mockingbird" with Jeff Daniels as Attius Finch.  It had been so long since I read the book that I didn't remember all the details.  Our seats were very up close and in the middle; I could see the wrinkles under the make-up of the actors.  And they did a really nice job.  It was a good production, well done, really good set, great actors and actresses, and it was easy to get lost in it.  I enjoyed "Scout" probably the most.  I also had to laugh when they kept saying "He fell on his knife?  Nobody falls on a knife!" Well, guess who fell on a knife?  Yeah, this girl.  So it CAN happen.  ;)

When the play was over, we walked back to Leslie's apartment, hit the restroom, and then got an Uber back to the airport. The winds were still gusty, and now it was dark.  I took off out of there and it was still a rodeo on takeoff.  I took my hands off the throttles to wrestle the yoke with both hands until I got a few hundred feet off the ground.  Our groundspeed on the way to NYC was 413 kts.  Our groundspeed on the way home was 250-262 knots.  Oof.  ;)

It was uneventful on the way home.  Quiet, slow, warm. I landed at 8 pm, put the Cheyenne away, and got home around 8:40 pm.  It had been dark forever, so it felt more like 11 pm, but it was a good day. I can think of a lot worse ways to spend a Wednesday, you know?

Groundspeeed...

McGee's Pub

Covid testing line too

It was cold there today, too...

Leslie and Kevin

My playbill, in the theater

I was taking off, gusty winds, they were talking to me constantly, I was hand flying altitudes and headings, and snapping photos at the same time. Because that's what I do.  ;)

Stars and lights. Beautiful night.