This weekend is the annual Hood River WAAM museum fly in. Lots of airplanes and lots of events. Check it out here:

http://www.waaamuseum.org/events-classes/fly-in

Hope to see you there!

Was planning on it this year. Too much smoke. Hate flying in smoke. Barely a mile vis at the ranch.

Tim

The Cascade Locks fire could be a major issue as well as the fires North and South of Hood River.

See: http://www.gorge.net/cameras/eventsite/ ... eimage.jpg for visibility.

Or check out http://www.columbiarivergorge.info/webcams.html for a number of webcams along the gorge.

The event site is not that far from the HR airport.

Looking grim.

TD

Low IFR here in RLD due to smoke.

Smoke-wise, this has been a $hit summer.

It has been awful around here! However...I'm more motivated than ever to finish my instrument training.

Lois said the fly in is a GO.

Smoke better here in Eastern Washington. Has improved to IFR...

Fly in is still a go, but check out the TFR before coming this way. It goes all the way up the river to the east of Hood River. Visibility is the best its been for days. We're up to about 5 miles now.

Here's a graphic of the TFR:



The Hood River airport is not inside the TFR, but you'll have to go around it to get in.

Getting there from Seattle is a TFR slalom and West winds predicted for Saturday.

May have to give it a pass this year. Hate it but played in the smoke once this year and REALLY did not like it.

Not very obvious (to me anyway) on Scott's graphic is that the TFR narrows and follows the river east,
right alongside of the town of Hood River. (the TFR boundaries are more easily seen on skyvector)
So it's only about 2 miles north, and 3 or 4 miles west, of 4S2.

IMHO it would be better to postpone the fly-in instead of trying to have it anyways,
but I'm sure there are things in play that can't be rescheduled or will have to be paid for,
whether the fly-in is held this weekend or not.

I just hope that everyone who decides to fly in (or even drive in) is very careful,
and that the fire & surrounding TFR don't expand while the event is going on.

That is pretty close to a TFR. Nowadays with GPS it is avoidable but would be easy to bust.

Also it would cramp up the available airspace for existing traffic and with reduced visibility increase the chances tor a midair.

I think I will pass this year unless it clears up. I may take the car or a motorcycle there if I have nothing else going on.

Smoke is a rip. I hate it. I am picturing dodging TFR's to get there. The wind shifting a bit and camping in smoke. Then Sunday having 2 miles visibility. 50 planes leaving in marginal conditions.

Have already had to land on I-80 once, capsized my fishing boat, and a few things in the navy. My cat is running short on lives.

Tim

There are lots of webcams in the gorge. Here's one that is on the WA side, looking south at the town of Hood River:

https://billpay.gorge.net/Live/SandbarCam

Doesn't look too bad from that webcam, but hard to tell with smoke.
Anyone on the ground at the fly-in that can provide a sitrep?
Not just smoske conditions, but also attendance.

Attendance is light. Maybe 15 airplanes here right now. I think the smoke and the TFR has scared most away. Last year we had almost 500 airplanes here. Wind has kicked up a little. Current Wx is: Wind 270 @ 6 G18, variable between 240 and 310, visibility 4 miles in smoke, 4800 BKN. For up to the minute weather you can dial up the ASOS at 541-386-2386 or in the air on 134.375. You can contact ground on 123.6 for fly in parking.

Hey Scott. I think you're right on the smoke and TFR hurting attendance.

There was no easy way for me to get there. Since I fly for fun, when things get difficult I bail out.

I drove to Pacific City as a consolation prize.Surf Slam is going on. Jet Skiing in the ocean. National finals. Guys doing back flips 25' in the air.

I hope the little punk who started the fire gets serious punishment!! For y'all who don't know. A 15 year old was throwing fire works in the tinder dry brush. His friends didn't stop him! They even videoed him doing it.

Cheers...Rob

No dice for me, too bad but weather makes it a non decision here, much less the smoke on the way and in the area.

Rob, ex fire putter outer that you are, you will appreciate this. Last week I did a crane job setting trusses, and I noticed it was in an area of older homes when I got the address. Turns out it was the home in town I had heard about a couple months ago, that got burned up by a ADULT neighbor below shooting bottle rockets into the steep dry hillside behind his place. About 3 weeks after the 4 th of July. The fire roared up the slope and took out two homes, just like that. The guy was 40 some years old, and owned the nice middle class home at the launch site, not a renter anyway. Hard to believe a guy that dumb could reach that age! He is in big trouble, looking at prison time most likely plus financial ruin. I asked what he did for a living, and never got a answer, it just seemed odd as hell a guy that age could be that stupid, 15 year old kid, I'd expect it.

If you see a tall skinny redneck young man there probably wearing plaid and needing a haircut, he's mine.[emoji1]

courierguy wrote:No dice for me, too bad but weather makes it a non decision here, much less the smoke on the way and in the area.

Rob, ex fire putter outer that you are, you will appreciate this. Last week I did a crane job setting trusses, and I noticed it was in an area of older homes when I got the address. Turns out it was the home in town I had heard about a couple months ago, that got burned up by a ADULT neighbor below shooting bottle rockets into the steep dry hillside behind his place. About 3 weeks after the 4 th of July. The fire roared up the slope and took out two homes, just like that. The guy was 40 some years old, and owned the nice middle class home at the launch site, not a renter anyway. Hard to believe a guy that dumb could reach that age! He is in big trouble, looking at prison time most likely plus financial ruin. I asked what he did for a living, and never got a answer, it just seemed odd as hell a guy that age could be that stupid, 15 year old kid, I'd expect it.

We shoot em on the 4rth of July around here. But in middle of irrigated pasture.

Tim