The voyage began Saturday afternoon on the tarmac of Albany International Airport. As I hopped into the co-pilot seat of the Cessna 172 Skyhawk, I began to get very excited for what was soon to be my first flight in a single engine airplane.
“RPI 2 cleared for takeoff.” Those were the words spoken from the Albany Tower Controller that allowed my journey to 2000 feet above the Capitol Region to truly begin. Sam Cole, a Mechanical Engineering Senior at RPI and member of the Rensselaer Aeronautical Federation, was my pilot for the day.
My pilot briefed me on what procedures he must complete before we were to begin flying. After a quick safety check Sam called out to the Air Traffic Control Tower. After receiving clearance we began taxiing to the end of runway one at Albany International. One last safety check and then a radio call requesting clearance was all that kept us from the sky. Sam received clearance and we were off.
In a matter of what seemed like 15 to 20 seconds the small Cessna had gone from a dead stop to a blazing speed down the runway and before I knew it we were airborne. We quickly ascended to our cruising altitude of 2000 feet. From this height one could see for miles. As I looked south I saw Albany. To the north I could see the rolling foothills of the Adirondacks.
We proceeded at a heading of one degree until we reached the Hudson River where we banked right and headed towards the northern end of Troy. The first noticeable landmark was the Kennedy Tower. We flew in from the north over Frear Park. The first thing on campus that I recognized was the Low Building. We circled campus a few times, and while there I was able to catch an aerial view of the RPI football game versus Union. That was one of the highlights of the trip. Also visible from the air was the eMPAC construction site. Seeing the campus from the air made me realize how small it really is. After our last pass over campus it was time to turn south and follow the Hudson River to Albany.
In the distance you could see the few skyscrapers of Albany that encircle the Egg. Although flying over Albany was neat, it wasn’t as interesting as flying over RPI and seeing so many familiar locations from a new angle. After a few passes over Albany my pilot radioed to the ground, “RPI 2 leaving Albany.” Hearing those words made me sad. Flying in a small aircraft is a great experience and I didn’t want it to end. As we flew west along our flight path, Albany faded away in the distance.
The aircraft was lined up to the runway that was still a few miles away and we slowly we began our descent to earth. The aircraft bounced as we hit some turbulence along the way. Despite being surprised by the small amount of turbulence we encountered I was never scared during the flight. I was very comfortable since my pilot had many hours of training along with several certifications beyond a Private Pilots license.
We had finally reached the end of the ride. Sam gracefully landed the Cessna as a duck would land in a pond. We taxied off the off the runway back to the tarmac where my journey began.
The Rensselaer Aeronautical Federation will be hosting another Fly By this coming spring. I would highly recommend you check it out. Although $20 might seem like a lot of money, it isn’t. You are getting a first class ride in an small aircraft for a fraction of the cost you might pay someone else to do the same thing. So check out the next Fly By during GM Week 2005 because it is a great Saturday afternoon activity. You may check out their website at http://raf.union.rpi.edu/ for more information as spring approaches. If you are interested in joining the RAF you may contact them on their website. The Rensselaer Aeronautical Federation is a great way to “meet and interact with other people who have a common interest in flying,” according to my pilot Sam.
