Monday, August 30, 2010

MY first grass air strip landing!


The hubby and I were having a nice lazy Sunday morning... no real plans for the day, but to enjoy being together... I was browsing craigslist for various goodies... furniture, sailboat, cabin on a private island with an airstrip, chandeliers, free firewood, WHAT! back up!!! cabin on a private island with an airstrip??? I read the ad to my hubby, and showed him the pics. He asked if I wanted him to call on it... uh, ya! So he called and was told we could take a look at it this morning (yesterday) because they were actually there. So he makes all the arrangements to meet them. Uh, honey, have you looked outside??? It is yucky, cold, windy, and cloudy. He laughs and says and you are landing on a grass airstrip! WHAT!!! NOT ME! I don't fly when it's not crystal clear and beautiful, and I don't land on grass air strips that are only 1600 feet long and covered with trees on 3 sides and water on the 4th! Said all at once in a panic! Yes, the photo above is the island, Center Island to be exact. 176 acre island, PRIVATE island!
Then he told me the bad news, the people already had a full price offer, (but were going to have to carry some of it) so we had to see it today or they were going to accept the offer they had. NO! This place is soo perfect! A private island, with an airstrip, and a place to moor my sailboat I was searching craigslist for. Eagles, deer, birds of all kinds, beachcombing, crabbing, clamming, salmon fishing, ling-cod fishing, shrimping, diving for scallops and oysters all on this tiny island! So I said okay.... so we got to the airport the wind is gusting the sky is getting worse and up we go!
We were only up maybe 5 minutes and had to turn around, couldn't fly with visual, the clouds were to low, so we went and had breakfast. (it was still legal for us to be up if we had wanted to go a different direction by the way, but we needed to go where the weather wasn't the greatest and if I hadn't been in the plane my hubby probably would have continued ;))
We tried again an hour later, and made it! I have to admit it wasn't too bad! Although I was shaking and in tears when we landed! Haha! So I didn't take pictures!
But I trust my pilot completely, and knew he wouldn't take me if he doubted his abilities! He was on cloud nine by the way! Having me in the plane, on a grass strip, in not so perfect weather!
I tired not to think about taking off again! Hehe!
Here she is! I LOVE her! So worth the trip! Keep your fingers crossed! If you want to read more about Center Island go here. You will need to go down the page a bit to see Center Island.

I will keep you posted!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Ummmm.....WOW!!! This is soo COOL! I am so going to come out there if you buy an island and camp! Oh yeah we could do a craft retreat!! I am proud of you for your flying adventure! That's a big accomplishment!! You were in good hands though!!