A Quiet Place: Flying to New York’s Fishers Island

Residents are protective of their 5 square miles in Long Island Sound.

Monday, October 17, 2022 at 04:34 PM ET

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For flights to Elizabeth Field's short runways, you will want an aircraft with decent short-field performance, like our Cessna 172 or the 180 sharing the ramp with us. [Credit: Jonathan Welsh]

Key Takeaways:

The author prefers traditional paper sectional charts for their tactile experience, nostalgic appeal, and utility in discovering unique, remote airfields.
This preference led to a trip to Fishers Island, a secluded destination with a rich military history that actively resists mass tourism, offering a quiet, uncrowded experience.
The island's airport, originally an Army blimp airfield, provides access to its serene environment, though a navigational error on the return flight playfully prompts the author to consider integrating digital flight planning tools.

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While I long ago gave up phone books and faxes, and more recently let print newspapers and catalogs go, I plan to hang on to my sectional chart subscription for the foreseeable future.

I love the tactile interaction and familiarity that a chart brings to the cockpit. There is also a nice dose of nostalgia that comes with the sectional, protractor, kneeboard, and other analog gear I purchased when I started taking flying lessons. But what I love most about the chart is its spread-across-the-kitchen-table format, which makes it easy to pick new airports to visit.