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 by finally landing his own plane, "Annie," at Bar Harbor, Maine, an aspiration first sparked by witnessing a takeoff in 1999.
The highly anticipated flight provided a unique and rewarding sightseeing experience, transforming highway monotony into detailed aerial views of the stunning Maine coast and familiar landmarks.
This "watershed" trip solidified his family's appreciation for general aviation and the value of owning an airplane, turning a personal goal into a shared, memorable 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.