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- Sep 19, 2005
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Pilawt
Just got back from another round trip to Phoenix. This is probably the last round trip before we move down there permanently in January. I already have the hangar rented at KGYR (thankfully, as you'll see later), and I'll take the airplane down there for keeps after its annual later this fall.
But this was a good trip, taking care of a lot of business and family stuff, and fun too. Flying in the desert southwest in late July and August does present challenges, and this trip was no exception. Fortunately there was flexibility in my schedule, and when I did fly, it was stress-free.
Departure from Vancouver was through the Columbia Gorge, with a 4,000-foot ceiling and some scattered clouds below, but safe and comfortable. The Gorge has many moods. This one seemed dismal, but with an inviting light at the end of the "tunnel":
After a fuel stop at Burns, Oregon, I took off southeastbound over the Malheur Wildlife Refuge headquarters buildings where the survivalist crazies held their standoff against the FBI a few months back:
I'd flown over spectacular St. George, Utah, many times, but this was the first time I'd landed at the new airport. It had been bumpy for the last couple hundred miles, so after six hours of flying this day I decided to overnight at St. George. Mistake. Most hotels in town were booked because of the holiday (What, you've never heard of "Pioneer Day"?!). The one hotel I found with a vacancy did not have an airport shuttle. It's a $35 cab ride between the airport and town. Each way.
Pretty town, though, and nice people.
Next morning it was a smooth two hours to KGYR. Unfortunately smoke from a nearby wildfire marred the view of the Grand Canyon.
On arrival at KGYR the airplane was introduced to its new home.
I'm glad it was indoors during my stay, because a couple of nights later one of those damaging monster thunder/rain/dust storm things blew through. Yep, it's monsoon season in Arizona.
It was still monsoon season Friday morning when I had planned to leave for the return trip. The forecast called for only high scattered clouds, but this is what greeted me at the airport, punctuated by occasional lightning. I'm such a wuss; I canceled until the next day. It rained like crazy all morning.
The 7.9-hour, three-stop trip back to Vancouver on Saturday was uneventful. There's a lot of desolate country as one flies the length of Nevada's western border from Arizona to Oregon. The last fuel stop was Roseburg, Oregon. For some reason a swarm of hornets found something attractive about the self-serve fuel island. Though it was a hot day, I kept the airplane's doors and windows closed while I fueled; I wanted no passengers aboard on the last leg home.
Somehow I managed to fuel the airplane without getting stung, so I high-tailed it on home.
But this was a good trip, taking care of a lot of business and family stuff, and fun too. Flying in the desert southwest in late July and August does present challenges, and this trip was no exception. Fortunately there was flexibility in my schedule, and when I did fly, it was stress-free.
Departure from Vancouver was through the Columbia Gorge, with a 4,000-foot ceiling and some scattered clouds below, but safe and comfortable. The Gorge has many moods. This one seemed dismal, but with an inviting light at the end of the "tunnel":
After a fuel stop at Burns, Oregon, I took off southeastbound over the Malheur Wildlife Refuge headquarters buildings where the survivalist crazies held their standoff against the FBI a few months back:
I'd flown over spectacular St. George, Utah, many times, but this was the first time I'd landed at the new airport. It had been bumpy for the last couple hundred miles, so after six hours of flying this day I decided to overnight at St. George. Mistake. Most hotels in town were booked because of the holiday (What, you've never heard of "Pioneer Day"?!). The one hotel I found with a vacancy did not have an airport shuttle. It's a $35 cab ride between the airport and town. Each way.
Pretty town, though, and nice people.
Next morning it was a smooth two hours to KGYR. Unfortunately smoke from a nearby wildfire marred the view of the Grand Canyon.
On arrival at KGYR the airplane was introduced to its new home.
I'm glad it was indoors during my stay, because a couple of nights later one of those damaging monster thunder/rain/dust storm things blew through. Yep, it's monsoon season in Arizona.
It was still monsoon season Friday morning when I had planned to leave for the return trip. The forecast called for only high scattered clouds, but this is what greeted me at the airport, punctuated by occasional lightning.
I'm such a wuss; I canceled until the next day. It rained like crazy all morning.
The 7.9-hour, three-stop trip back to Vancouver on Saturday was uneventful. There's a lot of desolate country as one flies the length of Nevada's western border from Arizona to Oregon. The last fuel stop was Roseburg, Oregon. For some reason a swarm of hornets found something attractive about the self-serve fuel island. Though it was a hot day, I kept the airplane's doors and windows closed while I fueled; I wanted no passengers aboard on the last leg home.
Somehow I managed to fuel the airplane without getting stung, so I high-tailed it on home.
