Family Time: First Attempt at Flying the Hudson River Corridor, Family, and NYC

I had 24 more hours to spend on the President's day weekend, and if the weather would cooperate, I would spend all my adrenaline reserves. That is what exactly happened, and I ended up mentally and physically sore. An unforgettable weekend that I will remember for as long as I live.

Flew to NYC with my sick family on Sunday in the NSAC Cessna, attempted to fly over the Statue of Liberty, stayed overnight in Manhattan, then flew back on Monday. All that after an 18 mile run on Saturday.

Took off from Beverly, MA on Sunday morning for a one and a half hour flight to White Plains, NY. Throughout the way I comforting Momina, who after eight years of absence from GA flying, was holding on the seat as if it would fly in case the plane wont. We did a diversion to fly close to George Washington Bridge, but no good pictures were taken as she was fighting nausea, and used both her hands to hold on to the seat when not holding a bag to her mouth.

Maheen, and Zain were sick with cold and fever (and they still are). But they behaved well by sleeping the entire way, TILL I was about to land at White Plains.

White Plains is a very busy airport with crossing runways, both of which were active when we arrived. Then Zain woke up and started yelling and crying in his microphone. No distraction more annoying. I was asked to make right pattern on Runway 34, and as I did, I found a jet, half a mile on my tail on the final (and Zain was still yelling). I did a go around on my own decision to let the jet land, the controller asked me to make an immediate left turn to avoid a helicopter, I did, and then followed another jet to land on the same runway in left traffic pattern. Another jet landed just before I landed on the crossing runway, and as soon as I landed, Zain stopped yelling.

I wish Momina was a pilot and could realize and record the unusual events as they happened (especially the jet close behind us). She thought everything was smooth except for the crying kid, who was unreachable to her in the back.

Panorama at White Plains airport is the best FBO I have ever been to. If you park your plane at Panorama, they make you feel like an executive. They gave us a ride to the Metro North Station, from where we took a train to the Grand Central Terminal. On the way, we met another pilot family, who had flown from Chicago in their Columbia 400. They had landed just after we landed. They told us that some kid was crying on the radio. I guess Zain was heard all over White Plains through my microphone.

We walked to our hotel from the Grand Central Terminal, relaxed a bit, then walked to Times Sqaure. The kids had fever, and my leg was hurting from Saturday's long run, so they took turn on Momina's back. Did the usual things at Times Square, then walked back.

Grand Central Terminal

Lights lights!

We were in bed by 9 PM. All night long, we were taking turns putting wet cloth on Zain's forehead to reduce his fever. And in the morning, Maheen started throwing up. I could not sleep enough, and all my desire to fly over Statue of Liberty was waning. All of us wanted to get back home as soon as possible. Took a train to White Plains, picked up by Panorama, pre-flight, then on our way back. Gladly, Momina had got some of her confidence back, so we were able to take some pictures, and make a video.

My second attempt to fly the Hudson River corridor will be in mid March.

An uneventful but bumpy flight back home over Hartford. It was Monday evening already.