Girls Do Have Fun

Everything a pilot could ask for. The first day of Spring, Saturday and perfect flying weather. Added to that, the opportunity to take three special friends up for a first flight. We departed Chehalis westbound to fly over Westport. From there back east with a stop at Bremerton, then north to our planned lunch visit at Jefferson County and the Spruce Goose Cafe. I've been getting together with these ladies to celebrate birthdays for a couple years. We always have a theme which includes goofy hats, noise makers, and a wide variety of props. We always have a great time, and have been known to be a little bit rowdy.

The arrival of a plane full of women at any GA airport, is quite rare. Our group considerably more so!

This trip our theme was "Flying Monkeys".

In the air, and on the ground, this was a day to remember. We're already planning our next flight, so be sure to keep your eyes open at local airport eateries - who knows where we'll show up next!

A Goal

Two years ago, I started on a goal - to land at every airport in Washington State. This would not include private strips where permission is not given, or airports I consider unsafe for either my plane or my skills as a pilot.

Late last month, we had one of those days that usually arrive in February with severe clear. I invited a co-worker and headed east. With 3 airports practically on top of each other in the Tri-Cities area I saw an opportunity to increase airport count quickly. Vista Field (S98) our first stop, is a nice field, located directly across the Columbia from Tri-Cities (PSC) and just southeast of Richland (RLD). Vista offers easy access to pilot lounge, and is a pleasant walk to shopping and restaurants. At Richland, I didn't stay long enough to check out facilities, just landed, took a photo, and took off for PSC. This towered field has multiple runways, light jet commuter traffic, and is easy in and out. Tower was helpful and welcoming. We took a lunch break in the terminal - decent food, interesting view of arriving and departing jets. On the way back to Chehalis, my friend indicated an interest in St. Helens so we took a close look. Winds were light, air smooth. A perfect flying day in every way. Sharing aviation with others always enhances the flight.

This past Saturday the weather was again ideal, so I took a close look at Ranger Creek (21W), not to land but to plan for the future. This field is in a steep, narrow, valley and I've decided not to go until another pilot can go along to provide another set of eyes.

Leaving Ranger Creek, I flew to the northeast over Snoqualmie Pass, where I took this photo of Lake Keechelus. I then descended and continued east to make a first visit to Cle Elum (S93) then a 5 minute flight to De Vere (2W1). Neither airport has any facilities (bathroom) or fuel. I was however, greeted on the radio and provided parking advice at De Vere. Also told the field is officially private, but open to the public, and a landing fee of $5.00 is appreciated. Cle Elum was re-surfaced last year, De Vere is a bit rough, but not overly so. If your looking for a quiet place to take a break or have lunch, these are good fields.

I was surprised to find Ranger Creek's runway clear of snow, and in fact the lack of snow generally is something I noted on both recent flights over the Cascades.

Heading home, I decided to fly low following Snoqualmie Pass. This photo shows the highway going west. Please note that the route here is not what you might think. Be sure to make a sharp left over the ski-runs to follow the pass. Oh, I do dearly love flying among our mountains. So beautiful, so inspiring, so refreshing to my soul.

Total airports added: 5

Pilots N Paws

A better reason to fly than for the usual $100 Hamburger. Pilots can go here http://pilotsnpaws.org/ to sign up to fly Rescue dogs, cats and other pets that need to get from one part of the country to the other in order to get to new owners, or improve their chances of a forever home.

Being an animal lover who has flown a lot of animals (dogs, cats, crow, ferret) this seemed an ideal program. I signed up and took a mission to fly a “puppy” that needed to get from Idaho Falls, ID to Forks, WA. Idaho Falls was too far for a one-day round trip so ground transportation was arranged to Nampa, ID airport (S67). My flying buddy, Steve, volunteered to come along when I told him the puppy was a Bull Mastiff that weighed in at 150 pounds! Steve seemed to think that I might get into trouble flying alone with a dog that size. That’s the kind of friend Steve is.

Our route of flight took us over familiar territory, to Burns OR, then west to Nampa. Empty country out that way, but pretty to fly over with pine forests and the Owyhee reservoir. From then on, over the Snake River and into Nampa was new territory. Nampa is a nice airport with an FBO that sent a guy out to meet us and fuel the plane. Meanwhile we met the ladies handing off our puppy, Brutus. What a sweet and beautiful boy! I took him for a short walk, as did Steve so he would understand we were the new bosses. Then it was time to load up and fly.

I led Brutus out to the plane, where a nearby helicopter was running up, and another plane was taxing in. He ignored them. I opened the door, pointed, and said “Brutus. Get in the Car.” (Yes, I knew it was a plane, but he wouldn’t!) The darling dog simply looked around to be sure I was serious, and then clambered inside, with just a bit of help finding where to put his foot on the strut. On the entire flight from Nampa with two stops on the way to Pierce Co (PLU) this sweet boy took up the entire backseat, but caused no trouble.

So, pilots, if you’re looking for an excuse to fly that your spouse cannot find fault with – sign up and save a life.

The Alvord Desert

September 2008. With my flying buddy, Steve in his Cessna 150. We departed Chehalis at 2:00 pm on a southeasterly heading for our first stop, The Dalles Oregon. Weather didn’t require us to “Fly the Gorge” which is often used to get past/through the Cascade Range when ceilings are low, our best route took us there. The Gorge can be terrible windy, and care must be taken to watch for power lines, but it’s a good alternative. Winds were strong at The Dalles –with gusts to 24, which is often the case, but fortunately right down the runway.

From there we flew southeast along the eastern side of the Oregon Cascades to Burns OR which is fairly close to middle of the state. We flew over lots of beautiful wild country. It was late enough, at Burns, that dinner and a night in the pilot lounge was the prudent choice. We listened to the tale of the hangar destruction courtesy of a huge helicopter rotor. No people damaged, but one close call from flying debris.

We made a dawn takeoff so we’d be over the Steen Mts, landing in the desert early – always a good idea, and especially so in a 150 with 2 people and camping gear. The terrain we flew over was otherworldly and tortured . The Alvord is a flat stretch about 10 miles long and 4 wide, most of it ideal runway – just pick a direction, any direction. We flew along the west side, with no reason to go above 50 feet so we didn’t. Yippee! What fun! Tearing along to the east, checking our proposed landing area for damp spots, holes and debris then turned and landed. Nothing but sand, sage brush and silence. Nothing could our ears pick up but the faint ticking of the cooling engine. Even the wind was still. Within minutes the sound of an approaching engine caught our attention and we turned to see a jeep crossing toward us. We watched them come, stop about 100 yards away, then turn and leave. What was that about? Then it came to me. They were ground pounders camping on the other side who saw us come in low, then disappear . They were just looking to make sure we hadn’t crashed. Darn nice of them. Only people we saw for the next two days!

The Alvord has no amenities at all. If you need it, bring it in or go without. The peace, beauty and quiet of the dessert were worth the basic living conditions. Make sure you’ve got really GOOD tie downs as sometimes the wind comes up hard. September is a great time of year – still good weather and not too hot. (We had upper 80’s low 90’s). . For those of you who haven’t gone – do it. We loved hiking, exploring and having all that space to ourselves.

There is an airport, Denio Junction (E85) about 35 nm south, dirt runway. The fun is that you land and taxi over to the gas station for mogas, supplies , or a meal at the Café. We didn’t visit, so I cannot provide an opinion.

The ELSA

While at a Fly-In, an aircraft unlike any I had seen before landed…on the taxiway. I was impressed with its ability to land and stop quickly. Later I watched it depart and again the ground run was SHORT. This was my introduction to Ultralights. These are now called E-LSA (Experimental Light Sport Aircraft).
This is the Phantom.

Friends started buying these delightful little aircraft. They looked like a lot of fun. Then Jerry bought an upgraded model and Mike decided to buy his old one – we became the owners of a Flightstar. I thought The ELSA was a good name for her – a long one, because she is so small and has to have something big about her.

My first take-off wasn’t bad but once airborne all that open air rushing by and all that unrestricted view had me thinking. “Okay. Now I’m up here and I have to figure out how to control this thing and how to land!” I’m not going to kid you – it was frightening. The controls are very sensitive and wind has a much stronger effect so a lot more careful corrections are needed. At first I was all over the sky – up down, oops! Left right drat! But within a few minutes things settled down and I managed to relax a little. Then it was time to land as Mike was on the ground anxiously awaiting my safe return. The 100’ wide runway looked huge as it loomed ahead. I decided to focus on one side of it and that worked. I touched down very nicely and applied toe breaks. The ELSA does not have toe brakes, those are rudder pedals only! We made a very sudden left turn onto the grass and came to a stop. Huge sigh of relief. First flight a success. Plane and pilot can both be re-used.

Since then I’ve flown a handful of times. On one flight, a bald eagle approached and paced me just a few feet off my wing for a few heart-racing moments. The ELSA is hard to make consistent take-offs (I’m over correcting). The landings are easy, she likes grass. It’s COLD up there, even though I’ve never gone above 2,000. I always pick a light wind or calm day. Starting her, which is a gut pulling pain, is going to be a lot easier now that I’ve purchased an electric starter. I’ll never be brave enough to fly The ELSA on long trips like one pilot did. This is a great article about Arty and info on her blog.


Me and The ELSA - ready to go!

Southwest Solo

2008. I heard about an airpark in Salome Arizona selling lots cheap. Having become seriously sick and tired of fog, rain and flooding in Washington, a place in the sun sounded mighty good. Several weeks later the plan was in place. I had reserved a room, and arranged for the local dealership to leave a car at the airport in Wickenburg (E25) just a short distance from Salome. A real estate agent was poised to show me several available airpark properties in the general Wickenburg area. Making this trip serve several purposes, I planned a visit to family in Salt Lake and a tourist stop at Bryce Canyon (BCE) on my way south.

Since western Washington weather can be fickle (morning fog) I departed Friday night when it was clear and sunny, making Grant County Regional (GCD) my stop for an overnight in the pilot lounge.


This got me over the Cascades and into good weather from where I made a dawn departure for Salt Lake #2 (U42). This airport has now been, thankfully, renamed to South-Valley Regional which is considerably less confusing. A typical in-pattern call used to be “# 2 Traffic, This is 1234Tango entering the 45 for a left downwind for 34, I’ll be #2 in the downwind, #2.”

The Great Salt Lake and Nephi Valley.

My visit with family was cut short by an unexpected weather change, so I left for Bryce in the afternoon thus suffering a great deal of turbulence. At Bryce the wind was 22 knots gusting to 28, but fortunately right down the runway. Base leg was daunting, landing unexpectedly good. The FBO guy greeted me on the Unicom immediately and came out in the wind to help me secure the plane. I arranged for an overnight at a local spot (Bryce Canyon Pines). They will come and pick you up, just like Ruby’s Inn, but their prices are MUCH lower and the place is peaceful and quiet. Their on-site restaurant offers great home-style meals and delicious pie. Unfortunately I ended up staying 2 nights as wind continued to blow so hard I feared for my planes safety so asked the hotel manager to drive me out to check. Thankfully she was fine, though dancing in the wind and rain, tugging at her tie downs.

Wednesday morning my dawn departure still featured some wind and predicted possible areas of clouds or storms. The air was rough enough that my plan to soar over Bryce Canyon for some photos was reduced to one quick pass. South over the Grand Canyon was breathtaking. VFR flights must stay at 10,500 or 12,500 and cross within specific corridors, but this didn’t prevent me from seeing and photographing some amazing sights. I had to divert more than once on the way to avoid clouds. At one point, slipping between systems, snow appeared. I looked down and saw the fronts of my tires turning white and spent considerable time trying to see if my wings or struts were accumulating ice (white on white – I could not tell!) Here I was over the Grand Canyon with nothing flat anywhere. I must admit that I was seriously concerned. The entire series of events from snow to no-more snow and bright sunshine was just a few minutes, but seemed much longer. Finally south past the Canyon, I made a quick bathroom stop at Seligman (P23) AZ and still wonder if that sudden need had anything to do with snow and fear of ice…probably so!

Wednesday afternoon landed at Wickenburg and called the agent. We agreed to meet at Western Sky Airpark, so I took to the air. Following two drops of a 100 feet, and wind so bad that staying upright was questionable, I decided flying was NOT an option. Truly enjoyed the 50 mile drive to Salome, seeing saguaro cactus for the first time. The airpark didn’t work out (no need to go into details) but I fell in love with Wickenburg. A medium sized town with good basic services, a western feel, and just 45 minute drive out of Phoenix. Unfortunately Arizona didn’t live up to its reputation of sunshine. It rained so hard my stay was again extended due to weather. I’ve lived 57 years in Washington and am familiar with rain, but not Arizona rain. It went from sunshine to streets like rivers in minutes. Gutters overflowed creating waterfalls. I’d never seen anything like it. Not good for flying, but between downpours I explored the town, and surrounding area – enjoying what I found, and vowing to figure out a way to become a “Snowbird.”

Saturday. Finally weather cooperated and I headed NW for home. Past Lake Havasu, stop at Jean (0L7) NV for fuel where a weather check changed my planned route up the east side of the Sierra’s to the southwest instead. The entire Sierra range was clouds and rain and snow. I should note here that this trip took place in late May. I did not expect snow! I followed highway 15 past Barstow, then west to Rosamond, CA (L00) for fuel. Clouds were piled up on the hills to the west, but I took a chance on climbing over the top as the briefer had indicated plenty of holes and good ceilings in the valley past Bakersfield. After flying over the top for an hour and seeing no sign of holes I called the briefer and was told “the only holes I can now see are those back where you came from”. Back to Rosamond. No facilities but a bathroom, and wind so strong that putting up a tent was impossible. I settled in, reading until dark then spending the night in my sleeping bag. High winds had Isabo dancing all night and Cessna 172’s are not comfortable beds, but fortunately I’m able to sleep anywhere.

Sunday. Happy for morning and to be on my way. I flew over the top again, but this time the holes appeared and I was in the clear at Paso Robles (PRB) where I shared the pattern with not one, but two beautiful Stearman bi-planes. Weather check indicated lowering ceilings in central California but the coast was open so I’m off to the northwest past Salinas and then north.

King CityThe coast was beautiful, the flying smooth until just south of San Francisco where ceilings began to lower. I had no problem staying under class B space! Clouds appeared to rise at the entrance to San Francisco Bay so I turned east spotting the Golden Gate Bridge. Wait! Clouds are sitting on top of the bridge, I cannot go under, and over puts me into Class B. Just as I’m about to turn back to my alternate, the clouds slip off to the north and I glide right over the bridge, barely maintaining proper altitude above structures…whew! Here I am flying past San Francisco, taking pictures of Alcatraz and the Bay Bridge. I’d lived here briefly in the early 70’s never dreaming that someday I’d be flying in those skies.

Determined to go north, I found a good opening and made it to Petaluma (O69) where I added fuel and again checked weather ahead. Now the coast is closed in, but I can turn back into the valley where I fly north basically following I-5. Again flying is smooth and I’m seeing new country and spotting airports along the way. It’s not until I pass Redding (RDD) and the Lake Shasta area that clouds and lowering ceilings reappear. I’m familiar with Montague (1O5) so landed there in pouring rain and rapidly diminishing visibility. Safe on the ground, I waited for weather improvement, eventually realizing that I’d be spending the night in their ever so convenient pilot bunkhouse.

A note here on Montague-Yreka airport. It’s a great “old time” airfield. Dave, the airport manager, is warm, welcoming, accommodating and a great guy. Every Saturday morning his wife, Christine, makes fresh homemade cinnamon rolls for any pilots who might be dropping in – and they do! The bunkhouse offers two beds, comfy recliners and TV. There is a bath with shower as well. For a stopover or a weather-in, I cannot recommend this place highly enough. It’s not fancy but you are made to feel like one of the family. I ended up spending three nights there waiting for the Siskiyou Mountains to clear. Dave provided a hangar for Isabo, courtesy car, and even asked me to dinner at his home. Now that is service above and beyond.
















Looking north toward Siskiyou Mts and driving

through, show why no fly!

Wednesday morning I gave in and rented a car, leaving Isabo behind. Disappointing, but having a flying trip end with a rental car is one of the things that VFR pilots need to be willing to do. While my story sounds like I pushed the envelope a few times on this trip, I was very careful to always have an alternate plan, another airport behind or in another direction to which I could deviate. I have established personal minimums and religiously adhere to them. Adventures are not fun if you end up dead.

Meeting a Pilot

This past Sunday (Jan 10) the pilot and author Richard Bach was scheduled to speak at Out of the Blue Aviation at Arlington (AWO) airport. I’d been looking forward to meeting the man (and getting his signature on a few of his books) so awaking to flyable weather was a bonus. A friend of mine, Dick had volunteered to fly us up in his Red and White RV 6a. I’d not flown with Dick so was looking forward to the trip. While I love to fly my own plane best of all, it’s also good to ride with others to learn about their planes and pick up ideas on piloting from another perspective.

We left Chehalis at 10:30, heading northeast with ceilings at near 4000. Found a low layer south of Gray Air Force Base so Flew over the top until it opened up just as we approached Pierce County – Thun Field (PLU). Air was smooth, visibility more than 10 miles.

We stopped at Crest Field (S36) for a visit with friends and family. I hadn’t been into Crest since early 2004 and Dick used to fly out of this field so I appreciated his advice on spotting and approaching. I’ll be visiting here more often since meeting a lovely couple who lives on the field.

Back on our way north, Dick pointed out mountains he had climbed, and where on Tiger Mountain (near Issaquah) the hang gliders launch. We flew up the Carnation valley passing Harvey (S43) on our left and Monroe (W16) on our right. No one was coming or going at either field. Traffic picked up as we approached Arlington, a flock of 7 RV’s coming in just ahead of us. It always amazes me how often RV’s fly in brightly colored flocks .

There was a big crowd at Out of the Blue, both pilots and writers. I had brought along several books (Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Bi-Plane, The Ferrett Chronicles and A Gift of Wings) so qued up. Just as the author was visible and only 5 or 6 people ahead of me the time had arrived for him to speak.
Mr. Bach is an amazing story teller and I for one, could have listened to him for hours and hours. I do not believe I was alone in this. The crowd of about 150 hung on his every word often nodding in agreement. When asked questions about his barnstorming days or favorite warbird he transported us with him as he relived his adventures .

Unfortunately we had to leave early (3:00 pm) as Dick flies out of a short grass strip and he needed to get home well ahead of dark. With Dicks intervention, I did get two books signed so counted the trip a total success.

Our flight home included some occassional light chop – just enough to keep flying interesting. Dick let me handle the stick which was great fun. Those RV’s sure are responsive!

If you should ever get a chance to meet Richard Bach, take it, he’s a fascinating man. If you haven’t read any of his books – start with “A Gift of Wings”.