THE BEST $100 Hamburgers

The Basin Harbor Club in Vergennes Vermont

The resort is one of The Historic Hotels of America For many years pilots have been able to fly into the resorts grass air field situated on beautiful Lake Champlain. The resort has breakfast, lunch and dinner in 3 different restaurants. On the 4thof July, one can find an outdoor brunch on the lake with tables draped in red, white and blue. For a more casual experience take a picnic lunch and sit on the Adirondack chairs on the harbor. There is also a championship 18 hole golf course.
It is not unusual to see seagulls on the air field, or perhaps a wild deer. In fact, on one occasion we came across a bull moose just as we were landing our plane. The moose was stunned by the sound of the engine and stared directly into the nose of the plane. Fortunately, the moose got the message and ran off the field into the woods. It looked like a flying horse! As pilot you have a choice, scare off the birds (or moose) with a low approach. This is ok, but they will roost right back where they were by the time you are on final again, always right in the touch down zone of runway 20. Another choice is to approach with the landing light on (they respond to the light) watch them scatter as you descend over them, flatten out your approach, and touch down just past them, (this is also a good place to watch your air speed). Birds on the ground are getting out of your way not vis versa, birds in the air are a whole different story. Flying to The Basin Harbor Club is a unique experience you won't want to miss when flying in scenic Vermont.

By Marilyn McDonald and John Cole, Mendon, VT 05701

Belle's Cafe

My first, and number one pick is for Belle's Cafe located at Grabeski Field, West Hampton Beach, NY (KFOK). If you love food w/ a Caribbean flair, this is by far one of the best restaurants, period! Their breakfasts are outstanding w/ favorites such as Granny's smokin' pancakes or Caribbean French toast. Simply to die for! And the lunch menu only gets better w/ fajitas or mouth watering jumbo hamburgers with spicy fries, yum! A full menu and a warm smile from the staff make this a great fly-in stop. In addition there is fresh brewed ice tea, which is always a Pilot's favorite.

My second pick is for Sky Acres (N44). Sky Acres is a great get-away anytime for breakfast or lunch. Their food is excellent, reasonably priced and portions are plentiful. A great ride into the NY countryside makes Sky Acres a great stop not only for food but also for the view!
Sincerely, Andrew D. Elwood Essex, CT

Blue Sky Airport Diner

I highly recommend the "Blue Sky Airport Diner" at Brookhaven Airport, Shirley, NY (on Long Island). Donna, Kathy and Michelle serve up the finest fare to be found. They will satisfy your Culinary Yearnings with their special, specials or you may elect to describe the tastes you are craving and they will create a delectable Masterpiece. Breakfast and lunch served in a friendly atmosphere is a fine part of a day where one may enjoy The Beauty of Long Island and its' many bays, creeks and coastlines. The Blue Sky is the best way to get started, or take a break while enjoying the scenery.Please pass on this information to our Brother and Sister aviators.
Thank you, Mike Flynn East Moriches, NY

Springfield Royal Diner and Corvette Museum

Imagine, tucked away under the shadow of Mount Ascutney in the Connecticut River Valley of Vermont, the nearly perfect $100 Hamburger excursion. The Springfield Royal Diner and Corvette Museum feature a hearty authentic diner meal and pleasure wandering through the Vette Museum and wondering and reminiscing at the sight of the fifties cars and assorted paraphernalia. Even if you're not necessarily into Corvettes, who can help but enjoy a trip back to the fifties, great jukebox music, homemade style food, and as real an atmosphere as the set of Happy Days? If you enjoy old cars/Corvettes, you could be near heaven. Hartness State (Springfield) Airport is about two miles from the diner/museum, and the FBO will gladly hand you the keys to his beater-loaner for the drive over. Visit www.springfieldroyaldiner.com for all the detail regarding directions, history, gift shop items, special events, and even breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu selections.

By Howard Fisher

PARLIN FIELD:

Six or so years ago while searching for the most competitive fuel prices on AirNav, we discovered a perfect gem of an airport, 2B3 in Newport, NH, 45nm north of the Massachusetts border, & 5nm west of Lake Sunapee. The north/south runway is 3450' paved. Operated by Maura & Dean Stetson, always enthusiastic, helpful & friendly. They maintain an immaculate airport & FBO. Immediately next door, ice cream and an excellent Mexican restaurant featuring inside, screened porch or outside dining. Clean & "neat as a pin." The "piece de resistance" is found by taxiing north and turning left on the smooth turf (1950') runway to its westerly end. There, tree covered picnic tables, a river, beach & covered bridge await. (also "rest rooms"). If you like to bike, courtesy bikes available. This may fulfill the picture you have of what the perfect NH airport should be.......the fuel price also remains the best in New England. Saturday, August 28th, is their annual breakfast Fly In.

By Dick Bicknell, Skylane N399N (mrbirdly@aol.com)

Perfect Landing Cafe at Sky Acres Airport

About as Good as it Gets

The perfect landing - that illusive greaser that we all anticipate when on short final and sometimes achieve - seems like an apt name for an airport restaurant as it conjures up thoughts of gastronomical utopia and a pleasant way to end a flight. Perhaps that is the mental process owner Cindy Anderson wished arriving pilots to undertake when she named her pleasant and satisfying eatery at Sky Acres Airport the Perfect Landing Cafe (PLC), after purchasing the former Latitude 44 North restaurant in the summer of 2005. Sky Acres Airport, 44N, is in the bucolic and scenic little town of LaGrangeville, in eastern New York State, between the Connecticut border and the Hudson River and about half way between Albany and New York City. We've made the 20-minute flight there from central Connecticut a number of times for the $100 hamburger and have found the Perfect Landing to consistently live up to its name - far more so than most of my own attempts to return to earth.

Located in Sky Acres' trademark converted barn and silo culminating an interesting uphill taxi, the PLC's extensive menu is cleverly designed with pilot-speak that visitors can readily relate to, such as "preflights" for salads, "basic maneuvers" for the entrees, "fuel injections" for the liquids and "side slips" for add-ons. Breakfast is a busy time at the PLC, as many pilots fly friends and family in early before the Sky Acres non-towered traffic pattern gets really busy, as it usually does on VFR Saturdays and Sundays April through October. Cindy adds special omelets and pancakes to the menu on weekends and breakfast is available all day on Saturday and Sunday, so even late sleepers can get properly refueled.

The PLC is truly a family affair, with Cindy's mom and dad Margaret and Mike Bates and daughters Lindsey and Carly helping to serve the customers and prepare the food. Husband Mark Anderson also gets to lend a hand on weekends. Cook Terri Smith rules in the PLC's kitchen and provides homemade soups, fresh fruits and vegetables along with daily lunch specials.

The PLC is truly pilot-friendly, with a western view of takeoffs and landings on the 17-35 runway, a cozy fireplace and reading area, and bulletin board listing all kinds of aviation stuff for sale plus area activities. The taxiway entrance to the PLC includes a short walk through HerGin Aviation's pilot shop, an FBO and fuel provider plus lots of things that pilots always need - including some attractive "Sky Acres" tee shirts and sweatshirts that a quite reasonably priced. The writer's wife loved the blue sweatshirt with a big biplane on the front that I transported home.

The Perfect Landing Cafe is open Thursdays and Fridays 7:30 to 3 and Saturday and Sunday 7:30 to 4. Clip out and bring the PLC's ad from the Atlantic Flyer and you will receive a 10% discount on Thursday and Friday. For more information about Sky Acres and available services go to www.skyacresairport.com.

By Phil Worley

A NEW TWIST ON THE $100 HAMBURGER
HOW ABOUT THE $100 BAKLAVA?

Add Taso’s Euro-Café to your favorite places to fly-to for lunch or dinner list. For many years, the place to fly-to on a Saturday (or any day) was the Prop Stop Restaurant at the Norwood Airport, just outside of Boston. The folks at the Prop Stop moved on and the pilots and their fly along friends found other places to visit. Filling that gap, a completely new restaurant opened up at OWD with a theme of traditional homemade Greek and American cuisine. Taso’s Euro-Café, a family owned and operated restaurant, and yes, Mom (Maroula) and Pop (Tasos) are both in the kitchen doing everything, from marinating lamb for the souvlaki to baking their famous baklava and other desserts.

In addition to the usual favorites like American Chop Suey, Steak Tips, Lamb Chops and Thick-Crust Pizza, you are going to find traditional Greek specialties such as Pastichio (a Greek lasagne of thick long tubular pasta layered with ground beef and a creamy bechamel sauce), Baked Lamb (lamb shanks in a unique and delicious tomato sauce), and Spinach Pie (Spinach and feta cheese wrapped up in a crispy filo dough). Don’t forget about dessert, too. The desserts are such that one might consider them sinful…but they are delicious… from the baklava to the biscotti.

Taso’s opens for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday (ll:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.). They are also open for breakfast on Saturday at 7:00 a.m. In addition to the delicious specialties mentioned above, Taso’s also serves subs and fried chicken dinners and anything on the menu can be packaged with wings for on-board consumption! There is also a private function room available for airport meetings or for that business luncheon. Eastern Air Center operates the airport terminal and has agreed to waive ramp fee’s for customers dining at Taso’s Euro-Café or visiting The Pilot Shop, which is adjacent to the restaurant. Also, security problems are minimal as entry and exit is through the terminal.

Taso’s Euro-Café
125 Access Road, Norwood Airport
Norwood, MA 02062
781-278-0001 – Major Credit Cards accepted
www.tasoseurocafe.com