Celebrated Solstice with a middle-of the night flight in search of the midnight sun.

I'm about 3 degrees south of the Arctic Circle, so by definition the sun does set below the northern horizon for a couple hours during the long summer days. It's only slightly below the horizon, so sunset morphs right into sunrise, and it never actually gets very dark. You'd have no problem sitting outdoors, reading a newspaper, even at solar midnight, which is about 2:00 am here.

I launched at about 11:30 PM for Lake Minchumina, where the wild irises are just about taking over the place. I liberated a couple for my wife and daughter, and killed a little time on the ground enjoying the surroundings. Beavers were active, swans were out on the water.

Launched again sometime later (my watch stopped running somewhere along the way), but later on I was able to call up Fairbanks FSS and get a time check. I reached 12,000 MSL over Lake Chilchuckabena right at solar midnight, with clear skies in every direction, orange glow just beneath the northern horizon, but no orb to be seen. Denali, Foraker, Russell, and the rest of the range were out to the south- white against deep blue sky, with sunset colors several thousand feet above them in the atmosphere.

Have to go further north next year.

That's cool!!. Here we have to quit flying between about 10 pm and 4 am this time of year.

Heh, I had this in the wrong thread...

Nothing as fancy as you guys, but I got to go fly a 165hp Stinson 108-2 today so I could try it on for size...me likey! First time in 3 months since I've flown due to the surgery.

And no, it's not one that's for sale, so it wasn't like that....but rather a guy that wanted to show me it'd perform well enough for me here in Colorado. Plus it gave me a chance to see how well I could get in and out with my new hip, and compare it with a Pacer I got to sit in recently. I could get in and out easier, and I had more head, knee, and leg room than the Pacer too.

RJ has a fine looking Stinson, glad you were able to go for a ride in it.

This is area this turning into Stinson country.

Neskowin Oregon

Glenwood-Catron County, New Mexico, Gila National Forest - NM-RAC Fall Fly-in Recon Mission

New Mexico Pilots Association-Recreational Aviation Committee members flew a recon mission this weekend (Friday July 9/Sat July 10) in Catron County. The recon mission is prep for a fall NMPM-NM-RAC fly-in (date to be det., somewhere late Sep/Late Oct timeframe). We were graciously hosted by Whitewater Mesa Ranch owners Vernon & Valera Hollimon. They have a private airstrip, 2,300-foot main runway plus a 1,600-ft crosswind runway, packed dirt and cowpies. Vernon led our recon mission on Saturday morning flying his Maule, in which I rode right seat and learned a whole lot from Vernon. Our group landed at four USGS strips (Beaverhead, Me-Own, Negrito, and Jewitt Mesa), and dragged a couple others (Rainy Mesa, which is in dis-use and no longer landable, and Airplane Mesa, located inside the Gila Wilderness Area). We also checked out some other sights, including the old mining ghost town of Mogollon and The Catwalk on Whitewater Creek. Great time had by all. Following are some pics I took:

My Cherokee 180 parked in front of the hangar at Whitewater Mesa Ranch



Negrito (0NM7) Airstrip - located at 8,130 ft elevation with crossing runways of 7,500 ft and 4,000 ft, resp. It's just a gorgeous place, and the airstrip is in terrific condition!



Larry Fileners C180 and Vernon's Maule parked at Me-Own (1NM0)



Vernon's Maule at Beaverhead (13NM) - that Maule is perfect for New Mexico's high backcountry airstrips!



On the flight back home to KAEG (Double Eagle II, Albuquerque, NM) - the Very Large Array (VLA), from 9,500 feet.



I have a few more pics posted in my gallery.

Watch for an anouncement later this month for the NM-RAC fall fly-in to Catron County, Gila N.F.

Late day summertime fun. Nate and I hanging out at Bijou Bottom.

wow that white one looks so tough with the big 31s bet you'll have some soon Matt. Hi Nate

That philanthropist Rob Burson flew me to Ashland to meet the custom ringmaker. We kept Rob current on his instrument approaches on the way.

Rob wore his best post-hippy footwear in an attempt to fit in. For those of you not from OR/CA, Ashland is a very artsy, liberal small town where hippies young and old, rich and poor, make up the community.


Homemade view-limiting device.


More pics here.

Hmmmmmmm there's that famous Burson "Two-Handed Death Grip."

Gump

GumpAir wrote:Hmmmmmmm there's that famous Burson "Two-Handed Death Grip."

Gump

Give him a break. He has to overcome the sheer mass of that yoke-mounted tablet!

Did my BFR today all good. Shot an approach to Astoria Oregon ASOS said 1700 OVC 9vis. 15 minutes before I landed. I didn't listen again. It was 500 BR 3mi vis. when I landed. What a surprise. Doh! I guess I need to listen 5 min before I land. That is the worst wx I have shot an approach in. Made me pay close attention.

Cheers...Rob

Flew up to Bellingham this weekend.

The 23rd I jetted home, fed the cats, then finally was able to get off the ground at 7:33. Only 2hrs and 13 minutes I was at the tiedown in Bellingham. I LOVE my new airplane!!! Okay, I needed to learn where the instrument lights switch is. At least I could still see the airspeed indicator on final. Spent the weekend with friends and checked on the house I have up there (can we say deductible business trip. I think we can). Sunday I took my buddy, Dan, on a short scenic flight near the Twin Sisters range.

North and South Twin Sisters. I've been up the North Twin several times but have yet to climb the South Twin. I'm sure the North would be jealous but what the heck, how was I supposed to know? They both looked the same to me!


North Twin Summit. That snowfield is one hell of a fun glissade. 1500' of pure fun.


Mt Baker. Looking closely one can see the Coleman and Easton routes with foot tracks in the snow.


Descending over Lake Whatcom.

Flew up to the Uintah Mountains in Utah and right over King's Peak, the highest point in Utah, this morning. I know, it's not that high for those of you in Colorado or Alaska, but it's not bad at 13,528ft. It's not much to look at, just a big pile of rocks really.



Here are some other shots from this mornings flight:

Fog on the water in the early morning:




Various little high-mountain lakes:

Nice shots of the lakes, Amacbean ... very pretty!

This was yesterday morning, at the New Holstein super cub fly-in.



... and this was dead center, at the end of a strip in Indiana somewhere:

This weekend: across the Snake River Plain, dodge a thunderstorm over Island Park, over the continental divide and down into Ennis and on up to Three Forks for the MAAA fly-in. You'd think with a name like Three Forks there'd be some rivers and maybe gravel bars nearby, you'd be right.
Using ALL the available runway

Another site, I landed 6 in all. The bushwheels continue to amaze, so smooth, not until you get out to walk around do you really get a feel for what you just landed on!

Hank Galpin's 1928 Travel Air 6000, a 6 seater (wicker) with lots of back country flying history. Fully restored to mint condition, and here's the coolest part, Hank flys the bejusus out of it, usually winning the spot landing contest, no hangar queen this.

Sunday AM on the way back I saw the largest herd of elk ever, a minute later a bunch of antelope, another minute a herd of deer, must be good grazing (north of Ennis). 7.5 hr TT by the time I got home, and again, having the legs to do it non refueled is a real handy feature! Great trip

Wow....that is a big herd of elk!! This last spring, I saw a huge amount of dear and elk in the hills just northeast of Emmett. Up along the east side of the valley from Sweet to Ola and into High Valley.

Flew from SNY down to Wray CO (2V5) this morning to meet kneel and see his Maule..lots of AG srayers out killing grasshoppers this morning..back to SNY by 9:30..suppose to get 100F here today.
HC