A breakfast flight to Afton WY. When the purple haired (not really purple, some other color, not found in nature that I don't have a descriptive for, eyebrows too, that was a nice detail) young waitress asked where I was from, I told her I'd been flying to Afton from Inkom for breakfast longer then she'd been alive. Later, I figured I've been doing it TWICE as long as she's been alive Leaving, I told her I was going to make like Superman and fly away, TRUE STORY, it's what we do, we pilots are super hero's, sort of, think about it.

Then I stopped at the Lava Hot Springs strip on the way back, to pick up a check from some crane work I did there last week, and my customer had some friends with him that also had a plane similar to mine (it had two wings). A Piper Cheyenne PA-31T, which stalls faster then my cruising speed! So of course on take off I had to do a corkscrew climb out just to show him what real flying was all about.

The Grand Teton, visible in the distance.

Nice post.

El Mirage Lake Bed. Weather was perfect, and the lake bed was dry as can be.

https://youtu.be/HNf4E8LLzVY

Sunday was a perfect lakes patrol day!


Lakes are smooth!



visiting the Lee strip:


Merry Christmas everyone!

A perfect day in West Texas following the Pecos River.
This is the best time of the year for us.

Had a great morning flight over the Selway and Frank Church Wilderness Areas

Made a trip across the cascades in my Citabria on Christmas Eve. One of my sons lives in Spokane and I didn't love the idea of driving. My youngest son and I took off the minute the fog burned off in Tacoma.
Winds were out of the SW but gave us quite a shove. I saw 127 knots ground speed when only doing 90.



There were some logistical issues meeting up with #2. Took off in decaying light and paid the price for that tail wind. Ground speed was 65-75 knots. #3 had to pee and I was more than happy to top off my tanks for the crossing. Landed at Ephrata and was back in the air in less than 10 minutes. The path shown in the video was looking pretty bleak so I swung south towards Ellensburg and followed the lights and flatter areas until getting to the pass. Weather stayed clear the entire night.

Boxing Day, 27 deg, no wind and nary a bump in the sky. Flew with Debbie and did some lake exploring.

Departing BRD





Where the ice cracked and water poured on top to freeze made for some really smooth highways. Unlimited runways for Goodyears.



and back home

Ice road landings today. Was in the 40's above the layer with a light south breeze.



approach

I've been trying to make an airplane trip for several months but things kept stopping me. I had planned to go to Greenville, Maine to the seaplane fly-in in September but that was cancelled. Then I tried to plan a trip up through the midwest to visit a couple of friends in Michigan and Wisconsin, but some family obligations got in the way. Then the holidays and more family obligations..... so... now it's January. I found myself looking at some cooler weather in TN (people think TN is in the south, but we still have winter!). I decided to act like a goose and fly south.

I left TN last Wednesday. Good thing I had the preheater on the night before!


Tennessee River, south of Chattanooga.


Flint River, somewhere in South Georgia.


Gulf of Mexico at 1 o'clock


$3.30 avgas at Williston FL. 65 degrees and peeled out of the flannel shirt!


Threw a dart at the map and wound up in Zephyrhills for a couple of nights. Saw this Maule on amphibs getting fuel as I was waiting for my cab.


Beautiful morning on Thursday for some local flying. I hopped over to Winter Haven for breakfast. Airport cafe is very good there!


Gusty 20 knot winds were forecast for mid-day on Friday so I tried to leave Zephyrhills at daybreak but the fog delayed me a bit. Visibility was less than 1/4.
Just before sunrise in Zephyrhills.


Made my way down to Arcadia FL (X06). Highly recommended! Airport of the Year for 2020. Exceptionally nice camping facility on the airport with showers, picnic tables, shelter, fridge, and more. Bikes available (less than a mile into town), crew car, and $3.13 avgas. Nice grass runway too! I didn't come prepared to camp so I settled into a hotel nearby.

Bikes at Arcadia


The weather Thursday back in TN. Glad I'm here!


I had intended to fly back north on Sunday but I found out that Tuesday is "Taco Tuesday" at the airport. A taco truck shows up and I was told the ramp will be full of flyers coming in for tacos! I think I should stay until Wednesday

FINALLY enough ice to land somewhere other than the runway. It's been one of the mildest, least snowy winter in years. We have enough snow on the runway for skis, but the lakes have been sketchy. Over the last few days we have had some colder temps and most of the lakes around us now have 6" - 10" of ice. Flew up to Raquette Lake (For you familiar with the area) with some friends, landed on several lakes/ponds on the way and had just a generally good day. Some photos below on the way back home and on Raquette.

Pete

[url][/url]
[url][/url]
[url][/url]
[url][/url]
[url][/url]

Flew down to Kamloops and back today. Looks like a lot of waypoints but its really quite an easy flight. Mount Robson is one big chunk of rock! She was hiding in the clouds as well approached, but once right beside it we could almost see the top.

Impressive David. Even a 65 hp Champ would have to slalom to ridge lift up that.

contactflying wrote:Impressive David. Even a 65 hp Champ would have to slalom to ridge lift up that.

Haha. Ya, the ole 206 did pretty good. It was windy but quite smooth. And a really nice valley that runs right by Robson. Valley floor is about 5100' so not very high. Nice crossing point.

Out to the lake dodging ground blizzards after some fresh snow.

Flight up the Swans from Missoula MT to Ferndale in the Stinson 108-3 with some super cub formation flying. Smooth air and snowy grass strips. The snow really grabs the 8.50's, I think 31's are the next item on the list. Can't have the cub driver thinking he can land more places than the mighty Stinson!

Flying with Joe and his new PA-12 this afternoon. 20 deg, light wind, not a bump in the sky.