Local Pilots See the Berkshires From on High

By Kathy Keeser
Special to iBerkshires
10:09AM / Wednesday, November 11, 2009

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Photos by Kathy Keeser Power lines cut a path over foliage-clad mountains. Below, Charles Cahoon fell in love with flying a quarter-century ago. Top, an intricately carved field can only be appreciated from above.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — It's a well-worn cliche that on a clear day you can see forever. But it's especially true when flying over the Berkshires in a single-engine airplane.

One like the Cessna 152 that Clarksburg resident Charles "Chuck” Cahoon's owned since 2001. He was bitten by the flying bug on Oct. 8, 1983, when as a passenger in a single-engine, he first got to have his hands on the controls and experience the feel of flying. 

Cahoon took lessons and followed the requirements to receive his pilot's license. After retiring from GE's Naval Ordnance in Pittsfield, he attended East Coast Aero Tech at Hanscom Field in Bedford and received certification as an airframe and power-plant mechanic.  

Cahoon puts his various skills to use at the airport by working on his own plane to keep it in good flying order, fabricating items like a special clipboard to keep flight information handy when he is flying by himself, and occasionally helping with plane repairs at a small business located at the airport. But, mostly, he looks forward to taking off and flying his own plane. 

"You see so many things from the air that you can't see easily from the ground," said Cahoon. During two flights with Cahoon, I could see areas from angles and perspectives that could never be experienced from the ground. He flew over Quabbin Reservoir in central Massachusetts, above the Piooneer Valley and then dipping down as he followed the Deerfield River, up and over Hoosac Mountain and the town of Florida, all over the Northern Berkshire valley  and into Vermont and over to Hoosick Falls, N.Y. 

"When you see things from the air, you feel like you are the only one who knows that it's here besides the guy who built it," said Cahoon. Along the way, he pointed out many "hidden" sites, including a house being built up a small road not far from Steinerfilm in Williamstown; a maze that aerially depicted a tree, pig and other animals; the mansion of Mount Hope in Williamstown; Berkshire East ski slopes from above and the spectacular beauty of the fall foliage on a large scale. 

The patterns and designs of the area, both manmade and natural are revealed from above: farmland, woods, the river as it carves through the valley, and even things like power lines can appear fascinating. What may be logical about manmade areas can seem surreal. When viewing from on high, both the Greenfield rotary, making what appears to be an exact circle, and the semi-circle loop of the Route 112 turnoff from the Mohawk Trail toward Ashfield look like a what a child might build for toy cars.  

Above, Fish Pond (Windsor Lake) in North Adams; right, a closeup of the cockpit; below, Beaver Street.

As Cahoon flew, he brought the plane close above areas like downtown North Adams or Williamstown, and then he circled above to view the patterns of its streets or a panoramic view that was spectacular. It is hard to beat flying above your house and looking down on the your neighborhood and surrounding area.  

Flying is safe if you follow the rules, said Cahoon. "Safety is in the details, there is no skipping any steps when you take a flight."

Pilots go through a series of procedures and safety checks that take at least 10 minutes before they take off each time they fly, from the plane's fluids and gauges, to surface conditions, to weather conditions.

Cahoon's plane is among 23 aircraft based at the airport, which is owned and operated by the city. Five area businesses also call it home.

Though he is lucky enough to own his own plane, Cahoon admires Peter Esposito, who has flown for 60 years from the North Adams area. Esposito started flying when he was 14, soloed on his 16th birthday and received his private pilot's license at 17. 

"I flew just about everything from helicopters, planes to jets and did a lot of aerobatics in air shows," said Esposito. He had a commercial license for 18 1/2 years, and after retiring as a pilot for Sprague Electric after 31 years, ran Esposito Flying Service for 21 years at Harriman-West airport.

Pictures from Esposito's flying career are displayed on the walls of the current business, Shamrock Aviation. Most days you can find Esposito hanging around the airport chatting to pilots or looking in on a couple of his special planes that are being rebuilt in a storage area.

Shamrock Aviation offers a professional flight school, scenic flights and charter air service. Matthew Champney, the general manager, oversees the fueling and helping to park visiting planes, directing aerial visitors to destinations in the Berkshires, and scheduling lessons or flights.

Champney encourages people to visit the airport, sit at the picnic table on the deck and watch incoming or outgoing flights. He pointed out that it seems less friendly because of the fences and security put in place after the 2001 terrorist attacks but visitors are welcome. People can also take a scenic flight.

"Local people are amazed by the view — what it looks like from above is incredible," said Champney.

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