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Post by Ralph on Apr 11, 2008 3:26:14 GMT -5
I always though that take offs and landings in Oriskany were like trying to do so off the head of a pin.
At least Griff is a helluva lot easier to get in and out of.
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Post by Swimmy on Apr 11, 2008 7:37:18 GMT -5
I surprised the Air Force allowed him to land and didn't send up a pair of F-16s to escort him to the proper landing site.
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Post by frankcor on Apr 12, 2008 21:16:43 GMT -5
I'm sure he'd have gotten shot up a bit if he had tried approaching SAC hill.
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Post by frankcor on Apr 12, 2008 21:17:54 GMT -5
Ralph, did you ever fly out of the old Riverside airport on River Road? It was where the WalMart Distribution center is.
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Post by tanouryjr on Apr 12, 2008 23:44:06 GMT -5
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Post by Ralph on Apr 13, 2008 0:18:26 GMT -5
Never had the chance Frank, I went with a friend out of Oriskany a few times. The place always reminded me of a hill that someone chopped the top off of so they could stick a mini landing strip there. Larry.......A plan? A MASTER plan? That's not the way they do it here in Oneida County. First we do a quarter-million dollar study, then throw 10 or so million at the problem hoping it solves itself. When it doesn't ( as it never does) we do another study ($$$) and then throw a few more million at it. You can't do a plan around here! That would show that someone is actually attempting to solve a problem. Ahhhhh.......Grasshopper, what were you thinking?
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Post by Clipper on Apr 13, 2008 0:45:28 GMT -5
I have never understood the theory that the airspace was conflicted between the two airstrips. Griffiss was restricted airspace, and their flight pattern was on the north side of the river and canal. Oneida county was restricted to the south side of the canal. Private aircraft made mistakes and landed several times at Griffiss. Some were diverted their because they had in flight emergencies and Griffiss had more crash capability than OC. Allegheny had an aircraft blow several tires on take off. It was diverted to griffiss, and the runway was foamed for it. The plane landed safely in the foam, and the griffiss firefighters assisted all the passengers off of the aircraft. I was assigned quite often to the tractor trailer runway foamer, but that incident was before I went to work there. We also used to go and stand by at the OC Airport crash house when their crash truck was out of service, so the airfield would not have to shut down. Griffiss would make an outstanding cargo port. It is also great to see the aircraft sitting on the flightline awaiting maintenance at the company that is in Hanger 101. I am encouraged by the growth at Griffiss. I was very depressed and despondent to see the grass growing high and the buildings half abandoned when the base first closed. Progress is being made, and I am very happy to see the place thrive again. It is doubtful that it will ever reach the employment numbers it had as an Air Force base, but it is a formidable place of employment and growing.
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Post by Ralph on Apr 13, 2008 1:00:33 GMT -5
I don't think anyone wants to take away from what is happening there Clipper.
In my mind it is a good thing, but I wish they would use someone else's money to study, subsidize and fund all this crap.
Larry does have the right idea, plan for what you would like to see or expect down the road 10, 20, 30 years instead of just throwing our money at it and hoping for the best.
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Post by frankcor on Apr 13, 2008 2:20:33 GMT -5
Clipper, I survived the excitement (or was it terror?) of two emergency landings on foamed runways as a crewman in Hueys. The first time was because of mechanical failure in the hydraulics. Before then, I had no idea there was such a thing as crash trucks.
The second time was because the Huey had a belly-full of 51-caliber lead. That one was definitely terrifying because I knew what to expect.
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Post by thelma on Apr 13, 2008 4:29:41 GMT -5
Ralph, did you ever fly out of the old Riverside airport on River Road? It was where the WalMart Distribution center is. ......................................................................... That was a LONG _ LONG time ago, Frank!!!!! I can remember when I was about 15 years old my boyfriend (later my husband) paying $10 for someone to take us up in one of the airplanes for a ride. Scared the hell out me - LOL.
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Post by frankcor on Apr 13, 2008 8:14:15 GMT -5
My dad took me flying there when I was a sprout. It was around 1960. A good friend of his died in a crash taking off from there. That pretty much ended dad's flying.
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