Trip summary

The complete track, as well as looking like a gufy smile, resembles a bat in flight. Coincidentally, the word pipistrel means bat.

The entire trip covered 14591 km (7879 nautical miles) using 70.7 hours flying time. The trip took 8 days westbound, including one day for weather. Eastbound took 6 days with no net days lost. I left May 9 and returned June 2. Photographs and movie clips taken were 876.

The westbound segment to Vancouver, the lower lip of the smile, is 8076 km (4361 nm). It took 39.6 hours giving an average speed of 204 kph (110 knots). The eastbound segment, the upper lip, of 6515 km (3518 nm) took 31 hours giving an average speed of 210 kph(113 knots).

Total fuel consumed was 1204 L giving a trip fuel economy of 12.1 km/L or 28.5 mpgUS at an average speed of 206 kph (111 knots).

Eastern extreme: Weyman Airpark NB (home)
Western extreme: Vancouver BC
Northern extreme: Embarras AB
Southern extreme: Tri-County airport FL
Highest: 11480 feet, Soda Springs CA
Coldest ground temperature 1 C at Houlton ME
Warmest temperature 37 C Benson AZ
Longest leg 3.5 hours Bend OR to Abbottsford BC
Longest total daily flying time 7.1 hr
Most airports visited in a day 7
Unplanned stops: 2 -- Atwood KS, Middlesboro KY
Unplanned overnight destinations: 2 -- (Atwood KS, Bend OR)
Longest weather delay: 1 day (Bend OR)
Shortest visit to a country: 4 seconds (did not land), Mexico
 
Unplanned maintenance events: 5
-Oil line touching inside cowling. (Moved and secured it away using silicone 'rescue tape')
-Radio transmit button fell through top of joystick. Securing nut unscrewed itself and lost. Transferred nut from passenger side button. Secured passenger side button with rescue tape.
-Excessive erosion pit in prop (from stone chip penetrating composite). Filled pit with JB Weld.
-Noticed a bolt and washer missing from wheel pant mounting. Replaced from spares kit.
-Duplicate spark plug not firing for a cylinder during ground check. Tightened plug leads
-Rough running after takeoff. Landed and tightened spark plug leads.
 
Propellers consumed: zero
 
The radio button incident merits more explanation. While approaching Las Vegas, in the Hoover dam area, and talking with air traffic control, when I pressed the transmit button on the top of my stick it fell through the hole completely... its securing nut was gone. For the rest of that flight, to talk on the radio I would reach across and press the button on the passenger's stick.

This trip completed my goal of visiting all continental US states. To get Hawaii would require a 13 hour flight over water. Not happening. Siberia is another matter. Hmmm.Read more