A "Flying" Trip to NJ

Tuesday, July 12th of 2005, we made our annual trek to Sea Isle City, NJ for Sarah the Turtle Festival.    Each trip we take has its adventures and this one was not going to let us down!     Because Tamal was in college, this year’s trip would be just Beth and Ali and I.    With no agenda and only two days (including driving time) it would be a relaxing but short vacation this year.   Relaxed, short but very interesting!   

I packed and repacked the van three times before I finally figured out how to get all the stuff into it and we were only going for two days!  Eventually the items ceased to flow from the house to the van and we were off.   With the ever increasing cost of gasoline and the fact that the fuel gage on the van wasn't working, we were ever so vigilant as to where the best gasoline prices could be found.  It amazes me how a half hour of driving time can make a ten cents a gallon difference!  That is a whole article in itself!   With a full tank we were officially underway!    Hotel reservations were confirmed and no cares - just sun and fun from here on out.   Come to find out we were not to be the only ones with fuel gage problems on this trip!    

After getting onto the PA Turnpike At the Pocono northeast extension interchange, we proceeded toward Philadelphia - the "city of brotherly love".   Who ever came up with that saying never attempted to drive through there on a busy weekday in temperatures that melt everyone’s patience!    Once there we would cross the Walt Whitman Bridge and then it was smooth sailing into to Sea Isle City.    Sounds fairly simple and care free to me!    We had not been on the PA Turnpike (the North East Extension) a mile before we saw the first trooper running radar.     About another mile or two later, there set another trooper running radar.    This was not to be a problem since I was driving and NEVER exceed the speed limit!   Cruise control is great!!    Not long there after the trip began to evolve into an adventure!

As we were cruising down the turnpike enjoying the beautiful morning, I noticed a plane to our right flying fairly low.    With my experienced knowledge of all the different ways radar can be employed, I bet Beth they were running radar from that small plane.    Never bet with your wife – even when you win you will loose!   Again another story.  The plane continued to fly parallel to the highway getting a tad bit lower as it went.    In front of our van was a semi tractor trailer truck and ahead of that was a small size blue pick up truck.   As we flew down the road the plane changed its course slightly and was now flying directly above the trucks in front of us!    As it flew over the semi and then over the small pick up it continued to get lower and lower!    It was then we all realized the plane was not only flying over the roadway, it too was going to fly DOWN the road!    As the three vehicles (our van and 2 trucks) slowed down, the plane quickly descended and disappeared from our view in front of the tractor trailer.

We quickly pulled off to the side of the road and I ran (yes I can still run!) down the burm of the road to find this little airplane sitting in the middle of the road as though it belonged there!    There was not a scratch on anyone nor the plane!  I inquired if everyone was alright and the gentleman flying the plane assured me everyone was fine and that the plane’s engine had just quit!    He was so easy going about it; like it was his car and it over heated so he just stopped along side of the road to let it cool down!   After the plane was drug to the edge of the road and its tail left to hang out over the guard rail so traffic could keep flowing, I asked the pilot if he needed to make a phone call or anything and he assured me that help was already on the way.     With the plane no longer blocking any part of the roadway, traffic kept moving by.     I thought to my self: “ there were two police cars down the road only a couple of miles running radar and here is a plane on the highway that I bet was speeding!”

I could not get over how calm and relaxed this older gentleman was.      He had just had to make an emergency landing onto a highway full of speeding vehicles (except for me traveling the speed limit) and was so calm about it all!    There were some young adults in the blue pick up and they were for lack of better words "flipping out" over the event that had just unfolded in front of them!   

Later via news articles and reports we would learn more about this senior citizen pilot.    His name was Hollie E. Ewing and he was 75 years old and from North Dakota.   Retired, he “shuttled” planes back and forth from NJ to the Midwest states.    The plane was a Cessna 120 and had experienced a fuel valve problem that the pilot had fixed right away and was ready to take flight again asking permission to use the Turnpike as a runway!   The State police decided to error on the safe side and told him he would have to disassemble the aircraft and have it towed to the Hazleton Airport.    No doubt after seeing the skill he displayed in landing the aircraft, he had what it took to get it back into the air!   Traffic in the right hand lane was stopped for about fifteen minutes or so till plane was drug out of the road.   I am not sure (as we had continued our trip) how long it may have been stopped while they loaded the disassembled plane to take it out of there.   We have to  commend the police as well as the first group of individuals on the scene.   The vehicles were smart enough that after recognizing the situation, knew enough to slow down to allow the plane to land in front of them – try to find that in the city of brotherly love on a day where everyone is in nothing but a hurry!    Then they were quick to clear the roadway so traffic could keep flowing.    This also allowed the police to get to the scene … eventually.    The entire incident unfolded so calmly – it was amazing.     Once help was on the way and there was nothing more that could be done until the help arrived, we got back into the van and proceeded to head on down the highway to see what other adventures awaited us.   

We always travel looking for things to make the trip more enjoyable.    One can never tell what  may outside your window as one "rounds the next bend"!     So when you travel with us ... keep a look out!  

 

           Back