Your Ideal Aircraft Can Make an Old Trip Seem New

After decades of traveling to the same spot in Maine, a family undergoes a transformative experience.

Jonathan Welsh

Tuesday, June 20, 2023 at 01:05 PM ET

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Annie shared the Bar Harbor ramp with jets including a Falcon 900. [Credit: Alexa Kemeny]

Key Takeaways:

The author fulfilled a decades-long dream of flying his own plane to Bar Harbor Airport, a goal sparked by a fleeting observation in 1999 and realized after resuming flight training and acquiring his aircraft.
The flight offered a unique and "priceless" perspective, transforming highway monotony into a detailed sightseeing tour that allowed the family to appreciate coastal scenery and landmarks from above.
This "watershed trip" solidified the family's enthusiasm for aviation and airplane ownership, turning a long-held personal aspiration into a cherished and shared experience.

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I clearly recall the day in 1999 when my wife, Alexa, and I were driving to Bar Harbor, Maine, for a kayak excursion. Before reaching the busy downtown area, we passed the airport—Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport (KBHB)—and as the road drew nearly parallel with Runway 22, we spotted a Mooney on its takeoff run.

The airplane swept past us, lifted off, and climbed smartly before flying out of sight on a south-by-southwest course, essentially headed toward New Jersey, which is home for us. Who knows where the Mooney was headed, but I recall telling Alexa that it would be in Jersey in a couple of hours. I think that fleeting experience planted a seed. Someday, somehow, I thought, we are going to land there.