Thursday (June 25, 2026)
Brian joined me in Nevada for our long-planned trip to the East coast. We parted mid-day from Minden and stopped in Pueblo CO for fuel and then proceeded to Des Moines for the evening. We had adjusted in our plans due to thunderstorms and did some dodging using our radar, satellite weather, and watching the tops. Brian helped me plot a course between the buildups.
Friday
The next day, we departed Des Moines, refueled at Akron-Canton Regional, and then proceeded to Portland, ME. Originally, we had planned to land at Knox County Regional or Rockland, but the weather was low IFR. So, we went into Portland and got a rental car from the terminal.
Brian’s new summer home near Cushing, Maine, is awesome, an architectural delight. It has a view from the living room that feels like it is overhanging the ocean. The ocean is behind some islands and is a protected cove with modest wave action but large tide variations. They’ve only had the house about a year, but it is already well set up. I like the way the house is broken into separate sections for the bedrooms and studies. The kitchen is very nice.
Brian bought food and prepared nice meals both evenings.
Saturday
We went into town and bought some lobster rolls at the Maine Lobster Club / Alaskan Captain in Rockland. Brian’s kids have been experimenting, and the consensus is that these are the best lobster rolls in Maine. Brian talked up the owner, Captain Wayne Oxton, and we spent a pleasant 45 minutes collecting up lunch. We took it to the park and then disaster struck. Brian opened his sandwich and went to get some napkins at a nearby food truck. I was on the phone. The seagulls spotted the sandwich, and within seconds it was gone. Look at the nearby video showing us surrounded by seagulls waiting for another faux pas. Brian retrieved another lobster roll from the food truck and tolerated a substandard version.
Sunday
We drove back to Portland and flew to KBED (Bedford / Hanscom Field). We picked up a GO Rental Car and drove into Boston. We met my nieces, their spouses, and their kids. Ashley + Allie + Max and Aleah + Jarrod + Zoe + Gwen. We had a light dinner at Shy Bird right near Fenway Park. Then we went to a Yankees– Red Sox MLB game. The atmosphere was terrific, but who cares who won in extra innings? At least that’s what those of us who were Yankees fans thought.
Monday
We flew from Bedford to Teterboro. This was a stressful flight. After taking off, the wrong flight plan was stored in the avionics, and it was challenging to get the new one loaded while being vectored by Boston Center. Then we were handed off to NY Center and I missed a call and got scolded. But we made it into the busy airport. It required a reservation fee since the World Cup had some games nearby during that week.
Luke rendezvoused with us at the FBO. We took at an Uber to the award winning Millburn Delicatessen near Brian’s boyhood home. Brian guided us to the Brisket Sloppy Joes. Wow, it was a unique sandwich experience! We then took an Uber to midtown Manhattan and checked in to our hotel.
We walked to FAO Schwarz so that Luke could get his kids stuffed animal tradition started. Luke told us that the FAO Schwarz tradition started with his grandfather, and he remembers when he got his gift. We took the toys back and then took the subway to Central Park. We walked a mile or so along the park and then toured Brian’s new daughter-in-law’s office at Bard College. Madalyn gave us a tour and then accompanied us to the game.
A major focus of this trip was to attend a game at Yankee Stadium. Brian arranged for VIP tickets at the Legends Suites. We included his sons (Nick and Eric) and their spouses (Madalynn and Emma). A key feature of the Legends Suites is an all-you-can-eat gourmet buffet. It was incredible, with each of us making numerous trips to sample a wide variety of foods.
The seats we had were very close to the action (you could hear the spin on the pitches) and the atmosphere in Yankee Stadium was terrific. It made for a memorable evening.
Tuesday
Luke and I caught a PATH train to Hoboken, and then we took an Uber to Teterboro. We flew from Teterboro to Greensboro, NC, to Savanah, GA, to Naples, FL. We met Lyman and Leslie for dinner. Lyman is one of my mentors, was supportive of me at Embry-Riddle, and subsequently encouraged my career. He arranged for my Executive Coach, Mort Feinberg. It was the coach that he and his father had used in their professional careers.
Wed
We departed Wed morning for points west. First stop was Gulfport, MS, and then on to Tulsa, OK. After lunch we launched for Colorado Springs CO. Our goal had been to set up for a night flight, but the winds didn’t cooperate. We had dinner at the Airplane Restaurant (see our VPO trip for other pictures).
Thursday
We departed from Colorado Springs, CO, and went to Sheridan, WY. We practiced a dead-stick landing (Single-Engine Flame-Out) emergency procedure. We taxied back and departed to perform an RNAV/GPS approach with a circling approach to land, then a non-precision approach. Then we departed for Casper, WY. We practiced a landing with no flaps. After lunch, we departed for Helena, MT, to drop Luke off. I got to meet his 4 girls and his wife. I arrived home at Minden around 6PM. It had a bit of crosswind on landing, which a friend captured in the video below. At a reported 14 knots, it was well within the 16-knot maximum demonstrated crosswind landing with full flaps. Since I was gone so long, I got a special greeting from my dogs.
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