Providence

We took off from Meriden, CT early in the afternoon, stopped at Minuteman Airport near Boston to visit pilot friend Zubair and family, and skirted Boston snapping away (see Photo link). We headed for Newport, RI but nearing the airport at sunset it looked like we might have trouble finding a place to stay (still too cold for camping). So we diverted to Providence. The helpful Tower controller told us to turn right at the end of the taxiway for parking. In that direction all we could see was big jets, while to the left we saw a few planes Flash's size so we went there and parked.

It was after dark by the time we finished getting everything buttoned up. We lugged our pack and bag each over to what looked like the old terminal and tower where we'd seen people inside. "Oh, you'll have to move it to the other side by the jets," they said.

Hike back out to the plane, talk to the ground controller who gave directions vague enough that we taxied toward jet taxiing toward us on the other side of the field. So at Flash's urging (and Anne's) I did a 180 and headed toward where all the jets were parked. Going slowly along a row of hangars and buildings, everything was dark until we reached the end. Turning in there it soon became apparent that was part of a cargo jet operation so we turned and even more slowly started back along the row of buildings. Now we see on the side of the next building, facing away from where anyone coming in from the runway could see it, "Northstar" (the name of the Flash size parking operation).

Turning in there, a guy came running out to direct us to a spot. The moment I shut off the engine he ran away. "Oh no," I'm thinking, "he changed his mind!" He'd run to get chocks for the wheels, so again we buttoned up and trundled our gear in. This time a shorter distance than before, and to be greeted by a helpful gal who arranged the hotel I'm sitting in dreaming of sleep.

Before going in to join Anne who had abandoned me for the warmth of the office, I snapped this pic from under Flash's wing and over the top of her engine. It all felt like a scene from the movie Castaway somehow.

Riding to the hotel, when we asked the twenty-something shuttle driver (a native Providencial) he said, "There's nothing to do here - we're an airport town." They're building a cool link from the fast northeast corridor trains direct to the airport, and when it's done in a year or two he says this will be one of the closest major rail/air links in the country.

Tomorrow, NYC!