Best Route From Atlantic City to Cape Cod

[ELT]

Hi All,

My son and his wife are now working with Woods Hole Oceanographic in Cape Cod and we have a new grand daughter.  It looks like this old North Carolina boy will be traveling north a lot.  I have flown the south east, Bahamas and central parts of this country a great deal over my 44 years as a pilot but have generally flown airline to major northern areas.  I am Instrument rated and current but do not log nearly the hours I used to.  I usually file IFR on trips even in VFR conditions.  My E has 430W, 496 and Fore Flight on panel docked iPad and iPhone.  Home base is Beaufort NC where we have little traffic except for military operations.

 

Any advice or suggestions  would be great

Eddie

[carusoam]

Perfect Mooney flight...

Fly the coast above the Bravo, 11,500' out, 12,500' back. Use Flight following because it's a good idea.

IFR, take a look at V1 out to long island...is this really the first victor airway?

Staying over Long Island allows for options.

Falmouth airpark 5B6 is miles away. But if they can pick you up, it's near by...I used it to visit family there. Land, walk to the house.

Hyannis would be next on the list for larger airports.

Woods Hole is the holy grail for those trained in the ocean sciences. (congrats on the new jobs and grandchild!)

Best regards,

-a-

[Flymu2]

Hi All,

My son and his wife are now working with Woods Hole Oceanographic in Cape Cod and we have a new grand daughter.  It looks like this old North Carolina boy will be traveling north a lot.  I have flown the south east, Bahamas and central parts of this country a great deal over my 44 years as a pilot but have generally flown airline to major northern areas.  I am Instrument rated and current but do not log nearly the hours I used to.  I usually file IFR on trips even in VFR conditions.  My E has 430W, 496 and Fore Flight on panel docked iPad and iPhone.  Home base is Beaufort NC where we have little traffic except for military operations.

 

Any advice or suggestions  would be great

Eddie

 

IFR up V1 in a single is over JFK. Only one altitude allowed, 5000 northbound, 6000 southbound.

 

New York is much easier to deal with VFR assuming the weather cooperates. The top of the class B is 7000. Definitely use flight following.

[Alan Fox]

I have got vfr direct JFK 5500 Every time I have asked for it....  Arrange a handoff from McGuire 124.15  and be at 5500 when you call NY... 

[Cris]

The Airspace from DC north will all be victor airways. It is often faster to use your VOR nav as opposed to your GPS unless you are really fast with the changes. 

 

If you pick a quiet time like Sun morning or maybe Sat. you will have more controller cooperation.

 

Weekday's are tough and with weather really tough in terms of the controllers attitude. 

 

NY controllers speak fast and have no tolerance for long readbacks or bad pilot speak.

 

You might consider an inland route west of  Phila. and the Newark Bravo

 

Do not go over the water at this time of the year unless you can absolutely glide to safety.

 

Have fun It really isn't all that bad!! 

[Steve65E-NC]

You can usually get direct JFK, the problem is that then they take you up North almost to Hartford before turning you back toward Providence and the Cape. I have flown in the Bahamas a good bit. With sufficient altitude, I am willing to fly over water a bit. Last summer I put on my inflatable life preserver and filed from an intersection near Atlantic city up V139 more or less direct to Hampton at 9000ft (filed IFR). This offshore route was alot less hassel, vectoring and traffic, than the V1 or V44 choices. And you come out very near the Cape. I made sure to put the life preserver color and on-board availability in comments. Otherwise, I don't think they would spend much time looking for you. Falmouth is a good choice for Woods Hole, a little short. Call first. I landed at grass Cape Cod Airport in Marston Mills nearer my destination, even shorter. Reasonably smooth ground, nice folks, no problem with my older Mooney, probably not advisable if you have inner gear doors. Hyannis is expensive and some confusion about who does what FBO vs County. I found the green on green at Cape Cod a little disconcerting on final. Hard to judge altitude. Both ways I purchased fuel at Salisbury, MD which had good prices. On the way back I filed the same way but they took me right down Long Island and over JFK at about 6000. I think they had some heavy International traffic going out to the East.

[dooleypster]

If VFR, 5500 is the altitude to get clearance through the class Bravo in NYC. Otherwise, over the top of the Class Bravo, follow the Jersey shore, take the short hop across the entry to NY harbor, then down Long Island, and from there direct 5B6 (The Falmouth Airpark, Cape Cod). Without a doubt, the most beautiful Airpark in the country....the friendliest people (I live there, and I fly a Mooney).  The runway is 2298' long, paved in very good condition.  We have fuel on the field, lighted runway, no instrument approach.  Overnight is only $15/night.  We are the closest airport to Woods Hole.  Trees at both ends of the runway....so be "on speed".  If you fly final on speed it is not a problem.  Brand new operations building.  No transient ops at night.  If you intend to stay overnight (especially multiple nights) bring a prop lock.  Plenty of tie-down space.  If you have any questions, please feel free to call my cell 845-264-9980...Pete Dooley.  I'm there most of the time.  Mooneys are always welcome at Falmouth!!

[ELT]

Thanks for all the information.

It appears it would be best to fly on a weekend, VFR at 5500 feet or above, use flight following, use victor airways if needed and fly up the Jersey shore.  5b6 would be top of my list as my son has a house in Falmouth.  I did operate the Mooney off a 2500 foot grass strip for 4 years so length is no problem.  My concern with 5b6 is wind and a single runway.  We have the same always 20-30 knot winds here in coastal NC but MRH has 3 runways.

 

Thanks again for the advice.  The flight planning begins.

Eddie

[carusoam]

You will find cape cod to be missing any hills, tall buildings, mountains and even tall trees...glacial sand dunes and scrub pine are plenty! Cape Cod is rumored to be formed and left by the ice age...

Wind is most often out of the west, somewhat aligned with the runway.

I have used my '65C and my O1. I have made a couple of go arounds in both because speed needs to be well controlled. Planning descents better from 10K helps...

Don't allow for float, don't force it on the runway if float decides to happen. Go around...

If that doesn't work KHYA Hyannis will work. This was always my standard plan B. Never used it...

First time I went there I had 200 hrs total time. 1/2 C150, and the other 1/2 M20C...

The last time was two years ago. Mom's house was under the traffic pattern

Expect to sign the guest register, leave a phone number so they can contact you, parking on the grass is normal.

There are some trees at both ends, but displaced pretty far.

There were skid marks at the end of the runway made by a heavier plane (twin). Don't be that guy...

Know your numbers, execute like a Mooney pilot....all good.

Best regards,

-a-

I used 11,500 and 12,500 feet altitudes because the over water portions can be a few miles long and my plane was three months older than me.

Know where Fisher's Island and Cuttyhunk Island are for shortening the over water distances. 'Runways' on both. Block Island and Martha's Vineyard will require life jackets and a plan this time of year.