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39 US States plus

A 32-day adventure by GUFY trips Read more
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  • Trip start
    May 3, 2016
    GUFY trips39 US States plusGUFY trips

    Trip Preamble

    May 3, 2016 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    This year I plan to drop in on the remaining 39 unvisited states in the continental USA. There will also be side trips to my son, Graham in Vancouver and my brothers in Alberta and Ontario.

    I will be using a new camera. Most of my inflight photos are shot through a small side window I can open. To see out I need a tilting display. I have retired my old Xacti for a Nikon S9900. The display twists as well as tilts and more importantly, it has optical stabilization which should minimize vibration effects while flying.

    Waiting for weather. It seems especially fickle this week. Monday morning looked like Wednesday would provide a good window to start down the eastern seaboard, west across the bottom, then up via Arizona. Monday evening's forecast projected bad weather settling along the eastern half of the US.

    But I am hopeful the forecast is unreliable. I will prep the plane on Tuesday to be ready for whenever the actual weather opens a window.

    As usual, my Inreach satellite communicator will leave a trail visible at: https://share.delorme.com/RayStL    Read more

  • GUFY trips39 US States plusGUFY trips

    Still waiting

    May 8, 2016 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Looks like finally there will be a short break in the weather along my route tomorrow. The plan is to get at least as far as Maryland tomorrow. Less good weather is forecast in that area the next day, but improve further south.

    It will be fairly windy tomorrow around here, getting windier as the day progresses. So I plan to leave as early as possible, probably shortly after dawn (that should shock my system).

    Planned stops are:

    (KHUL) Houlton ME, (KLWM) Lawrence MA, (N47) Pottstown PA, (KEVY) Summit DE, (KESN) Easton MD,

    Customs will be cleared at Houlton.

    I confirmed the tracking website works (https://share.delorme.com/RayStL).    Read more

  • GUFY trips39 US States plusGUFY trips

    Lawrence, MA

    May 9, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    2.3 hr flight. Refueled.

    Quite strong headwinds at certain points. Ground speed was better than I had expected though partly due to having tweaked the base prop pitch angle for a higher cruise speed. It has added over 5 knots to my airspeed. The cold, dense air through Maine, allowing more engine power, should have help too; I was seeing close to 10 knots improvement in that colder air.Read more

  • GUFY trips39 US States plusGUFY trips
    1

    Pottstown airport, PA

    May 9, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    When I arrived at Pottstown, my place of reckoning last year, the crew there greeted me with Tee shirt, hat, and drink (chocolate milk). Nice folks.

    Continued turbulence along the route made keeping the constant altitude required near New York city less fun.Read more

  • GUFY trips39 US States plusGUFY trips

    Easton, MD

    May 9, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Flight of 0.5 hours. Done for day. Refueled.

    By this time I had endured enough turbulence for one day so stopped here for the night. Daily total was 6.3 hours and 1171 km (632 nm).

    Took taxi to and from EconoLodge.

    Tomorrow is unclear so far. I might have to alter some of the airports visited to find ones with sufficent visibility and lack of nasty weather.    Read more

  • GUFY trips39 US States plusGUFY trips

    New Kent County Airport (W96), VA

    May 10, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    0.4 hour flying. Had to wait until after 10 am to get adequate weather.

    After the weather briefer said it was good from Easton to New Kent County I soon found myself at 780 feet over ground much of the way. I was glad my moving map instruments point out any nearby obstructions of interest to avoid. After landing the online weather report had changed to IFR over the region. Indeed.Read more

  • GUFY trips39 US States plusGUFY trips

    Woodward (KCDN), SC

    May 10, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    1.2 hours flight. Refueled.
    Getting warm. Took off my socks.

    I had planned to land an airport farther away low fuel suggested otherwise. I had been in touch with air traffic control earlier for "flight following" but had been out of their radio range for some time. Evidently they had still been tracking me on radar. While in the pilot lounge, the phone rang for me. Traffic control noticed I had dropped off radar around here and wondered if I had landed. Told them my story and they said to monitor 121.5 MHz (emergency frequency) if this happens. That frequency is everywhere and they will call on that to try to reestablish contact. Then they tell you the normal frequency to communicate with them for that location.

    I learned that as a good tip. Had to use it a couple of times later on this trip.    Read more

  • GUFY trips39 US States plusGUFY trips
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    1

    Metter (KMHP), GA

    May 10, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    1.3 hours flying. Done for the day. Refueled. Today covered 913 km (492 nm) in 4.3 hours.

    Still hotter. Switched to sandals.

    When I landed a local pilot said he would ferry from and to the airport. I could call him whenever I was ready on tomorrow morning. I did that. I like southern hospitality.

    Saw/heard my first mockingbird of the trip.

    Stayed at Econo Inn. Oops, this is not same as Econolodge. Motel offered the worst complementary breakfast I had ever seen... Froot Loops and a Little Debbie chocolate cupcake. Abstained. Their 'juice' was Tang. Stopped off at grocery store for bagels
    before airport.

    Had to wait until 11 am to leave the next morning before mist cleared.    Read more

  • GUFY trips39 US States plusGUFY trips

    Monroe County (KMVC), AL

    May 11, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    1.7 hours flying. Airport temperature 29C.

    At this small airport I merged between a military jet trainer doing touch and goes. When I entered the 'terminal' there was a kitchen operating with someone cooking sausages, mac and cheese, and similar grub. There was also a substantial variety of home baked desserts. I had some blueberry loaf and banana bread. Drinks available consisted of coffees, hot and cold teas (sweetened and unsweetened and water. All complementary.

    I complimented. There is a lot of military activity there so most of the food was destined for that. But not all of it.    Read more

  • GUFY trips39 US States plusGUFY trips

    Clarke County (23M), MS

    May 11, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    0.8 hours. Refueled.

    Everyone stopping here gets a snapshot taken of them with plane. This gets added to the walls of pics in the terminal. The wall shown in the photo below shows just the local pilots. Other walls are reserved for visitors.Read more

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    Texarkana (KTXK), AR

    May 11, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    1.2 hours. Refueled. Done for the day. Ignoring weather diversions, flew 1239 km (669 nm) in 5.8 hr .

    Only one thunderstorm had to be dodged. A couple of days before there were vicious vicious hailstorms that has left some areas around Texarkana still in blackout.

    The whole trip was planned watching the weather to get around a massive storm eastbound from the midwest. the plan was to get by it on the eastern seaboard then go under and up on the west side of it. So far it has played out that way.

    The forecast called for the possibility of thunderstorms in the early morning. Chose a hangar for my plane. Next morning I noticed everyone else had tucked theirs away too.

    Took taxi to La Crosse hotel. Was driven back out by hotel.

    Got some JB Weld. Before I left Weyman, I picked up a chip on my carbon/epoxy propeller. Noticed the chip was eroding larger. Patched with the JB Weld to prevent further damage. The 'filling' lasted the rest of the trip.

    Tomorrrow's tentative plan is (4O4) McCurtain OK, (KONY) Olney TX, (KCNM) Cavern City NM.Thursday will be a late start to avoid mistiness and scattered thunderstorms. Might have to change the Texas stop to stay out of thunderstorm activity.    Read more

  • GUFY trips39 US States plusGUFY trips

    Olney (KONY), TX

    May 12, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    1.7 hours. Refueled.

    The landscape is much drier here
    This is the home of Air Tractor cropdusters.
    Is the Stark's Aviation building Ironman's base?

    High temperatures make high altitude airports seem higher than they are. I never did get fully used to this 'density altitude' effect. Intellectually I know it takes longer to get airborne but my muscle memory is a slow learner. 
    That was a factor in the dumbest mistake I made on this trip. For windy conditions, on the ground I keep my spoilers open and flaps in their negative, high cruise speed, position. Olney TX was high, hot and windy. Got to an impressive ground speed before wallowing into the air at the end of the runway, before realizing why I was not climbing properly.
    My pre-takeoff checklist reminds me to set spoilers and flaps properly. Works every time I read it.
    I have not forgotten to do that since Olney.    Read more

  • GUFY trips39 US States plusGUFY trips
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    Cavern City (KCNM), NM

    May 12, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Flight time 2.3 hours. Now in MDT time zone. Refueled. Done for the day.

    Daily total of 4.6 hours flying and 994 km (537 nm). For today, no nasty weather and had some tail winds. Nice.

    Terrain is getting higher, much drier and a bit lumpier.
    They gave me a Yukon truck as a courtesy vehicle. Stayed at Econolodge.

    The next morning low clouds and poor visibility again prevented from leaving until about 11 am. Conventional wisdom says to leave early in the morning in the south to avoid heat and turbulence. Clouds and visibility issues have prevented this for the entire trip so far... except for the first day when it was below freezing    Read more

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