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39 US States plus

A 32-day adventure by GUFY trips Read more
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  • GUFY trips39 US States plusGUFY trips

    Kingman (KIGM), AZ

    May 13, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    2.4 hour flight. Refueled.

    This is the second stop in Arizona. All other states got only a single stop.

    It appears to be where many old airliners come to be refurbished.

  • GUFY trips39 US States plusGUFY trips

    Hoover dam

    May 13, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 35 °C

    Southeast of Las Vegas.
    Did a right turn here to head for Utah.

    The northeast of Vegas is the most inhospitable area traversed on this trip. It is a mountainous desert park with no roads. That is what the second pic shows. Had to keep low to stay below Vegas airspace.Read more

  • GUFY trips39 US States plusGUFY trips

    Hurricane (1L8), UT

    May 13, 2016 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 28 °C

    Flight of 1.4 hour. Refueled. Done for day. Flew 6.5 hours and 1431 km (773 nm).

    No pilot lounge here. But there was an air conditioned hut with vending machines and a phone. Used a taxi to take me to and from the Travelodge.

    Today was a long hot day, I was kept busy avoiding the myriad of military operating areas down here. The easy ones let you fly under or over. The nasty ones are in the mountains and go from the ground to the stratosphere.

    Fortunately my instrument panel shows these areas both horizontally and vertically and warns if I am about to do something that merits me an F16 escort to the nearest air force base. Resulted in some impromptu circling to climb to get to 10000 feet to clear some mountains because military space occupied all the easy passes.

    Planning a later start and more leisurely day tomorrow with only two stops.    Read more

  • GUFY trips39 US States plusGUFY trips

    Nellis Air Force Base, NV

    May 14, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Looking south at the base. Lake Mead is in upper left.

    Flew at 10500 ft to be above Las Vegas airspace. Very strong 40 knot (74 kph) headwind. Began to be concerned that I might need to pick a closer airport next.
    Fortunately my route shifted more northerly after this point which diminished the headwind and increased my groundspeed.    Read more

  • GUFY trips39 US States plusGUFY trips

    Hawthorne (KHTH), NV

    May 14, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    3.1 hours. Refueled.

    After landing I was met by the most impressive person in aviation I have ever met, Betty Easley. Neither pilot or designer, her card reads Volunteer Airport Greeter. She greets EVERY pilot landing at the airport in Hawthorne NV, regardless of the time of day or night. Betty began doing this after she retired from teaching over twenty years ago. She had heard me on her radio scanner at her home. Although this is not the busiest airport in the world, it is not that small, boasting three courtesy vehicles. Even mediflights call her before they arrive in the middle of the night.

    My next leg would take me north to Reno then west across mountains. Betty knew someone, of course, and called him for a weather update. He had just landed after a wave soaring sailplane flight near Reno. He said to expect turbulence and to cross at 12500 ft to miss most of it.

    Betty's photos here show me leaving Hawthorne.    Read more

  • GUFY trips39 US States plusGUFY trips
    1

    Auburn (KAUN), CA

    May 14, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    1.6 hour flight. Refueled. Temperature was 15C cooler here than at my last airport. Now in PDT time zone. Done for the day. Flew 4.8 hours and 951 km (532 nm).

    This was the most impressive airport. It is completely embedded in the community with city streets entering airport at various places. No fences. The regular public, encouraged to wander around, were never in the way even when I was there on a very active Saturday. The occasional sounds of the peacocks in the bird sanctuary a block away was surreal but strangely comforting.

    A local airport business owner drove me to a three places before we found the Red Lion Inn had a vacancy.

    I thought Auburn might be an interesting place to live until I learned its summer temperatures were frequently higher than body temperature. Nope.

    Auburn also had the most memorable ad line in a newspaper, “We do not believe bearing arms is a right. It is a responsibility”. The ad was for a firearms training company.

    For the first time I just might be able to make it across the continent with no days lost to weather. But it will require long flight legs tomorrow before reaching Vancouver in the evening.
    Weather was going to be an issue. I had planned two possible routes through Washington to BC, one on each side of the mountains.

    As it turned out weather was an issue. I the next morning checking the weather,
    The west side was socked in all day in Washington. The east side looked a little better but a system was moving south east towards my route.    Read more

  • GUFY trips39 US States plusGUFY trips

    Auburn Bird Sanctuary

    May 15, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    Literally one block from the airport.

    Home of exotic and not so exotic birds. Apparently they occasionally become not flightless enough to hop over the fence and wander onto the airport. Then they are rounded up and returned.Read more

  • GUFY trips39 US States plusGUFY trips

    Rounding Mount Shasta

    May 15, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    An impressive dormant volcano at 14162 ft. Its mass affects the local weather. Much of the upper part is obscured by a belt of clouds.
    Weather becoming less excellent.

    There will be a better view of it later, from the other side.Read more

  • GUFY trips39 US States plusGUFY trips
    111

    Bend (KBDN), OR

    May 15, 2016 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 9 °C

    Flight for the day was 3.1 hours and 618 km (334 nm). Refueled.

    Nope. Still can't get across the continent without a weather delay.
    Arrived the same time as the system, Fortunately no winds were involved. But there was some rain and a low ceiling.

    It was raining and a cool 8C on the ground. For the first time since Georgia I put my shoes on and put away the sandals. At least all the squished bugs have been cleaned off my windshield.

    Courtesy car was an E series Mercedes. A significant change from my 20 year old Tercel. But I adapted easily since they were both green. Stayed at Comfort Inn.

    Tomorrow's forecast looks ok for entry into Canada from the east side of the Cascade mountains. The plan is up the west side of the range to the Columbia River. Then follow that gorge to Portland before continuing north up the east side.

    The current forecast looks ok for entry into Canada from the east side of the cascades. So I made another flight plan that goes from Bend up the west side til it hits the Columbia River. Then it follows the river til Portland before continuing up the east side.

    Planned stops for tomorrow: Abbotsford BC, Boundary Bay (Vancouver) BC.    Read more

  • GUFY trips39 US States plusGUFY trips

    The Dalles

    May 16, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    The main photo shows The Dalles airport, WA is on right. Across the river is The Dalles, OR. On the horizon, near the right, is Mount Shasta, in California 480 km (259 nm) away.
    The second picture shows the mountain after zooming in the camera a bit.Read more

  • GUFY trips39 US States plusGUFY trips

    Hood River

    May 16, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    In the gorge. Last photo of Mount Shasta.
    Cloud layer ahead to the west, towards Portland.

    Around here I was able to contact air traffic control for flight following to BC. They asked me if I had a gps map system. I said so, but I wondered why they asked.Read more

  • GUFY trips39 US States plusGUFY trips

    Puget Sound Entry

    May 16, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    This is the first of a series of zig zags to get by Seattle and stay below clouds while not hitting all the pointy mountains and structures sticking up.

    The forecast had predicted 2000 ft ceiling in the area during my time of transit. In reality it got down to 800 ft. And that's avoiding the frequent saggy bottomed clouds. Relied on my moving map gps systems with vertical terrain profile to weave through. It never got troublesome although required considerable weaving. Followed inlets a lot since they were at sea level. Managed to stay clear of the plethora of restricted flying areas too.

    Maybe this is why the controller in Portland wondered if I had a gps map system.

    To extract precise zig zag information I used the aircraft's 'black box' data they are record at one second intervals.    Read more

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