EWR 1/19

First off gents this was a relatively quick turn , we arrived at about 0230 in the am, ferrying in empty from IAD, and caught the last gusts of the windstorm that had been assaulting the northeast. My first officer flew that leg, and handled the x-wind beautifully. On the way into 22L ,while being vectored at 3000 feet, I saw the silent green/white/green/white wink of the beacon at SMQ,Somerset Airport, my favorite grass strip in Jersey where till the summer of '03 I used to fly a '46 Aeronca Champ on semi regular basis. Jersey,and New York are the old sod for me, so every trip brings waves of nostalgia, deep inside I am still that kid with the binos and the scanner,sitting on my driveway, tracking the JFK inbounds, the LGA outbounds, and everything in between. After landing we proceeded to the west parking area near the old North terminal, and shutdown. I got to watch the freight dog boys hard at work in the form of a KHA 727-200F that blasted off 22R, and an ATI DC-8-73F that pushed back and fired up in front of us. I have always loved the stretch 8,and thank God, that UPS,ATI, Murray Air,and a few other box carriers are still keep them going in the 21st century. The 707 is rarer than hens teeth, but you still have a pretty good chance of catching an 8 now and then. We hit the hotel for a good nights rest, my last concious image was the Verranzano glittering, and sparkling outside my window. We had a 1500 show time,and a 1600 go time, so after I got up, I just had time to head over to terminal C ,for lunch with my wife (A 71/2 month pregnant CoEx EMB-145 Capt.) who fortuitously was passing thru EWR at the same time. After lunch I headed out to my ship, met with my crew, and admired the beautiful blue and white lines of our classic 727, the airplane that looks transonic even sitting at the gate. We fired up on schedule after our clients arrived and boarded, then made the short taxi to 22R, and sat for 20 minutes watching the Peter Max 777, EL AL 777, Alitalia 777, TAP (NC)A310, and a million 737s and RJs arrive on the left side till the tower finally gave us their blessing and we blasted off 22R. Our 727 grosses out at 184,000 lbs, we weighed 136,000, the acceleration of those 3 JT8d-15s pushed me back into the seat ,we leaped off that runway, Leaving our characteristic black smoke signature behind us, and setting off car alarms with our archaic Jt8d thunder chorus. We twisted and turned and leveled at 8000 feet over a Manhattan aglow with the rays of the waning sun, it was beautiful, the whole tableau,city,river, bridges,harbor, spread beneath us, then they cleared us up to 17,000 above a broken cloud deck, and it was sayonara for now,Nueva York and New Jamsey, see you soon, God's grace I will get a decent EWR,JFK layover soon, when I do I will post it and maybe we can all hook up for a little spotting. Till then Cheers Gents, God bless, and good spotting !