|
Alabama Bound, 1999 May 27-June 2, 1999 Solo flight to visit daughter Lisa for her 29th birthday 1877
Nautical miles UAO->JER->1V9->PYX->TXK->EET Flew 3.5 hour legs plus a couple 4 hour legs. Range is 5.2 hours. Could have done it in 3 stops, but choose 4 for safety. Departed Aurora State at 5am on 5/27, watched and photographed a beautiful sunrise over Mt. Hood and headed east on V 500 at 11,000. Cleared VFR on-top at 11,500 to Jerome, Idaho. Self fueling at $1.87 and on to Delta Colorado to fuel at $1.80. Nice FBO. Crossed the Rockies through the Marshall Pass to Pueblo, Colorado at 8,000 to 10,000 feet, clouds above and on to Perryton, Texas. $1.50 gallon. Nice paved strip with an excellent crosswind grass strip which I used for takeoff on the return leg.. Clouds began to form as I launched toward Texarkana, Arkansas as the sun set and I went IFR in and out of layers. Smooth beautiful evening, vectored over Oklahoma City to avoid the massive thunderstorms centered in Dallas with a 15 mile wide tornado! Smooth up north. Landed at 11:30 pm (9:30pm Portland time-a 14 hour day!) at Texarkana to find a lineman waving me in. They are open 24 hours/day. Fuel at the FBO was $2.15 but he recommended the adjacent self fueling pump at $1.60. Took his advice. Very nice top-drawer FBO, TAC-Air. Offered me the pilot's lounge for the night but the Cardinal was all set up for camping. So, I taxied to the end of the ramp, put up the curtains and crawled into the sleeping bag. ZZZZZzzzzzz very soundly. Up at 8am, called for Mark and Lisa to leave an ETA. They couldn't arrive at the airport until 2:30pm so I hung around for awhile and snacked on the trail mix, V8 juice and goodies in the plane. TXK tower was in operation as I left and I took a pleasure, low altitude flight eastward. A punch on the Loran and Hope, AK appeared up ahead. Couldn't resist landing and taking a picture of the FBO. There may have been Hope for Clinton 8 years ago, but I wonder what Hope thinks now? Hot and muggy in Alabaster, Alabama, home of Shelby County Airport just south of Birmingham as I landed about 1:30pm.. Got the plane all unloaded, kicked back with a cool one and Mark and Lisa arrived at 2:30 to a joyous reunion....it's been nearly 3 years since I saw them last. Had a great visit with barbecue ribs at Nick & Jims, tours, talks, projects, B-day celebrations, guitar playing, dog petting, neighborhood walking and southern hospitality. We aborted a trip to Mobile to see Joan's daughter on Memorial Day due to significant storms over our local airport and over Mobile. At the airport at 7am, but it just got worse....Oh, well. Rain and rain and rain all day Monday.. Return
Trip Later that night I was over Salt Lake City at 12,000 feet dodging airliners and storms to the west. It was prudent to touch down at Malad City Idaho about 10pm, just north of the Salt Lake area for the night. Did a high approach as terrain was everywhere and night was no time to be low. Checked in with Joan and Lisa via cell phone. Up at 7am and on to Jerome where the weather finally caught me. Trapped for 6 hours, but took a needed 2 hour nap and launched at 3pm IFR in and out of layers, and no ice. A low system to the south provided a 10 knot tailwind all the way back ..Unbelievable, a tail wind westbound! Up to 13,000 to stay on top over the Cascades and then an IFR descent into the Willamette Valley to break out at 5,000 for a perfect landing on RWY 35 with the first turn-off. Called Joan and we met at the Blue Jeans Tavern in Aurora on the way home to suck some suds, and off to a needed nap. $511 for gas round trip, saved a lot by using AirNav's webpage to find the inexpensive, fast in-and-out uncontrolled airports. Great flight! Had my CD with plenty of music piped in over the stereo headset. Had a back-up lightweight noise-canceling headset to a change of pace, worked very well. Good food and water aboard. "Necessary" bags with powder emulsification-all the comforts of home! Well, almost. 'Blazing' away at 120 knots (140 MPH) at 8,000 to 12,000 average altitudes, the Cardinal sailed right along. Nice to be home, but already looking forward to the next trip, this time with Joan. Lewiston, Idaho, a short hop of 2 & 1/2 hours. P.S. 6/20--Made the Idaho trip, great sunny visit to Lewiston, Elk River to see cousin John McDonald who drove from Bovil, and on to Spokane to see Gary, Karen and Dan Lauby. Back in Aurora at 9:30PM on Saturday night and to the Blue Jeans Tav to sip some suds. PIREP 6/15/99 Jake N3460T
|