Stephen R. Smith's Posts - Zenith Aircraft Builders and Flyers2024-03-29T07:06:07ZStephen R. Smithhttps://zenith.aero/profile/StephenRSmithhttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2197057535?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://zenith.aero/profiles/blog/feed?user=2my7t2txr7xov&xn_auth=noMassive River Triptag:zenith.aero,2018-05-22:2606393:BlogPost:6287732018-05-22T12:30:00.000ZStephen R. Smithhttps://zenith.aero/profile/StephenRSmith
<p>So it has started, day two of my massive river trip. I am looking at<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231381225?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231381225?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="500"></img></a> the Grand Tetons out my motel window here in Driggs Idaho getting ready for the first day of the Missouri River.</p>
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<p>Yesterday I left Santa Rosa California and flew here more or less in a straight line, having seen that country go by before. Today should be more interesting.…</p>
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<p>So it has started, day two of my massive river trip. I am looking at<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231381225?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231381225?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" class="align-right" width="500"/></a> the Grand Tetons out my motel window here in Driggs Idaho getting ready for the first day of the Missouri River.</p>
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<p>Yesterday I left Santa Rosa California and flew here more or less in a straight line, having seen that country go by before. Today should be more interesting.</p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231381816?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231381816?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" class="align-right" width="500"/></a>Over the next few days I plan to follow the Missouri River to the Mississippi River then head downstream to the Ohio River. I will follow that upstream to Pittsburgh Pennsylvania then go south via the Monongahela, Youghiogheny, and Potomac. My destination will be Fredrick Maryland where my oldest brother will pick me up for a few weeks visit. He and I may make some "local" flights to New York and North Catalina. Then in about three weeks I will head straight home to California.</p>
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<p>The first map above shows my intended overnight stops. Each day I will be covering about 750 miles.</p>
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<p>I take lots of pictures as I fly and upload them to my personal webpage (see item one below). The pictures are unedited and may or may not be interesting. I clean these up when I get home but while I am flying, what you see is what you get.</p>
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<p>For those so inclined, you can follow my progress via any of three different tracking systems.</p>
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<li><a href="http://ftp.amssoftware.com/a/N601WF/LastData.htm">This link takes you to my home-grown tracking web page</a> that I wrote 10 years ago and have not modernized since. The page shows a map with my current or most recent flight. If I am flying, and within Verizon cell coverage, when you press the F5 key (or click refresh) the map will refresh. If you don’t, it only updates every 5 minutes on its own. There is a link on the page to a rudimentary slide show so you can view recent pictures. If you scroll down more you will see additional information including the date and time the data is for. The date and time are so you can see if the information is current. Why? Because I might be flying outside the coverage of Verizon’s towers and so the information might be out of date by minutes or hours. Further down the page there is lots of data, including air and ground speed, heading, altitude, height above the ground, fuel remaining, engine RPM, engine temperatures etc. The airplane sends this data every 10 seconds when in Version coverage.</li>
<li><a href="https://share.delorme.com/sRoydSmith">This link takes you to my Garmin inReach Satellite tracking web page</a>. This web page is quite reliable but generally only updates every 10 minutes because the unit I carry in the plane can not be made to update more often than that. So it is reliable but limited.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.flightradar24.com/">This link takes you to FlightTradar24s web page</a>. The page is not specific to my airplane, unless you enter my N number (N601WF) into the search box in the upper-right hand corner of the map and press enter. If I am flying, and the plane is within FAA ADS-B coverage, my plane will be highlighted with a line showing where I have been, while in coverage. Often I will be flying at 500 feet above the ground, which is quite low, so the FAA may not pick me up. So while flying and while the FAA can see me, this map will show me when you search for me. By the way, this web page allows you to track airplanes around the world. Most flights are commercial flights so you can track a flight of someone you know who is flying as long as you know the flight information. You can click any airplane to see where it came from and where it is going. Rather astounding amount of info on most the planes in the air at any one time.</li>
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<p>Steve</p>
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<p>P.S. 09/19/2021: Years later I have cleaned up the picture collection and uploaded them <a href="https://stephen-smith.smugmug.com/Airplane-Trips/2018-05-Coast-to-Coast-River-Trip" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p>Volcano Run!tag:zenith.aero,2017-05-11:2606393:BlogPost:5668912017-05-11T04:30:00.000ZStephen R. Smithhttps://zenith.aero/profile/StephenRSmith
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<p>I finally got the opportunity to do an adventure I had often thought of; a flight past the many volcanic mountain peaks<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231381637?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231381637?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="500"></img></a> on the west coast.</p>
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<p>I had flown to Washington to visit my brother, who also owns a 601XLB. After a week in the rainy northwest it was time to return home to Santa Rosa, CA. When planning the flight home, I noticed the weather would be…</p>
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<p>I finally got the opportunity to do an adventure I had often thought of; a flight past the many volcanic mountain peaks<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231381637?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231381637?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" class="align-right" width="500"/></a> on the west coast.</p>
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<p>I had flown to Washington to visit my brother, who also owns a 601XLB. After a week in the rainy northwest it was time to return home to Santa Rosa, CA. When planning the flight home, I noticed the weather would be nearly clear and I would have a tailwind for the majority of the flight. So it was time for a volcano run!</p>
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<p>I laid out the flight path with SkyVector and saved it in a format compatible with my new Dynon Skyview HDX. This would provide an opportunity to test my new Dynon autopilot. I was going to get the airplane to do as much of the flying as possible just to see what its limits are.</p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231382394?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231382394?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" class="align-left" width="500"/></a>I left Sanderson field (KSHN) at 10:40 with 30 gallons of fuel on board. I headed for Mt. Rainier. I had about 80 miles to climb to the 15,000 feet need to pass over the top of the mountain. No problem in a 601 powered by a 125 HP CAMit 3300.</p>
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<p>I did not spot any hikers on Mt. Rainier. My brother has pictures of folks on top standing next to their tent.</p>
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<p>After Rainier it was downhill to Mt. St. Helens which is just over 8,000 feet, now that it has blown it top off. The south rim <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231383509?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231383509?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" class="align-right" width="500"/></a>of Mt. St. Helens was swarming with hikers. They were enjoying the view to the north. What an awesome sight with the open caldera, Spirit Lake and Mt Rainier in the distance. I felt a little guilty thinking how easy it was for me to get there by just pushing buttons and turning knobs. Oh well, no time to hang out, I got a ways to go yet. Today, no one else on earth will have the adventure that I am having.</p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231390681?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231390681?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" class="align-left" width="500"/></a>After Mt. St. Helens it was back uphill to Mt Adams which is over 12,000 feet. I saw a few hikers slogging their way up the south side. I took a few pictures then it was off downhill to the first volcano in Oregon, Mt. Hood.</p>
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<p>Mt Hood has a ski slope on the south side. Quite a few folks are not happy with just sticking to the slopes. They climb <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231395682?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231395682?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" class="align-right" width="500"/></a>all the way to the top. Dang! There are a lot of folks working their way up the nearly vertical south slope.</p>
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<p>After Mt. Hood things got a bit more "lonely" as I motored off into the wilderness of the Cascade Range. The next volcano was Mt. Jefferson. Then on to all the rest:</p>
<p>Three Fingered Jack</p>
<p>Mt. Washington</p>
<p>North Sister</p>
<p>Middle sister</p>
<p>South Sister</p>
<p>Broken Top</p>
<p>Mt. Bachelor</p>
<p>Maiden Peak</p>
<p>Mt. Thielsen</p>
<p>Crater Lake</p>
<p>Mt. McLoughlin</p>
<p>Mt. Shasta (14,000+ ft)</p>
<p>Mt. Lassen (picture of; did not visit)</p>
<p>Mt. Konocti</p>
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<p>The auto pilot and the 601 performed perfectly. The auto pilot did all the navigation including the many climbs and descents as I flew from peak to peak.</p>
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<p>To see the entire collection of 89 pictures, click this link: <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://stephen-smith.smugmug.com/Airplane-Trips/2017-05-Volcano-Run" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Volcano Run pictures</a></span></p>
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<p>With a little effort you can:</p>
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<p>1) See the pictures in full-screen mode</p>
<p>2) Download them if you wish</p>
<p>3) See, on a map, where the picture was taken.</p>
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<p>Hope you enjoy.</p>
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<p>Steve</p>6,600 mile trip to Central America proves to be big adventuretag:zenith.aero,2017-02-04:2606393:BlogPost:5493732017-02-04T06:00:00.000ZStephen R. Smithhttps://zenith.aero/profile/StephenRSmith
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<p>"That which does not kill us makes us stronger." - Friedrich Nietzsche</p>
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<p>Since I started flying my 601 back in 2007 I have found it to be a fantastic machine for exploring and adventure. I have enjoyed expanding my view of the world by flying over the country side, looking out at the great sights below and taking pictures from time to time; actually thousands of them.</p>
<p><br></br> In the past few years I have had in mind to fly all the way to the tip of South America. I…</p>
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<p>"That which does not kill us makes us stronger." - Friedrich Nietzsche</p>
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<p>Since I started flying my 601 back in 2007 I have found it to be a fantastic machine for exploring and adventure. I have enjoyed expanding my view of the world by flying over the country side, looking out at the great sights below and taking pictures from time to time; actually thousands of them.</p>
<p><br/> In the past few years I have had in mind to fly all the way to the tip of South America. I may never take that trip. However, as a member of the Baja Bush Pilots, an opportunity came along to move in that direction by signing up for a trip to Central America. The Bush Pilots have a "rule" that only IFR pilots in IFR equipped airplanes can fly with them to Central America. There are good reason for this; schedules must be kept and the weather in Central America can be challenging. When I inquired about joining as a VFR pilot I was told I could join the trip as long as I understood there was a possibility that I would be left behind because of weather. Another challenge would be that I would be traveling with much faster aircraft. I spent about a month studying the winter weather in Central America and concluded that it was a trip I wanted to try but I could see there would be challenges.<br/> <br/> The bush Pilots trip started in Laredo Texas and ended in Guatemala City. I had to plan my own route from my home base in Santa Rosa California to Laredo and also the trip home from Guatemala City. One of my flying buddies wanted to fly along in his plane as far as El Paso Texas, then he would return home and I would continue on to Laredo. I like following rivers and coastlines. My plan was to follow the Rio Grande from its headwaters in Colorado to the Gulf of Mexico. On the way home my plan was to follow the Pacific shoreline of Mexico all the way up the western side, back to the states.<br/> <br/> The weather on this trip was an issue from the start. Originally we had planed to start the trip on the second of January. <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231371316?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231371316?profile=RESIZE_320x320" class="align-right" width="300"/></a>Looking forward at the weather, we saw that we would not be able to get over the Sierra Nevada Mountains on the second, so we left a day early. The plan was to leave early in the morning. Our departure was delayed almost two hours because of fog, a common problem in Santa Rosa because of its proximity to the Pacific Ocean. We were not sure how far we would get on the first day. The original plan was to fly low-level through the Nevada desert, something we have done often and enjoy. With our late departure we opted instead to take advantage of a big tailwind and stay up at 13,500 where we managed an average ground speed of 157 miles per hour. At one point I saw 69 MPH on the tail. As we whizzed east over Nevada, we noticed the clouds below were becoming more solid and we worried about getting down. I called flight service on the radio and ask about weather conditions in Page AZ, near our planned destination. We were told the field was clear of clouds so we motored on.<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231373689?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231373689?profile=RESIZE_320x320" class="align-right" width="300"/></a> When we arrived over Marble Canyon at 13,500 and found a hole to descend though and shortly we were at the front desk of the Marble Canyon Lodge. We like this stop because it is scenic, has an airport, a motel, and restaurant that serves dinner and breakfast.<br/> <br/> Next morning we made the short hop to Page, AZ for fuel then headed north-east over Lake Powell until we reached the San Juan River. We followed the San Juan for a few hours. As we neared Farmington New Mexico we turned north with the goal of picking up the Rio Grande River at its headwaters high in the <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231375881?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231375881?profile=RESIZE_320x320" class="align-left" width="300"/></a>Rocky Mountains just a little east of Sliverton Colorado. The weather forecast was not promising and it wasn't wrong. We got within 15 miles of Silverton and hit a wall of whiteout. We turned around and headed for lower ground. In the end we had an enjoyable trip over to Los Alamos New Mexico (LAM) where we spent the night.</p>
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<p>We picked up the Rio Grande in the morning and were immediately rewarded with a canyon to fly in for a few miles. We followed the river south. Eventually we started to see huge beautiful orchards along the river, then the river went completely dry. With later research I learned that the orchards were pecan nut trees. The region produces 3 to 4 million pounds of nuts per year. Not much of a river to follow though. Bummer, or so I thought.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231376937?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231376937?profile=RESIZE_320x320" class="align-right" width="300"/></a></p>
<p>The flight that day was short. We stopped for an overnight at Santa Teresa (5T6) where there is a very well done airplane museum. Not far away there is a motel and dinner. We spent about 2 hours in the museum. Very nice.</p>
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<p>In the morning, having reached El Paso, my flying partner departed west for home and I continued on alone, following the Rio Grande river, such as it was, along the boarder.</p>
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<p>While planning this section of the trip, I studied the sectional charts, especially along the boarder. There were a lot of scary markings and words such as "DEFENSE AREA" and "CONTIGUOUS U.S. ADIZ. I visited the AOPA website where I read what I could find on the topic. The information was dated and seemed overly legalistic so I decided to call flight service and talk to a briefer in Texas. The briefer confirmed that most of what I read on the AOPA website was useless. For example "defense VFR" flight plans no longer exist. He assured me that if I was travailing under a flight plan with a squawk code, and the flight plan stated in the notes what I was doing, I would not be bothered by homeland security, folks I would rather not deal with - some are not all the nice. By the way, the briefer had no idea what the words "DEFENSE AREA" on the chart were meant to convey in terms of "do this" or "don't do that". Just some scary words to confuse pilots I guess.</p>
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<p>I generally don't file flight plans. When I need file one, I use the website for Flight Service, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.1800wxbrief.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.1800wxbrief.com.</a></span> While sitting in my airplane I can: 1) file a flight plan, 2) amend a flight plan, 3) get a briefing, 4) open a flight plan, 5) get a squawk code, and 6) close a flight plan; all without talking to anyone. Too bad it does not work that way in Mexico where flight plans are mandatory.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231377599?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231377599?profile=RESIZE_320x320" class="align-left" width="300"/></a></p>
<p>I found the flight along the Rio Grande more scenic then I expected. The country is very rugged in places and generally very empty. There were a few canyons to fly in. Yes, a 601 can do that, although not as well as a 701.</p>
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<p>Having flown the entire Texas/Mexican boarder I can say, building a wall along the entire thing would be a massive waste of money. That is not to to say that no wall is needed anywhere. A nuanced response would be best.</p>
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<p>I stopped for fuel at Presidio (PRS). I was expecting a ratted-out airport in the middle of nowhere. Instead, it turned out to be very recently reworked with brand new self-serve pumps. The airport manager greeted me and even knew what my airplane was including the engine (a CAMit). Wow, that does not happen often. He proceeded to pump the fuel for me while he talked about flights he and his friends make in the area. Turns out he is retired boarder patrol. He and his friends fly along the board all the time and never use a flight plan. OK so you don't even need a flight plan. I continued the journey with a flight plan anyway just to avoid having a problem I did not need.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231378024?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231378024?profile=RESIZE_320x320" class="align-right" width="300"/></a></p>
<p>Just northwest of the town of Presidio, the Rio Grande River is just a sad trickle of water in a ditch, then something amazing happens. The Rio Conchos River which flows out of Mexico joins the pathetic Rio Grande and suddenly the Rio Grande is a river again. (See picture to the right. Yup, the little ditch coming in from the right is the Rio Grande.) So Mexican water powers the "Rio Grande" river that runs though Big Bend National park; who knew.</p>
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<p>I like looking at rugged country. I found the most scenic part of the river to be the stretch that runs though Big Bend National Park and then continues Northeast.<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231378101?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231378101?profile=RESIZE_320x320" class="align-left" width="300"/></a></p>
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<p>I spent the night at Del Rio (DRT) where the service from the FBO was so good I started to feel foolish in my little airplane because it needed so little fuel. They even had a free courtesy car which they insisted I should not put gas in. True, it was a real clunker, but I was glad to have wheels instead of walking into town.</p>
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<p>Next morning it was a short, uneventful flight to Laredo where I got a taxi to the hotel and met the other Bush pilots and their passengers. That evening we had a meeting to introduce ourselves and go over details of the trip.</p>
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<p>Originally my plan was to follow the Rio Grande all the way to the Gulf Of Mexico, get fuel, then follow the Gulf south. Before the trip, as I studied the winter weather it became obvious that it is often "yucky" at the southern tip of Texas, low ceilings, fog, cold. I skipped that, mostly.</p>
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<p>In the morning I got up before everyone else, got a taxi and headed to the airport. I opened my flight plan, called the tower and was in the sky at sun up. My goal was to reach Veracruz Mexico not too far behind the other airplanes, all of which were about 50% faster then my trusty 601.The weather information I had told me two things: 1) a tail wind was there to enable a non-stop to Veracruz and 2) the visibility from Laredo to the Gulf coast was miserable, to put it nicely. A few miles into the flight and I did not need a weather forecast to know the weather anymore. Very low ceilings kept me pined to the ground and high winds blowing provided the turbulence for Mr. Toad's wild ride. This went on for about an hour. Half way out to the coast my inReach satellite tracker started beeping to let me know I had a message. I read it. Even though I was in Mexico, it was from US flight service advising me of adverse weather on my route and suggesting that I call flight service on the radio. Yes, I know about the weather - it sucks. And thanks but no thanks on the radio call. Hay, at least there watching me, which is a good thing?</p>
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<p>Once I reached the coast the visibility improved and once over the water I could stop worrying about towers. In Mexico they don't show on the GPS like they do when flying in the good old USA. About half way to Veracruz the weather changed abruptly. In the space of about two miles the temperature went up 15 degrees and the overcast was replaced by haze. Much nicer. Thanks, weather Gods. As I motored south the pack of faster airplanes started to catch me. In the end, two passed me, two came in behind me. And two more were stuck in Laredo. One had alternator problems; one turned back because of the weather. Poor fellow was another VFR pilot in a tricked-out 210. Little did he know, he had more problems ahead, both with weather and the law.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231381526?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231381526?profile=RESIZE_320x320" class="align-right" width="300"/></a></p>
<p>Once on the ground in Veracruz we got a taxi to the hotel which was downtown near the waterfront. That night the wind came up and hung around the next day. We went to the airport where we found winds down the runway at 30 knots gusting 40. We held a vote on whether to stay or go. Two pilots voted to go, me and the pilot of a twin Beach Barron. The remaining pilots voted to stay, so we got back into taxis and went back to the hotel. We spent some time down by the waterfront but it was unpleasant in the wind and we ended up back at the hotel.</p>
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<p>Next morning the winds had died down to 20 knots gusting 25. We got to the airport to discover that the leading edges of the airplanes and propellers were covered with mud from the blowing rain and dirt. Not to worry, later in the day, flying in the rain would remove that mud.</p>
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<p>I filed VFR, the other pilots filed IFR. The commandant spoke directly to me and said, "The weather is better on top. The ceilings along your route are below 500 feet and there is extreme turbulence; we have lost airplanes in that turbulence. You should reconsider." I already knew the weather including ceilings and turbulence. I had a plan for it. After about an hour of paperwork we were allowed to go to our airplanes.</p>
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<p>Off I went into the haze. The tower passed me off to departure. Departure suggested I climb to 6,000 into hard IFR. I told departure I was on a VFR flight and was unable, to which they replied "remain VFR" and I did, mostly.</p>
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<p>About 50 miles down the coast, departure said goodbye to me and shortly thereafter the weather that I knew would be there, materialized: rain, low ceilings and strong winds off the Gulf. My plan was to stay over the water, knowing the turbulence would be less there because the wind was unobstructed. The rain was there because there is terrain along that section of the coast (dormant volcanoes). As the wet air is lifted up over the terrain, it dumps its moisture in a localized often-present rain. Here is a short video that show what it was like.</p>
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<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Wq3NlF9OrSo?wmode=opaque" allowfullscreen="" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0"></iframe>
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<p>In about 20 minutes the terrain and rain were behind me; the heavy cross wind was not. I stayed down on the water and buzzed along the beach, keeping an eye on the flocks of big sea birds which I sometimes went over, sometime under. Here is another short video clip. Note the brown oil-polluted water from oil wells in the area.</p>
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<p>Here is a short video showing gas being flared off at an oil refinery. Notice how horizontal the flame is from the wind.</p>
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<p>About 50 miles east of the dreary looking city of Coatzacoalcos I turned inland, toward Flores Guatemala. This took me over swampland and low farmland. Visibility varied <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231382193?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231382193?profile=RESIZE_320x320" class="align-right" width="300"/></a>between good and not so good as I flew through light rain from time to time. The landscape below was green and lush with occasional small towns. As I approached Guatemala the land became more jungle like. I was the last of the aircraft to arrive in Flores, except for the two that had been delayed back in Texas. They arrived just a bit after I did. Finally the entire group was together. That did not last.</p>
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<p>We had entered a new country, Guatemala. There was paperwork to do. And a curious, if likely ineffective, "ritual". You must pay $20 U.S. to the designated pesticide sprayer who will spray poison into the cockpit of your airplane, presumably to kill the bad bugs you brought into the country. Too bad the young woman did not know how to climb onto an airplane properly and could not read the English words "NO STEP". I had my back to her when I heard a unhappy crinkling sound coming from the <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231382417?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231382417?profile=RESIZE_320x320" class="align-left" width="300"/></a>aluminum skin of my 601. I hustled over to where she was, to help her off the wing. Luckily the plane was not damaged. Moral of the story. Don't let folks climb on your airplane when your not watching! There was much more fun the next day - NOT.</p>
<p></p>
<p>We enjoyed the town of Flores. We stayed in a hotel on an island. Folks in the area were celebrating the new year with fireworks and dancing in the street. It was fun to watch and be around. Good thing I travel with earplugs because the party continued past my bedtime.</p>
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<p>In the morning we checked out of the hotel and boarded a small bus for a group trip to the Mayan ruins at Tikal. The idea was to drop off our luggage in our airplanes where it would be guarded. (Most towered airports are fenced and have military personnel watching.) Apparently on a prior trip, bandits had stolen the luggage while folks were away from the bus at Tikal. After Tikal we were planning to go back to the airport, then fly on to our next destination. We were being clever, leaving our luggage at the airport, except....</p>
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<p>When we arrived at the airport unexpected, there was a bit of stalling to keep us away from our airplanes. We were told that one of the pilot's insurance was "improper" and did not cover Guatemala. (Yes, you must travel with a full copy of your airplane's insurance policy and it must state coverage for the counties you visit). The trip organizer looked at the policy. There was nothing wrong with it. Still, the officials insisted we must wait. An hour later and we were told to leave passengers and luggage in the terminal. Pilots were to go to their airplane and wait in front of it. Then we learned what was going on. The night before a drug dog had "alerted" when passing the 210 so there was to be a very complete search for drugs. The local two-star general and the district attorney were there to take away the "criminal", once he was found. Did you know a German Shepard can fit in the back of a 601? I wish I had a picture. We were told NO PICTURES; while <em>they</em> took lots of pictures. The dog was sent through each airplane two times. Then the poor VFR 210 pilot who had already had a tough trip was told to remove everything from the airplane so the dog could sniff his <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231385129?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231385129?profile=RESIZE_320x320" class="align-right" width="300"/></a>headset and flight bag. Then the floorboards of the 210 were removed. Sill no drugs. Then they cut patches of fabric from the pilot's flight bag and ran tests on them. NOTHING. They were not done. We all returned to the terminal where the luggage was lined up on the floor and the dog sniffed again and again. NOTHING. In total this process went on for two and one half hours, then they gave up. We were told via an interpreter that they were "just doing there job and it was for our own good". No one was happy. In retrospect it seems obvious that the night before when the dog "alerted" it was just saying, "hey master, look, its a 210, you know, the favorite airplane of the drug trade. Isn't it a beauty"? Master heard "this airplane is full of drugs". Just goes to show; sometimes a dog is smarter then its master.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231390062?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231390062?profile=RESIZE_320x320" class="align-right" width="300"/></a></p>
<p>Finally we are able to board the bus and depart to the ruins, while the trip organizer remained behind to get our rooms back at the hotel since it was now too late to fly on to our next stop. During the one hour ride to the ruins we all processed what had happened and slowly calmed down. In the end we had a nice time at the ruins. It is a scenic place. I recommend it.</p>
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<p>The next morning we woke up to overcast skies. It was marginal VFR both at the departure airport and at our destination, which was good, But along the route, there was a bit of high ground that seemed likely to cause trouble. I got to the airport early with the thought of departing ahead of the pack so I could arrive with them. That did <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231394794?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231394794?profile=RESIZE_320x320" class="align-left" width="300"/></a>not happen. Because of paperwork issues I was not able to depart. In the end, I was second to last to leave and had the engine warming up when I looked over and realized the 210 pilot was standing beside his plane, not happy. I shut down to talk to him. I showed him my weather data and my terrain data. We discussed possible flight paths. He and his passenger seemed satisfied they could try it. I took off; they were about 15 minutes behind me. We shared position reports by radio, and I, out in front, reported what I saw. Shortly, the 210 turned back and landed. I continued. The 210 never did make it to our next stop. Sometimes a smaller, slower, more nimble airplane is an advantage. As expected, about mid-way to my destination, for a short time things looked really ugly, then it got better. By the time I landed at Rio Dulce, the weather was very nice. The airport there is a private airport that belongs to the Guatemala flying club. The club helped us out several times while we were in Guatemala. After landing, we took our luggage down to a boat dock where a boat picked us up and took us to our resort. What a lovely place Rio Dulce was. Lots of comfortable looking homes on the water. A large number of very expensive boats docked and plying the waters. Sadly we had been schedule to stay two night but could only stay one because of the extra night in Veracruz. That is how travel goes in small airplanes; you expect the unexpected and you make it work. Somehow, it always did.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231396405?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231396405?profile=RESIZE_320x320" class="align-right" width="300"/></a></p>
<p>After checking in to our rooms, we chartered a boat to take us upriver to an old historic fort where we hired a tour guide to show us around and explain the history of the place. We enjoyed the boat trip and the fort. On the way, the boat stopped for fuel at a marina. That inspired us to solve a looming problem.</p>
<p></p>
<p>This is no fuel available at the Rio Dulce airport. In fact there was no fuel at the prior stop either. My 601 with 30 gallon tanks has very long legs for a light-sport aircraft. Still about 650 statute miles is all I expect to get out of it in calm air at sea level. It does much better at high altitudes but I had been down on the deck the entire time. My 601 and two other <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231400428?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231400428?profile=RESIZE_320x320" class="align-left" width="300"/></a>airplanes did not have enough fuel to safely make the next trip leg to Guatemala City. This was not a surprise, we discussed this back in Laredo. The hope was the military would sell us fuel at Flores. They did not. The fallback plan was to bring in auto gas with 5 gallon cans via a taxi. Too bad the airport at Rio Dulce does not have any roads to it. It is accessed by boat. Now what. Well you do what you can with what you have. Turns out the boat had a 4-stroke motor that required "supreme". Well now, that's what we needed for our airplanes. The boat had 4, five-gallon cans of fuel. Three were full. Just what we needed. We negotiated with the boat operator who took us to the airport, we dumped in the 15 gallons of fuel; problem solved.</p>
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<p>That evening I studied the weather for the morning's flight into Guatemala City. This leg had me worried from the beginning. Rio Dulce is in low-wet country. Guatemala City is in the mountains. Clouds could get in the way of the climb to higher altitude. I had picked out a long valley that lead most of the way to Guatemala City. A low ridge crossed the entrance to the valley. I needed to be able to get over it in the morning. That did not happen.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231405592?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231405592?profile=RESIZE_320x320" class="align-right" width="300"/></a></p>
<p>In the morning we headed by boat back to the airport and the 6 airplanes took off from Rio Dulce, which was marginal VFR. Guatemala City was VFR. Shortly it became apparent that plan "A" was not going to work for me. The low ridge was covered with clouds. However there <em>was</em> a giant hole to the heavens. Today I would be on top with the big boys. Up we went to 11,000 to get above the cloud deck where there was bright sunshine, and a few rocks poking up out of the clouds - lovely. I headed for the rocks to take some pictures. By the time we reached the class Charley airport at Guatemala City, the clouds were no longer a problem. We landed and taxied to the GA fuel island which is operated by the Guatemala flying club. As we were eating lunch in the clubhouse, the 210 arrived. Hurray, we were all together again.</p>
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<p>Next we had to park our airplanes in the northwest corner of the airport. With all the jet traffic on the ground, that took <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231406371?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231406371?profile=RESIZE_320x320" class="align-right" width="300"/></a>about 30 minutes.</p>
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<p>We boarded a small private bus for about a three hour ride to the town of Chichicastenango (no, I can't pronounce that). This is a town with very few tourists. It was our chance to see how the descendants of the Maya are living today - eye opening. The main attractions in the town were the cemetery, where they practice witchcraft, and a huge market where the local people buy and sell the things they make and need. Hay, do you need to buy a chicken, a duck or a rabbit for dinner? This is the place. The town is up in the mountains at about 6,700 feet. Our pleasant hotel, Mayan Inn, was built in 1932. The rooms have no heat except for a fireplace. A lovely fire is built for you each night, but by morning it is chilly in the room.</p>
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<p>We stayed two nights then it was back on the bus to Guatemala City where we spent the night in an upscale hotel. </p>
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<p>Next morning the official Bush-pilot trip was over but assistance was given with the paperwork clearing out of Guatemala and the next stop, clearing back into Mexico. Good thing too. In total it was a frustrating five hour process. I will relate one part of the tail.</p>
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<p>With our trip packet, we had been given one copy of a blank form to fill out, It was a simple manifest showing information about the pilot and passengers. My form had my name and my pilot's lenience written on it. Simple. What could go wrong with that? We arrived at the paperwork counter to learn we were expected to show up with five copies of the simple form; we each had one. No problem, hand us 4 more blank forms we will fill them out. They don't have any blank forms. They don't have any! REALLY? OK, how about you photocopy them for us. They don't have a copy machine in the building. REALLY? OK, we are told there <em>is</em> a copy machine in the next building. We are led to the next building, and find the copy machine. We get one copy made and a man comes running out of the nearby office shaking his finger, no no no, you cant use this copy machine. REALLY? We call the manager of the flying club. He sends an employee over, collects our forms and returns an hour later with copies. We must wait; cant go to the airplanes until the paperwork is done. <em>Really</em>.<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231426509?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231426509?profile=RESIZE_320x320" class="align-right" width="300"/></a></p>
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<p>Eventually we departed on the 130 mile trip to Tapachula Mexico. Along the way I was only a few miles from an active volcano. I decided to motor over for a closer look. As I approached, there was a light haze over the volcano. Then a mini eruption took place, which turned into a tall column of dust and gas. What a treat! I got a nice series of photos.</p>
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<p>When flying into Mexico from the south, there are only two airports you are allowed to land at to clear back into Mexico. They are not staffed to handle a group of airplanes. I was the last of our group to arrive and the last to leave. It took me 2.5 hours. Finally I got back into the airplane for another 300 mile leg. As I motored west toward Salina Cruz the expected wind out of the north showed up. Why was it expected? This is a narrow spot between the Gulf and the Pacific with relatively low terrain. The wind loves to channel through this area. I stayed down on the deck as long as I could. Eventually the turbulence was too much and I went up to about 800 feet to get out of the worst of it. At that altitude the strongest cross wind I saw was 62 MPH. That makes for quite a crab angle<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231431941?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231431941?profile=RESIZE_320x320" class="align-left" width="300"/></a> in a 100 MPH airplane. Oh well, all in a days work. At least it wasn't raining.</p>
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<p>I landed at Huatulco and got a taxi to a nice resort. This was the first of three overnight stops I would be making along the pacific. I picked this place because it was recommended by a fellow bush pilot. He and his wife planned to stay here a number of nights before heading home to St. Louis. Heck, after 5 hours of bureaucracy and about 3.5 hours of flying I was glad to be in a nice place for the night. My room was a bit too fancy for my needs. I really didn't need a room with a private swimming pool. But lets not complain too much. It could be worse, much worse.</p>
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<p>In the morning I resumed my trip up the pacific coast. The day was mostly uneventful.The airplane had been performing very well. Then I started to notice an odd vibration. Suddenly the airplane pitched up sharply. That was strange. I re-leveled the plane and got it trimmed out again and the vibration came back. I started looking out the window to see what was vibrating. It was the horizontal stabilizer. It was shuddering. When I saw that, I know what was wrong. The trim tab was fluttering. I re-trimmed to pitch-up and then pushed the stick forward to offset. The shuddering stopped. OK, I can live with that. I will just turn on the autopilot and let it do the work of holding level against the trim-up. No luck. The crappy Trio Avionics autopilot altitude-hold was messed up again. (The Trio Avionics autopilot has been the least reliable equipment in the airplane. I have sent it back to the factory 7 times in 10 years. I hate the thing.)</p>
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<p>So why was the trim tab fluttering? Because two years ago I extended it so that it would be effective enough to keep the airplane level with full flaps. The extension increased its weight and changed its airflow dynamics so that it became prone to flutter. At first the flutter was minor but as it wore out the trim linkage, the play increased, which allowed more aggressive flutter. As it got worse the flutter started to make the elevator itself to flutter. That has more mass and is something you can feel in the air-frame. In a faster airplane this would have been a much more serious issue. In my 601 it was just unwelcome. I was 2,000 miles from home and would be pushing the stick forward for quite a few hours.</p>
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<p>When I was about 60 miles from Acapulco, smoke from nearby forest fires reduce visibility so I descended for a better <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231433859?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231433859?profile=RESIZE_320x320" class="align-right" width="300"/></a>view. When I had gone down about 500 feet, Acapulco approach called me to ask about my deviation from flight plan. I explained the smoke and they were OK with that. They said "remain VFR". When I was about 40 miles out, they called again. At the lower altitude I could not really hear them. I told them that and suggested we try again when I was closer in. When I was about 20 miles out they called again and gave instructions to head five miles off-shore and remain below 1,500 feet to avoid Class Charley airspace. I am not too thrilled to be 5 miles off-shore at 1,500 feet but comply. I suspect that had I remained at my flight-plan altitude I would have been directed through the airspace instead of around it. It worked out OK. The plane continue to operate off-shore just like it always does on-shore. Good thing, because I am quite sure I can't swim five miles. Eventually I was directed back to shore where I got a look at the Acapulco Bay through the haze.</p>
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<p>I stopped at Zihuatanejo for fuel. Fuel stops are a pain in Mexico because of the delays and paperwork. You can expect a fuel stop to cost you about 1 hour. It is useful to note that at some airports fuel must be purchased with cash. At others it must be purchased with a credit card, except when the credit card machine is broken. Landing fees and multiple-entry permits must be purchased with cash, preferably pesos. You need to have correct change because you can't count on getting change back. You may be told, "sorry, I don't have any change", in which case you have just given the person a nice tip.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231438544?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231438544?profile=RESIZE_320x320" class="align-left" width="300"/></a></p>
<p>A little south of Manzanillo I spotted something in the water and headed over to investigate. On previous trips I had seen pods of dolphin and a school of manta ray. This time it was whales; at least three of them. I started descending in a steep banking circle taking pictures. As I got down to about a hundred feet they either saw me or heard me. They dived and were gone. Very cool.</p>
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<p>I stopped that night in Manzanillo. Upon landing, the military showed up to ask questions, like they usually do. The standard setup is two young men with machine guns stand a ways off watching while a third approaches and collects the information. They are polite but often don't speak any English, and I speak no Spanish. This time there was only one fellow and he was new to the job. I showed him my "papers": pilots license, airworthiness and registration. Generally they also want to know where you came from and what your next stop is. They want the aircraft model and serial number. They want to know if you own the airplane. The best thing would be to have all this information on a sheet of paper in Spanish. I was not quite that organized. So this poor kid is trying to fill out a form in Spanish using documents in English. He could not find the serial number for the airplane and I did not know what he wanted. After 15 minutes of getting nowhere, I collected the documents from him and headed inside to my next stop, the commandants office. He followed me in. The commandant was a nice woman who also spoke no English. Luckily she had her teenage son with her who is a student pilot. He spoke English. The serial number was collected and my military shadow disappeared. I had a nice chat with the son about his flying aspirations. We wants to fly 787s. Hay, we can all dream of flying a dreamliner. After a bit, I suggested that he "steal" mom's car and give me a ride into town. He and his mother got a kick out of that idea but no go. They did call a Taxi for me which saved me some money and simplified things a bit. How was that?</p>
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<p>Normally when you need a cab at a controlled airport in Mexico, you must go to the commercial terminal, walk up to the official taxi stand, tell them where you want to go, pay for it, get a "ticket", then go to the designated taxi which they pick for you. It is a system designed to keep you safe and make sure the taxi you get into is licensed and in good operating condition. But what if you don't know where you want to go and cant explain it well enough? How do you pay the proper fair in advance?</p>
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<p>I was able to explain to <em>this</em> cab Driver what type of hotel I wanted: "something above average in price but not too fancy". I ended up in a nice place <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231440416?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231440416?profile=RESIZE_320x320" class="align-right" width="300"/></a>with dinner and breakfast included in the price of the room. The next night, things did not work out nearly as well.</p>
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<p>In the morning after doing the normal paperwork and getting fuel, I was on my way. On my 6 hour non-stop flight to Los Mochis that day, the normal things when past: fishing villages, small towns, resorts, rivers, and miles of empty beaches. The weather was agreeable. All and all a nice day but I was starting to wish I was home. It has been a fantastic trip and I had learned a lot from it, but the intensity of it was starting to take its toll. Just one more overnight. Should be easy. And it was but there is always something more to learn. </p>
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<p>I landed at Los Mochis, visited the commandants office then headed for the taxi desk in the main terminal. Again my lack of Spanish was a problem because the people behind the counter spoke no English. I tried to explain that I wanted to go to a motel that cost 3,000 pesos which is about $100. That would get me a very nice room with meals included. They called over one of the taxi drivers and together they seem to understand and picked a destination so I could pay for the taxi. The nice ride into town ended in front of a hotel that did not seem like a 3,000-peso kind of place. As I got out of the taxi the driver pointed and said "senior, look, for you." He was pointing at a hooker. I said "very nice but I don't have any use for the nice girl." I thanked him, gave him his tip and off he went. I headed inside. Odd, the front desk was upstairs. When I got upstairs I saw that the desk was behind bullet-proof glass without even a little window to slide stuff under. I explained I wanted a room for one person. They spoke no English but pointed to a sign with a list of room types and prices in pesos. Then I understood the problem. At the airport my request for a 3,000 peso room was interpreted as a request for a 300 peso room. Sure enough, this joint had rooms for $10 US. Alrighty then! This was going to be interesting. I splurged and asked for the suite for $40 and offered a credit card. No no no, cash only. OK, 400 pesos then. Lucky I had em. I stuffed the pesos into the rotating metal canister built into the wall. Back out came the remote controls for the TV (I don't watch TV) and the remote for the A/C. No key was given. Instead someone showed up and opened the room for me. I triple locked the door and stayed in the room, skipping dinner and breakfast rather than roam the streets in that part of town looking for food. It was actually a decent room. Better then motel-6 or Super-8. And hey, if I got lonely, the hooker was just across the street outside my window. So next time I will write "3,000 pesos" on a piece of paper instead of saying three-thousand pesos to folks that don't know what I am saying.</p>
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<p>Next morning, the front desk wanted 10 pesos ($0.50 US) to call a taxi and was surly about it. Whatever! I am thinking "just get me out of here". At the airport everything went well and I took off on my 2 hour flight to Guaymas. That was my exit airport so I surrendered my visa, paid fees, and got fuel. It took a little longer then normal because folks were on lunch break. If the desk you need is not staffed, you wait. Eventually I took off on the 5 hour flight to Calexico California. US customs have always been quick and painless for me at Calexico; 5 minutes total. Almost a frighteningly fast pace after all the multi hour bureaucratic nightmares I had encountered on the trip. Gee, in no time I was in the air for the third leg of the trip, 1.5 hours into Redlands. Eight and a half hours flying, plus multiple stops with paperwork was quite enough fun for one day.<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231442122?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231442122?profile=RESIZE_320x320" class="align-right" width="300"/></a></p>
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<p>I had intended to continue the trip home to Santa Rosa in the morning. That was not to be. Looking at the weather, the entire state of California look to be IFR. I stayed with my brother. He lives in the mountains of southern California at 6,000 feet. It snowed both nights. Hey, at least I was not flying it it. I just enjoyed it.</p>
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<p>The 4.75 hour flight home to Santa Rosa was routine. Just a few cloud and a mountain or two to go around.</p>
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<p>The End.</p>
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<p>Pictures used in an EAA presentation can be viewed here: <a href="https://stephen-smith.smugmug.com/Airplane-Trips/2017-01-Central-America-EAA-Presentation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Central America EAA Presentation</a></p>
<p>The entire collection of pictures taken on the trip can be viewed here: <a href="https://stephen-smith.smugmug.com/Airplane-Trips/2017-01-Central-America" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Central America</a></p>
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<p>Steve</p>My 2016 Oshkosh Adventuretag:zenith.aero,2016-08-23:2606393:BlogPost:5230912016-08-23T15:00:00.000ZStephen R. Smithhttps://zenith.aero/profile/StephenRSmith
<p>I flew my CAMit-powered (RIP) 601 to AirVenture 2016. This was its third trip to OSH. It’s just over 1,800 statute miles each way from Santa Rosa California.<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231387196?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231387196?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="500"></img></a></p>
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<p>I usually try to work some sightseeing into my trips. I love to fly in the mountains and along rivers. I have spent many hours doing so in the west. This year my idea was to follow the Missouri River from…</p>
<p>I flew my CAMit-powered (RIP) 601 to AirVenture 2016. This was its third trip to OSH. It’s just over 1,800 statute miles each way from Santa Rosa California.<a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231387196?profile=original"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231387196?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="500"/></a></p>
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<p>I usually try to work some sightseeing into my trips. I love to fly in the mountains and along rivers. I have spent many hours doing so in the west. This year my idea was to follow the Missouri River from the headwaters in Idaho all the way to the Mississippi River then head up to Lake Michigan, past Chicago along the lake-front, and then on in to OSH.</p>
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<p>With that plan in mind I flew the first leg of the trip from Santa Rosa to Driggs Idaho. Thanks to a nice tailwind up at 13,500 feet, this was a non-stop flight of 718 SM in just under 6 hours. So far, so good; however my trip plans started to unravel as I descended into the right downwind to land runway 21 at Driggs. The engine would not run at a reduced throttle setting. I got the plane on the ground, parked it and planned to deal with the problem after a good night’s sleep. In the morning I found that the engine started just fine but would not idle without the “choke” on. The FBO in Driggs was very helpful and provided an area in their big repair shop where I could work on the plane, out of the sun. I got to work. I suspected a vacuum leak and spent a good deal of time looking for it to no avail. Finally I decided to remove the carburetor for a full inspection. As I started that task I discovered that the carburetor’s slide was stuck in the full open position. A bit of carburetor cleaner fixed that well enough. The engine once again ran as it should but the day was blown so I stayed in Driggs another night.</p>
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<p>In the morning after contemplating my schedule and looking at the projected high temperatures in the Midwest I <a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231391301?profile=original"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231391301?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300"/></a>abandon the River trip idea and headed more-or-less direct to Oshkosh. Off I went, heading for Sioux City Iowa a distance of 610 SM. The day was uneventful but there was weather ahead. To the north east was a weather front, headed for Oshkosh. One and a half inches of rain were expected to fall the night of my planed arrival. Since I was going to camp on the field with my airplane, I decided to delay my arrival to avoid camping in the rain.</p>
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<p>The next morning I left Sioux City and flew along the Missouri River upstream away from my destination to kill off a few hours so that I could come into my next stop, La Crosse Wisconsin, behind the weather front. At the end of the day I landed on a wet runway but missed the rain as planned. Sure is nice to have live in-airplane weather information.</p>
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<p>The next morning, it was MVFR all the way into Oshkosh. The not-so-great weather had one benefit: it kept the hordes <a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231392746?profile=original"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231392746?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300"/></a>of airplanes away so the Fisk arrival was not all that hectic for a change. I landed runway 18. Soon after landing, my airplane was parked in home-built camping and I had my tent pitched right next to my airplane. I had made it! It was Sunday morning, the day before AirVenture officially started.</p>
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<p>My plan was to spend the entire week exploring AirVenture and taking pictures and Videos. AirVenture is a great place meet friends, talk to hundreds of vendors who sell anything and everything, and attend forums where you can learn new skills and hear of new travel experiences. Weather permitting, there is an airshow each day. Some evenings there is a night airshow complete with amazing fireworks.</p>
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<p>About 10,000 airplanes fly in and out of AirVenture during the week. There are several active runways, the longest of which is 1.5 miles long which accommodates very large aircraft. The variety of aircraft to look at is mind blowing. There are airplane folks to talk to everywhere. The show is attended by about 500,000 people each year.</p>
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<p>As I walked the grounds, I often had my portable radio with me tuned to one of the tower frequencies. I enjoyed listening to the controllers while watching aircraft land and take off. The AirVenture grounds are very large. I estimate I walked 20<a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231421780?profile=original"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231421780?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300"/></a> to 30 miles during the week.</p>
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<p>I left for home Sunday, the last day of the show, with hundreds of pictures and hours of video in my camera. After many days of review and cleanup the pictures have been uploaded to the web where you can view them if you like. <a href="https://stephen-smith.smugmug.com/Airplane-Trips/2016-07-Oshkosh" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Here is the link</span>.</a></p>
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<p>I edited the hours of video down into a single compilation that is 50 minutes long. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://youtu.be/Dg2NR3fCHYk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">You can watch it using this link</a></span>. Keep in mind the video was taken without benefit of a tripod and I am no video pro. Still, those who have seen it so far seem to enjoy it. Set aside some time, grab a friend and a beer and “attend” AirVenture without attending.</p>
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<p>The trip home was uneventful but I did set a couple of new personal records. I flew home in one day. It took 18.6 hours not including three 20 minute fuel stops. The last 6.5 hours were non-stop and because the sun set as I flew across the<a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231422326?profile=original"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231422326?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300"/></a> Great Salt Lake, most of the leg was at night. I arrived at my home airport at 1:15 in the morning. It and all the other local airports were IFR. I diverted about 50 miles to the north and landed in Ukiah at about 2:00 AM. After landing, I was a bit tired, so I pulled my pillow and sleeping bag out of the back of the airplane and slept in the plane for 6 hours bringing my total time in the airplane to just over 24 hours. Good thing the seats in my 601 are super comfortable.</p>
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<p>Steve</p>
<p> </p>Travels of N601WFtag:zenith.aero,2015-11-16:2606393:BlogPost:4679702015-11-16T15:00:00.000ZStephen R. Smithhttps://zenith.aero/profile/StephenRSmith
<p>With two more big trips accomplished this year I compiled some simple statistics for my flights in my 601XLB. Some numbers are approximate.</p>
<ul>
<li>8 years and 5 months of operation</li>
<li>760 flights</li>
<li>161,700 statue miles</li>
<li>1,800 hours</li>
<li>6,840 gallons of fuel</li>
<li>23.6 statue miles per gallon (average)</li>
<li>90 statue miles per hour (average)</li>
<li>3 countries operated in</li>
<li>19,800 max altitude reached</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<p>Its been a great…</p>
<p>With two more big trips accomplished this year I compiled some simple statistics for my flights in my 601XLB. Some numbers are approximate.</p>
<ul>
<li>8 years and 5 months of operation</li>
<li>760 flights</li>
<li>161,700 statue miles</li>
<li>1,800 hours</li>
<li>6,840 gallons of fuel</li>
<li>23.6 statue miles per gallon (average)</li>
<li>90 statue miles per hour (average)</li>
<li>3 countries operated in</li>
<li>19,800 max altitude reached</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<p>Its been a great airplane so far. A map of the GPS tracks is below. Along the way I have taken thousands of pictures. Many have been uploaded and can be <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://stephen-smith.smugmug.com/Airplane-Trips" target="_blank" rel="noopener">viewed here</a></span>.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Steve</p>
<p></p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231377018?profile=original"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231377018?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a></p>Bob and Steve's Adventure to Canada and Alaska - August 2015tag:zenith.aero,2015-09-28:2606393:BlogPost:4568752015-09-28T06:00:00.000ZStephen R. Smithhttps://zenith.aero/profile/StephenRSmith
<p><span class="font-size-3">For many years I wanted to fly my 601XLB to Alaska but I only had a light-sport pilot's license. After endless waiting and hoping for a rule change in Canada, I finally ran out of patience. This last spring I "went back to school" and got my full pilot's license. Shortly thereafter I started planning my biggest airplane adventure yet, a flight to Alaska.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Upon studying maps and doing a bit of measuring, it soon became…</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">For many years I wanted to fly my 601XLB to Alaska but I only had a light-sport pilot's license. After endless waiting and hoping for a rule change in Canada, I finally ran out of patience. This last spring I "went back to school" and got my full pilot's license. Shortly thereafter I started planning my biggest airplane adventure yet, a flight to Alaska.</span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-3">Upon studying maps and doing a bit of measuring, it soon became apparent that flying through the vast spaces of Canada on the way to Alaska is a major portion of the trip. Further investigation uncovered plenty to see in Canada on the way to Alaska. Having completed the trip I can say for sure that the grand empty spaces of Canada should not be discounted if you’re looking for mountain and wilderness flying. If you’re more of a road follower, that is possible too but following roads in Canada will limit what you see considerably because there are few roads and lots of wilderness. As you can see in our pictures, my flying buddy Bob Gutteridge and I are not road followers.</span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-3">Below is a write up of our trip composed by Bob for the EAA chapter 124 news letter. Bob does a nice job of describing the trip and there are a few pictures sprinkled in to help with the story. They are low resolution to keep the blog size down.<br/></span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-3">One of my "job"s on these trips is to be the picture guy. I came home from this trip with about 1,300 of them. Bob took about 400. After many hours of editing and clean up, about 900 remain. All of these are available for viewing on-line (links below) but I encourage you to read Bob story first. Having some background will make the pictures more meaningful.</span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-3">Another of my "jobs" is trip presenter. After the pictures are cleaned up, I travel to a few local EAA chapters and give a "show-and-tell" presentation. To keep the presentations under two hours, I have to cut the picture collection down to about 150 pictures. A first-cut of this abbreviated collection is available on-line too.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">One of my goals for this trip was to fly my 601XLB to the top of Mt. Denali which is 20,310 feet. Had I removed my camping gear from the airplane I might have made it. Loaded the way it was, about 19,800 is all I could get out of it. But I did get the pictures I wanted of the top.</span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-3">Links to picture collections are below. It is possible to view the pictures full-screen. Most have been cropped for 16-9 screen size. On Windows computers, the F11 key toggles a web browser into/out-off full screen mode. Clicking a picture will cause it to take up the entire monitor, then you can use right and left arrow keys to navigate forward/backward. Individual pictures can be downloaded if you like. Most pictures are Geo-referenced so you can see where they were taken. Click the round circle with the small letter "i" in it (Upper left-hand corner of screen).<br/></span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Remember, Bob's write-up is below.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"><a href="https://stephen-smith.smugmug.com/Airplane-Trips/2015-08-Canada-And-Alaska-EAA-Presentaion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Link to pictures used in an EAA presentation are here.</a></span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"><a href="https://stephen-smith.smugmug.com/Airplane-Trips/2015-08-Canada-And-Alaska" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Link to the entire collection of pictures is here.</a></span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">I hope the story below and the pictures give you some entertainment and a sense of the adventure.</span></p>
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<p><span class="font-size-3">Steve</span></p>
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<p></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-3">============ Bob's EAA chapter 124 news letter write up of our trip is below ===============</span></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font-size-3"><strong>Two ELSA's to Alaska, Aug 12-25, 2015</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">Fellow EAA-124 member Steve Smith finished building his Zodiac 601 about the same time as I completed my Jabiru J-250. Both aircraft fly in the newer category known as Experimental Light Sport Aircraft (ELSA). And, as we have learned, both have similar performance capability which is a convenient when you fly together. Also convenient is the fact that Steve and I enjoy the same kind of flying. Over the last few years this matching of performance and interest has benefited me because Steve also likes to layout flying adventures and doesn't seem to object to a tag-a-long.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">Steve's most recent escapade called for a flight through Canada and into Alaska. The goals included, having a good time and not getting eaten by a bear as well as seeing rugged mountains, Denali in particular, and briefly visiting the north slop airports of Deadhorse at Prudhoe Bay and Barrows. The last two were on the list because we had never been there before and a trip over the Brooks Range sounded like something we should attempt. Barrows is also notable as the most northerly airport in the USA.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">With these objectives in mind we researched what such an undertaking required. I had flown through Canada to Alaska in 1999 in my Cessna 182 along with friend Jim Elliott flying in his Cessna 172, but times have changed since 911. Preliminary activities included registering our self's and our aircraft on line with the Federal agencies so that inputting flight plans and other information required for crossing international boarders would be easier. This being the modern age, there was also learning the new electronic equipment which are in use rather than the old paper maps. Finally there was the satellite-bases emergency tracker from DeLorme which we purchased for should one of us have to make an emergency off airport landing in the wilderness.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">What follows is my recollection of the daily activities and sites as we traveled.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">Day 0: The last step in “get ready for T.O.” was to re-positioning the aircraft to Cloverdale Airport to avoid the obligatory morning fog at Santa Rosa, thus facilitating an early start.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">Day 1 began with the quick drive to Cloverdale to load and gas the airplanes. Thanks Geri for driving out to return the car. Equipment was quickly moved into the airplanes. Good byes and fly safe admonishment given and the Jeep departed for home. This left us to deal with issue #1, the gas pumps were found to be in-op. A quick calculation verified we had adequate fuel for the short run to Reno Stead Airport. We were set to make our early departure but the weather was not. Re-positioning was a waste of time! Score: 0 / 1.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="font-size-3"><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231376762?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231376762?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400"/></a><span class="font-size-3">Fog finally dissipated and we made our escape about 1030 for the flight to Reno area. Tanks were soon filled</span> after addressing issue #2, Steve's wallet and passport did not get into the packed material! Arrangements were quickly made to have it shipped next day to Cavanaugh Bay ($65) and my credit card was made available for the purchase of fuel. All problems fixed and we departed on a northerly heading at about 1230 for the flight through the NV Black Rock Desert. Needless to say it was really hot and bumpy.</span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="font-size-3"><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231376740?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231376740?profile=original" width="400"/></a>One more afternoon gas stop at Mnt Home airport and another hour put us at Smiley Creek airport for the night. Delightful place to fly-in camp!</span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="font-size-3"><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231383028?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231383028?profile=original" width="400"/></a>Smoke in ID was awful on Day 2 requiring climb to 18k to get on top. Near the Canadian border we turned west for Sandpoint, ID to fill our gas tanks before landing at Cavanaugh Bay for the night. We were very tired but happy to have the wallet and passport waiting at the desk. A cold beer was the next order of business.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">With night approaching tents were set up next to our planes rather hurriedly as thunder could be heard in the distance. We experienced wind with a little rain during the early evening punctuated by occasional lightning flashes to the south. Luckily the storm had mostly played out by morning leaving just a few clouds.</span> <br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">Day 3 went well after all the border crossing ooh-raw the night before try to get the eAPIS and flight plan filled. Next issue was bad information from FAA briefer. Were told we could get our squawk codes from Seattle Center after take-off. We called, tried other frequencies and never did make contact with Seattle even after climbing to 8500'!</span> <br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">Half expecting to be jail we headed for Cranbrook, BC. On the first radio call about 10 miles out we were welcomed by the Canadians and informed that our flight plans did get transferred and we were expected. What a relief! You just gotta love those folks up north; they don't get excited over meaningless details.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="font-size-3"><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231384864?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231384864?profile=original" width="400"/></a>Customs complete and gas tanks filled we made ready to depart. Low clouds kept us from flying up in the Rockies, called "the Rocks" by locals, but flying the valley just to the west at a few thousand feet provided to be a 236 NM array of spectacular vistas. This scenery proved to be the biggest surprise of the trip in spite of the occasional shower and lightening.</span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="font-size-3"><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231385929?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231385929?profile=original" width="400"/></a>The day ended at Valemount in EAA 1103's club house. Another nice surprise as we would have been camping in the rain had we not been allowed inside. Note for the future; they also have gas on the honor system. Who would have expected that.</span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="font-size-3"><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231386400?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231386400?profile=original" width="400"/></a>Day 4 turned out to be a long day although relatively easy. This was the day we traversed “the Trench”, a geological feature running from Mackenzie to Watson Lake in a nearly perfect straight line. The first 150 NM is over Williston Lake, a very narrow lake with a few landing strips and several Indian villages scattered along its length. Mackenzie fuel service provided free ice cream cones and a sheet listing the strips with detailed descriptions and advise regarding whether we would be welcomed should we stop in for a visit. During this leg we began to notice the almost total lack of wild life. A few hawks was all I can remember seeing during this 6.7 hour trip.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="font-size-3"><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231386442?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231386442?profile=original" width="400"/></a></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="font-size-3"><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231387562?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231387562?profile=original" width="400"/></a>Watson Lake Airport lies on the north shore of Watson Lake. The town is a few miles distance prompting us to choose setting up camp at the picnic area close to the lake at the end of the runway. Conveniences included: a gazebo with a wood heater, BBQ's (6 or 8), hose with running water and a potable outhouses. However, with the exception of the water hose, all were in need of attention. While no specific camping fee was collected, bear in mind that there is a landing fee at most Canadian airports so we will likely be getting a bill soon. (Update: landing fees are actually not all that common in Canada. The bill we each got in the mail was about $15.00).<br/></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231387873?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231387873?profile=original" width="400"/></a>Day 5 was a easy 3.1 hr day along the Alcan Hwy then Teslin Lake to Whitehorse. Whitehorse Airport lies on a bluff about 200 feet above the main portion of the city. A shower along with the prospect of real food prompted us to opt for the motel a short walk from the airport. After checked in and tossing our bags in the room we headed for Chinese restaurant next door. Following diner we spent a few minutes peering through the fence at The Yukon Transportation Museum's equipment used to construct the Alcan Hwy and explore the frozen tundra. A DC-3 wind sock out front was an eye catcher.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">Our motel advertised a web connection but we could not get onto the system, seems with a conference going on the system was in grid lock. Frustrated we gave up trying to input our required documents for the entry into Alaska the next day. Poor web service was the common theme in Canada and in Alaska. Had it not been Steve's Hot-Spot we would have had a much more difficult time keeping our electronic devises going.</span> <br/> <br/> <a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231389245?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231389245?profile=original" width="400"/></a><span class="font-size-3">Day 6: We did get on the web in the morning allowing us to set our equipment loading updates while we eat breakfast. One additional factor that we encountered as we prepared for this leg was the time change. Alaska, being in the Hawaii-Aleutian Time Zone, required us to account for the hour difference as we posted our Fairbanks arrival time. Complying with the customs requirement of not being early nor more than 15 minutes late is a challenge. We didn't help our selves by selecting Fairbanks, some 429 NM distance, as our port of entry. With the clock running, we launched.</span> <span class="font-size-3">Motoring north west, the Alcan Hwy was our companion. Before long the navigation equipment began showing an early arrival, well before our “don't arrive before time”. A quick review proved that our undoing was the result of a consistent tail wind in the neighborhood of 20 NM. What a time for a great tail wind to show up! To be in compliance we began to look for interesting features to explore. We followed the curves of the Tanana River for a time, circled a moose, inspected still smoldering wild fires, circled Tetlin Lake and crossed the oil pipe line a couple of times.</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="font-size-3"><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231389634?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231389634?profile=original" width="400"/></a><span class="font-size-3">The latter half of this route was through smoke haze not heavy enough to be dangerous but it did prevent photographing the distant mountains. Additionally, from what we could see to our right, the clouds were down on the hills of the Brooks Range and it was obvious that we would not be heading up to the North Slope any time soon.</span> <br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">Near the end of the flight we navigated carefully to pass south of Ellison AFB in a ziz-zag manner to remain clear of their restricted airspace as we maneuvered to enter a right base entry into Fairbanks airport. Fairbanks is a busy airport having commercial service, regional as well as international, and a very healthy flock of general aviation aircraft. Three runways; one quite long for the “heavies”, a shorter hard surface for all us lighter and slower aircraft as well as a water strip for the many float planes working the area, make up the airport. We landed on the larger runway due to our need to proceed immediately to customs. The controllers did a great job of inserting us into the traffic flow and we were quickly taxiing to customs.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">Day 7: With weather delay at hand we had opted for a rental car to explore the town. After looking around the town we extended the exploration by driving north out Hwy 2 for about 30 miles in the direction of the Dalton Hwy. It was amazing how fast town turned into wilderness. There were the sporadic dirt lanes leading off into the dense bush with only a lonely mail box standing sentinel at the main road. Our map indicated a lonely 440 mile drive to Deadhorse with little service.</span> <br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">The forecast was not in the least bit encouraging for our wish to cross the Brooks Range and ultimately make it to Deadhorse and Barrows. During a discussion with a local pilot he told us that over many years in the area he had only made it up there 3 times. We were disappointed but such is flying with small airplanes.</span> <br/> <br/> <a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231427351?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231427351?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400"/></a><span class="font-size-3">Looking on the brighter side we had a day to kick back, relax and explore. Radio telescope antennas on the sky line lead us up to the Univ. of Alaska campus where we found our way to their museum. A nicely done museum covering the history of Alaska before and after joining the USA, its animals and modern art were covered in detail. We spent about 3 hours before they closed the doors.</span> <br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">On the morning of Day 8 broke to local scattered showers but the weather to the south around Denali was encouraging and seeing the mountain in the clear was at least a possibility. With hopes high we flew south.</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231427727?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231427727?profile=original" width="400"/></a>Denali Park airport was in the clear so we circled back for lunch and a quick sightseeing walk in the main campus. They have built over the nice little camp ground where I had set up my tent during the 1999 trip. I felt hurt as this was a nice spot to call home while visiting the Park. The new diorama hall is well done showing the park's animals in life like display. They have spared no expense in rebuilding the park.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">Following lunch we proceeded south 8 miles to Denali Private airport, our intended destination for the day. It being the top of the hour with the sightseeing planes due to arrive any moment, we elected to fly on by to allow them to get parked before we returned to land.</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231436009?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231436009?profile=original" width="400"/></a>As we proceeded south Denali came into view above a layer of clouds tops about at about 4500'. Sighting Denali was all that was needed to divert us for a close look. Catching the Mountain in the clear was at the top of Steve's list of things to do.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">For the next 45 min we climbed with mountain pikes and glaciers below. At 15,000' OAT was down to 4F. I was getting dangerously cold because I had capped off my heater for the mild summer temperatures we had been flying. I radioed Steve and explained my situation. He was doing well and wished to continue so I headed down and would await his arrival below.</span> <br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">After more than an hour and with no radio contact I had become more than a little worried because of the time he had been aloft. At this point I returned to Denali Private hoping to find Steve there. No such luck. I called Doug Dugger, our friend back in California, asking if he had a report on Steve's progress from his satellite tracking system. After about 15 minutes Doug was able to confirmed that Steve was indeed on his way back to camp; and I could start to breath again! Many thank to you Doug.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">With Steve safely on the ground he reported using all but 3 gallons of gas. That isn't as bad as it sounds, as 3 gallons is almost an hour's flight. He gotten to 20k before his 601 just would not go up any higher. But he had gotten his wish and has the photos.</span><br/> <br/> <a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231436124?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231436124?profile=original" width="400"/></a><span class="font-size-3">On Day 9 our hosts took us on a short fly to their favorite mountain. Mt Debra is east of Denali about 130 mi and is just as spectacular, even though it is much lower. It has many large glaciers and is heavily packed with snow. Our friends told us that Mnt Debra's glaciers are growing while others in the area are retreating. I guess even Alaska has micro climates.</span> <br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">Day 10 broke with rain and now snow in the extended forecast so we elected to end our Alaskan adventure a few days early and take full advantage of the improving weather to the south. A route was picked for our return to Canada which paralleled our North bound route but on the east side of the coast range and west of the Trench.</span> <br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">We soon encountered another bureaucratic snafu. Were told by the briefer to pick up our squawk codes passing over Norhtway en route to Beaver Creek for customs. A short radio discussion with Northway radio did not yield our codes. So once again we were off for a border crossing out of compliance with the regulations. As before the Canadians don't seem to mind and we are welcomed back into Canada.</span><br/> <br/> <a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231437476?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231437476?profile=original" width="400"/></a><span class="font-size-3">First overnight stop was back to Whitehorse. We beat the rain into town but the next day's weather forecast did not look all that promising. A cab was ordered to take us to down town Whitehorse. The town sits on the banks of the Yukon River below the bluff where the airport is located. The cab ride also offered a chance to pick up some local knowledge, IE which are the good motels and where are the nice restaurants. First choice motel was full but 2nd choice was located just two short blocks from a really great restaurant.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">Day 11; Next day was rainy as forecast with a stiff wind blowing from the south; it would have been hell to fly into. With breakfast finished we grabbed our hats and coats, as well as a local map of the town, and set out to walk the town. For no reason other than it was there we hiked a trail leading to the top of the bluff overlooking town. Continuing south, that would be up stream direction along the airport perimeter, we stopped often to grab photos of the town stretched out below. The trail continues for perhaps 2 mi along the bluff before dropping back down to the river. Near the halfway point we were above the south end of town and the float plane landing area on the river below. Several planes could be seen docked in the cove provided. Well to the south we could also see the clear indication of oncoming rain showers, they looked extensive and heavy.</span><br/> <br/> <a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231437492?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231437492?profile=original" width="400"/></a><span class="font-size-3">The threat of an impending deluge put us into a full retreat to the main town below seeking shelter. From above we had seen the S. S. Klondike. This refurbished sternwheeler has become the center piece of a historic museum showing how freight was moved before roads, rail and aircraft came to the Yukon. The tented movie theater proved a welcome shelter from the showers that swept through as we watched a history video covering early life on the Yukon River.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">Our return walk to the motel followed the banks of the Yukon River. It is a very sizable river. We remarked on how fast the clear water was flowing. One report I found put the average seasonal flow at time of year at about 80,000 cfs. For comparison, that flow rate fills an Olympic pool in 1.1 seconds; that's a bit of water!</span><br/> <span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231437686?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231437686?profile=original" width="400"/></a>Day 12 began with a weather check which indicated we could expect reasonable, if not perfect, flying weather all the way to Smithers in BC. The 435 NM route was over steep hills with several gorgeous water falls and several heards of elusive mountain goats. The head winds costing us time and gas, not to mention the constant rock and roll turbulence. My log says we spent 6.4 hours en-route on a plan indicating a bit less than 5 hours. We were tired and opt for the motel without discussion.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231438338?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231438338?profile=original" width="400"/></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3">In chatting with our cabby about the clean, new and well-kept appearance of Smithers, we learn its condition is due largely to the six working gold/silver/copper/molybdenum mines in the area. The problem, he continued to explain, is that labor is very hard to come by in town. The working folks prefer the better wages paid out at the mines to flipping burger at minimum wages in town, imagine that. chat</span><br/> <a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231438394?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231438394?profile=original" width="400"/></a><span class="font-size-3">Day 13 opens to another good flying day, with less head wind we hoped. Flight progressed nicely as we followed the curvature of the coastal mountains south by south-east. These coastal mountains are also magnificent piles of rocks. Many glaciers are clearly visible poring down the valleys with jagged pikes extending well up into the sky. As we progress south temperatures were observed to be rising regularly. An hour into the flight we begin to look for the Fraser River Canyon which we planned to follow on into Chilliwack for the night.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">As an interesting side note, this is our second encounter with the Fraser River. Our first meeting was a few miles north of Valemount on Day 4 as it dropped down from Mnt Robson and the Jasper National Park. We had dutifully followed it for 130 NM until it made a sharp 170 degree turn to the south-west at Prince George and then ran in a near straight line to the south west for more than 200 miles.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231438525?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231438525?profile=original" width="400"/></a><span class="font-size-3">Right on time the Fraser Canyon appeared ahead where the river enters the mountainous terrain at a point about 70 south of Williams Lake. The canyon is a steep sided 4000 feet deep crack in the earth with few places to make a landing except for the small strips scattered along its floor.</span> <br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">Our intent was to drop down into the canyon to follow the river but after dropping only a 1000 feet we realize that the air temperature in the bottom will be quite high. We have already seen it rise 10 to 15 degrees. My oil temperature is showing a steady rise, which at the moment is not a problem, but it is also obvious that continuing to the bottom of the canyon will have the temperature into the red zone. In the good news category is the head wind which I now use as it rushes up the canyon sides to regain altitude without having to add power. Sometimes head winds are good.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231438752?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231438752?profile=original" width="400"/></a><span class="font-size-3">As we approached the Vancouver area it is back into the smoke, visibility deteriorates to maybe 3 miles in spots. Just over the ridge line to our south we can see a very large smoke column building above a wild fire burning in northern Washington. It would seem that anything that can burn is burning in northern WA! Fortunately visibility opened up nicely, perhaps to 8 miles, as we approached our destination, Chilliwack. Joining a couple other aircraft in the pattern we are soon on the ground. CYCW is a nice little airport with inadequate parking accommodations. We were left to find a patch of grass and drive our own stakes to secure the airplanes for the night. The on field restaurant is still open to which we take advantage for a nice dinner.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3">A motel is located a short walk from the field, it is less expensive but convenient. Once in our room we find we are not out of the smoke just yet. Marijuana smoke is wafting up from the boys on the 1st floor just below us. Glad we didn't get tested, we may not have passed the sobriety test. However, we did slept well.</span> <br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">Day 14 weather forecast is for good for flying conditions with reduced smoke after the nightly cool down. With all our documents filed we watch the clock and call the customs at the designated airport we wish to use in entering the US and are told there will be no agents on duty there that day. Interesting that all the agents can all just decide to go into the field for the day essentially closing the facility. So a change in flight plan is required. A phone call has that fixed and customs at Bellingham are ready for us.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">The thirty mile flight is takes 15 minute and we are parked in the white custom's box. Here we are being closely scrutinized by three airport workers. They stand motionless with their toes at the outer edge of the white line as they are forbidden to enter the box, we are forbidden to step out, we all just watch each other in silence. Rather awkward. Our customs agent soon appears with her Geiger counter and proceeds to wave it around both aircraft's exterior surfaces. I will assume it is actually a neutron detector because neutrons are very difficult to shield, but I choose not to quiz the agent on such detail.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">We are told to get passports, aircraft registration, pilot's license and medicals and follow her inside; watching crew are now free to return to what ever they do when not guarding newcomers. The procedure only takes a few minutes, I guess all our preparatory effort is paying off. After we are cleared and on our way out I feel compelled to ask about the aeromedical inspection as medicals are not required to fly our aircraft in the US. The agent simply replies that it is on her list of things she has to see and, furthermore, I need it. End of discussion.</span><br/> <br/> <a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231510853?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231510853?profile=original" width="400"/></a><span class="font-size-3">We gas up and headed for the coast and "less" smoke. Nervously we picking our way through Seattle's airspace including MOA's and restricted zones over the submarine base on a route to the south west. With the coast line soon gained we fly the water's edge down Washington and into Oregon, and back into the smoke and fog. Back up to 4500 feet clears the fog giving us a clear view of several of the fires burning along the coastal mountains. Fortunately most of the smoke was headed to the north east. All we had was a light smoke from a fire much further to the south. Steve was able to use his on-board computer system to map the restricted area, TFR's, around the fires along our route and determine that a straight line from Murray airport near Arcata to Santa Rosa was clear. With data in hand we both set KSTS as the next destination. This day's leg, with only a short stop at Brandon State to swap out an errant igniter on Steve's engine, and to pick up 5 gallons of gas, ended at Santa Rosa 7.4 hours after leaving Bellingham, WA.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">Little Jabiru made it home non-stop; I am saying non-stop as I had not taken on any gas at Brandon. A quick check of my tanks indicated 8 gallons was still on board at KSTS. Not quite enough to make it to the southern California border, not that my back side would have sat still that much longer anyway.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">International travel conundrums:</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">⦁ USA federal bureaucracies do not talk to, nor coordinate with, each other. One wants local times, the other in Zulu. AC code assigned to the Jabiru by FAA is not recognized by international flight plan web service, so you guess until it accepts your plan, because you MUST have a plan on record. I have no idea what they think I was flying.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">⦁ Information passed out is not accurate in how a user is to comply with regulations. Both US briefers told us to call in-flight for squawk codes. Neither worked.</span> <br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">⦁ Canada requires medicals for pilots operating within their borders, but they do not check. USA Customs inspector wants to see a medical which is not required in the US, it is required by their procedure. They have never heard of Light Sport, and it is her opinion "all pilots should be required to have a medical".</span> <br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">The Alaska trip was a mixed bag, as one should expect with weather in the far northern being the wild card in the deck. We saw much of what we had hoped to see but were unable to get up on the north slope. However, we experienced some wonderful surprises. All in all, one very fine trip! Stats: 14 days, 6200 mi, 58.5 hrs flying, 190 gals, $6.70/gal avg, 32.6 mpg, = $0.21/mi. Now I need a rest!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">Aug 12 Smiley Creek, ID; 6.1 hrs</span><br/> <span class="font-size-3">Aug 13 Cavanaugh Bay, WA; 5.2 hrs</span><br/> <span class="font-size-3">Aug 14 customs @ Cranbrook, BC; cont'g to Valemont, BC; 4.3 hrs</span> <br/> <span class="font-size-3">Aug 15 Watson Lake, YT; 6.7 hrs</span><br/> <span class="font-size-3">Aug 16 Whitehorse, YT; 3.1 hrs</span><br/> <span class="font-size-3">Aug 17 customs @ Fairbanks, AK; 5.6 hrs; drive pipe line 30 mi</span><br/> <span class="font-size-3">Aug 19 McKinley Park, AK;1.2 hrs; fly local area sight seeing</span><br/> <span class="font-size-3">Aug 21 customs @ Beaver Creek; cont'g to Whitehorse, YT; 6.4 hrs</span><br/> <span class="font-size-3">Aug 23 Smithers, BC; 6.8 hrs</span><br/> <span class="font-size-3">Aug 24 Chilliwack, BC; 5.7 hrs</span><br/> <span class="font-size-3">Aug 25 customs @ Bellingham; Santa Rosa, CA; 7.4 hrs</span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="font-size-3">6200 mi, 58.5 hrs, 106 mph, 190 g @ $6.70/g(avg), 32.6 mpg, $0.21/mi</span></p>A "few" random flying picturestag:zenith.aero,2015-06-03:2606393:BlogPost:4367582015-06-03T13:30:00.000ZStephen R. Smithhttps://zenith.aero/profile/StephenRSmith
<p>The other day I decided go through my collection of over 20,000 airplane-related pictures and selected some of my favorites to put on one of my digital picture frames. I chose about 1,000 pictures for the picture frame than, having gone to all that effort, wondered what else to do with the collection. I decided to upload them to my SmugMug website for the enjoyment of my extended family, flying partners and anyone else with a…</p>
<p>The other day I decided go through my collection of over 20,000 airplane-related pictures and selected some of my favorites to put on one of my digital picture frames. I chose about 1,000 pictures for the picture frame than, having gone to all that effort, wondered what else to do with the collection. I decided to upload them to my SmugMug website for the enjoyment of my extended family, flying partners and anyone else with a <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://stephen-smith.smugmug.com/Airplane-Trips/Some-Random-Good-Memories/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">link to the collection</a></span>. </p>
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<p>The pictures have been randomized, because that’s how I choose to view them myself. Down below I have listed some of the subject matter.</p>
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<p>The picture-viewing website works reasonably well. You might want to press the F11 key (on a PC) to put your browser into/out of full-screen mode. You can click any picture to switch to one-at-a-time viewing mode. Then you can use left/right arrow keys to advance to the next picture. The ESC key will exit one-at-a-time mode. You can download any picture if you like.</p>
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<p>I hope you enjoy them, Steve</p>
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<p>P.S. When folks view my picture collection they sometimes comment on the “need” to fly safely, or my apparent failure to do so. Rest assured that after 2,800 hours in my airplanes, I know how to fly them in nearly any situation. Please know that just like someone who chooses to climb Mt. Everest or sail a small boat around the world, I understand the risk inherent in my particular flavor of flying and do so well informed.</p>
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<p>Places</p>
<ul>
<li>Arches National Park, UT</li>
<li>Badlands National Park, SD</li>
<li>Bryce Canyon National Park, UT</li>
<li>Canyonlands National Park, UT</li>
<li>Capitol Reef National Park, UT</li>
<li>Coal Mine Canyon, AZ</li>
<li>Death Valley National Park, CA</li>
<li>Devils Tower National Monument, WY</li>
<li>Fisher Towers, UT</li>
<li>Florida Keys, FL</li>
<li>Glacier National Park, MT</li>
<li>Grand Canyon National Park, AZ</li>
<li>Grand Teton National Park, WY</li>
<li>Kings Canyon National Park, CA</li>
<li>Meteor Crater, AZ</li>
<li>Monument Valley, AZ</li>
<li>Mt. Rushmore National Memorial, SD</li>
<li>Oshkosh, WI</li>
<li>Saline Valley (Chicken strip), CA</li>
<li>Sedona, AZ</li>
<li>Valles Caldera, NM</li>
<li>Yellowstone National Park, WY</li>
<li>Yosemite National Park, CA</li>
</ul>
<p>Mountains</p>
<ul>
<li>Half Dome, CA</li>
<li>Hood, OR</li>
<li>Lassen, CA</li>
<li>Olympics, WA</li>
<li>Rainier, WA</li>
<li>Rockies, CO</li>
<li>Shasta, CA</li>
<li>Shiprock, NM</li>
<li>Sierra Nevada, CA</li>
<li>St. Helens, WA</li>
<li>Thielsen, OR</li>
<li>Trinity, CA</li>
<li>Whitney, CA</li>
</ul>
<p>Rivers</p>
<ul>
<li>Colorado</li>
<li>Columbia, OR & WA</li>
<li>Deschutes, OR</li>
<li>Eel, CA</li>
<li>Green, WY & UT</li>
<li>Kern, CA</li>
<li>Mississippi</li>
<li>Missouri</li>
<li>Paria, AZ</li>
<li>Sacramento, CA</li>
<li>Salmon, ID</li>
<li>Snake WA & ID</li>
<li>Verde, AZ</li>
<li>Yellowstone, WY</li>
</ul>
<p>Cities</p>
<ul>
<li>Las Angles, CA</li>
<li>New Orleans, LA</li>
<li>San Francisco, CA</li>
<li>Seattle, WA</li>
</ul>
<p>Lakes</p>
<ul>
<li>Crater, OR</li>
<li>Flaming Gorge, UT & WY</li>
<li>Mille Lacs, MN</li>
<li>Mono, Ca</li>
<li>Owens, CA</li>
<li>Pillsbury, CA</li>
<li>Powel, UT</li>
<li>Pyramid, NV</li>
<li>St. Mary, MT</li>
<li>Topaz, NV</li>
<li>Trinity, CA</li>
<li>Walker, NV</li>
</ul>
<p>Sand dunes</p>
<ul>
<li>Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, UT</li>
<li>Crescent Dunes, NV</li>
<li>Dumont Dunes, CA</li>
<li>Great Sand Dunes National Park, CO</li>
</ul>Bob and Steve's 12 Day Flying Adventure Through 7 Western Statestag:zenith.aero,2013-09-21:2606393:BlogPost:3122202013-09-21T19:00:00.000ZStephen R. Smithhttps://zenith.aero/profile/StephenRSmith
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231365740?profile=RESIZE_320x320" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231365740?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250"></img></a> In October of 2012 my friend Bob and I flew our airplanes through 7 western states. During our 12 day adventure we covered a total of 4,053 statute miles. Along the way we flew through high mountains, valleys and canyons. This was low-slow flying at its best. Often we were below 500 feet AGL. The average AGL for the entire trip was only 1,003…</p>
<p></p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231365740?profile=RESIZE_320x320"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231365740?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250"/></a>In October of 2012 my friend Bob and I flew our airplanes through 7 western states. During our 12 day adventure we covered a total of 4,053 statute miles. Along the way we flew through high mountains, valleys and canyons. This was low-slow flying at its best. Often we were below 500 feet AGL. The average AGL for the entire trip was only 1,003 feet.</p>
<p></p>
<p>We spent about 3 months planning this trip. We made it a no-passengers, guy’s trip. The emphasis was on doing the things we wanted to do, the way we wanted to do them. Some nights we camped and ate our own cooking, other times we stayed in motels and ate at nice restaurants. We visited national parks, active mines, took train rides, rented a jeep and cars as needed. We knew what we wanted to see and where we wanted to visit, but most of the route and stops were unscripted. Lucky for us, the weather was near perfect. The trip turned out to be a fabulous adventure.</p>
<p></p>
<p>After the trip, I put together a presentation in Microsoft’s PowerPoint which I showed to our local EAA chapter. I had always intended to put the presentation on-line but ran into a variety of technical difficulties. Today, I would like to be out flying my Zodiac, but it’s raining – dang! So instead I finished putting the presentation online. It’s on my SmugMug account. The PowerPoint slides have become a series of pictures and videos which can be viewed with your web browser – PowerPoint is not needed.</p>
<p></p>
<p>To view the entire presentation, in sequence, and in full screen, read all the following steps, then give it a try. These steps have been tested with Windows and Firefox. Hopefully they will work using whatever you have.</p>
<p></p>
<p>1) Click <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://stephen-smith.smugmug.com/Airplane-Trips/2012-09-Colorado-EAA-Presentation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this link</a></span> to open the SmugMug folder containing the presentation in a new browser window.</p>
<p>2) Press F11 to toggle your browser into full-screen mode</p>
<p>3) Click on the first picture</p>
<p>4) When the first picture displays, click it again to make it bigger (should be full-screen now)</p>
<p>5) You can move through the presentation with left/right arrow or clicking to the right of a picture to go forward, to the left to go backward.</p>
<p></p>
<p>There are 196 “slides” in the presentation. 5 of these are short videos.</p>
<p></p>
<p>I hope you find the presentation enjoyable</p>
<p></p>
<p>The entire picture collection can be viewed <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://stephen-smith.smugmug.com/Airplane-Trips/2012-09-Colorado" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></span>.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Steve</p>Copperstate 2012 - 4 days of flying with friends - 259 pictures - plenty of funtag:zenith.aero,2012-11-17:2606393:BlogPost:2492472012-11-17T22:00:00.000ZStephen R. Smithhttps://zenith.aero/profile/StephenRSmith
<p>This year was my 4th trip to Copperstate, the annual fly-in held at the Casa Grande Arizona airport (KCGZ). The fly-in is fine, but for me the trip is the main event.</p>
<p></p>
<p>The flight this year was a total of 1,926 miles. We spent two days flying each way. I say we. On the trip down I flew my Zodiac, keeping <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.zenith.aero/profile/DougDugger" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Doug Dugger</a></span> of …</p>
<p>This year was my 4th trip to Copperstate, the annual fly-in held at the Casa Grande Arizona airport (KCGZ). The fly-in is fine, but for me the trip is the main event.</p>
<p></p>
<p>The flight this year was a total of 1,926 miles. We spent two days flying each way. I say we. On the trip down I flew my Zodiac, keeping <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.zenith.aero/profile/DougDugger" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Doug Dugger</a></span> of <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.qualitysportplanes.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Quality Sport Planes</a></span> company in his 750. On the trip back, Doug and I were Joined by <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.zenith.aero/profile/WoodyHarris" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Woody Harris</a></span> in his Corvair powered Zodiac. </p>
<p></p>
<p>It was a fabulous adventure. Doug and I like to fly low through the desert. On one 527 mile leg our average AGL was 235 feet. Yes, a Zodiac can fly low and slow too with the advantage of burning 50% less fuel than a 750 does at the same speed. </p>
<p></p>
<p>A highlight of the trip was a stop at a little known dirt strip in Death Valley National Park. The strip is called the Chicken Strip. It is located in the north-end of the Saline valley. Here is a <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=36.806665,-117.781795&spn=0.007164,0.012928&t=h&z=17" target="_blank" rel="noopener">link to a Google Map</a></span>. The strip is a little rough for a 601 but doable. From the strip, it is a short walk to some well maintained "natural" hot springs - (warning: clothing optional). To drive a car to this place takes many hours on a dirt road. In the plane, it was fun and much easier.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Below is a picture of my GPS track.</p>
<p></p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231352838?profile=original"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231352838?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a></p>
<p>The best way to see much of what we saw on this trip is to take a look at the 200+ pictures I took along the way. I have posted them to my SmugMug account. You can view them by clicking <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://stephen-smith.smugmug.com/Airplane-Trips/2012-10-Copperstate-With-Doug-and-Woody" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this link.</a></span> You can download the pictures if you like and there is a slideshow available. Hope you enjoy.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Steve</p>
<p></p>1,403 mile trip to Solvang with return via the Sierra Nevada Mountains under God’s leaky parasoltag:zenith.aero,2012-08-15:2606393:BlogPost:2324042012-08-15T15:30:00.000ZStephen R. Smithhttps://zenith.aero/profile/StephenRSmith
<p>Several of the members of EAA chapter 1230 (based @ Nut Tree - KVCB) planned a trip to the tourist town of Solvang in southern California. I was invited to join in.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The town of Solvang does not have an airport, however the town of Santa Ynez near by does have a nice one (KIZA). You can rent a car at the airport by prior arrangement.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We flew in to Santa Ynez on Friday. On Saturday we went wine tasting at a few of the many nearby wineries. Saturday evening we…</p>
<p>Several of the members of EAA chapter 1230 (based @ Nut Tree - KVCB) planned a trip to the tourist town of Solvang in southern California. I was invited to join in.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The town of Solvang does not have an airport, however the town of Santa Ynez near by does have a nice one (KIZA). You can rent a car at the airport by prior arrangement.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We flew in to Santa Ynez on Friday. On Saturday we went wine tasting at a few of the many nearby wineries. Saturday evening we attended a play (Legally Blonde) at the Solvang festival theater. Sunday morning we wandered the town visiting various shops, had brunch then departed for home.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Usually on these flights the planes stay in radio contact and often in visual contact as well. This time I had a much different flight path so I was on my own. I had a passenger to pickup and drop off in Redlands (KREI) – not exactly on the way!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As part of my flight planning on a long trip I always check weather and winds with <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://graphical.weather.gov/sectors/conusWeek.php?expandweek=ON#tabs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NOAA’s graphical Weather</a></span> or <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.windy.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Windy.com</a></span>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Flight path tool showed that for the trip down, if I stayed below 1,000 ft AGL I would have a tail wind, so for much of the flight down California’s central valley that is what I did.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>For the trip back, NOAA’s graphical weather showed relatively calm winds in the Sierra Nevada Mountains with some rain at higher elevations. Rain in the summertime generally means possible thunder storms. This precluded a flight in the highest mountains, but not necessarily in the high country to the west of them. I chose my return path in that area, with the idea of altering course as local conditions dictated. What I found was mostly calm wind conditions with occasional showers and much uglier conditions visible off my right wing a few miles away. I saw one lightning strike.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>On this trip, once again there were fires burning in the state – about 5 by my count. There were TFR’s around most of these as is generally the case.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I took 140 pictures worth keeping on this trip. A few were taken on the trip down. A few more on the leg back from Solvang to Redlands, much of which was flown just off-shore with a good view of the beaches and fancy homes. The majority were taken on the leg home through the desert and mountains from Redlands to the vicinity of Lake Tahoe. At Lake Tahoe, I turn direct for home and maintained a high altitude to stay out of the heat, so there was not much picture worthy on that leg.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Here is a screen shot of my GPS track. Click the picture if you wish to see this in high resolution.</p>
<p></p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231358983?profile=original"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231358983?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a></p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=H59_QpnBIMk" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Here is a link to a Video slide show</span></a> of the 140 pictures taken along the way. I have uploaded the video to YouTube and linked to it in this way to preserve the full HD of the content. This method also allows the viewer to see the slide show in full-screen with HD enabled. By default YouTube may not show the slide show in HD, you need to click the gear and select that yourself.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Steve</p>Desert, mountain and river flying trip through California, Nevada, Oregon and Idahotag:zenith.aero,2012-08-10:2606393:BlogPost:2301062012-08-10T17:00:00.000ZStephen R. Smithhttps://zenith.aero/profile/StephenRSmith
<p><a href="http://www.zenith.aero/profile/LesGoldner" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Les Goldner</a> (701 builder/pilot) and his wife planned a two week flying trip into the Idaho back country. Les and I belong to both the Petaluma EAA chapter and the Santa Rosa, CA EAA chapter. We fly together from time to time.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Even though it was "his trip", Les let me plan the route from Santa Rosa, CA to Boise, ID. I chose a little low-level desert flying in Nevada from Carson City (CXP)…</p>
<p><a href="http://www.zenith.aero/profile/LesGoldner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Les Goldner</a> (701 builder/pilot) and his wife planned a two week flying trip into the Idaho back country. Les and I belong to both the Petaluma EAA chapter and the Santa Rosa, CA EAA chapter. We fly together from time to time.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Even though it was "his trip", Les let me plan the route from Santa Rosa, CA to Boise, ID. I chose a little low-level desert flying in Nevada from Carson City (CXP) to Battle Mountain (BAM). Then we flew the entire course of the Owyhee River (about 380 miles) from just north of Battle Mountain to where it flows into the Snake River in South-Western Idaho.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Mrs. Goldner wisely skipped this part of the adventure. She flew commercial into Boise (BOI). Les picked her up there then we flew to a grass airstrip with camping located in Garden Valley (U88). This strip is at 3,100 feet. We spend two nights at Garden Valley then we went our separate ways. Les and his wife had reservations at several back-country lodges. I did not. Also, I only had one week for my adventure; they had two.</p>
<p></p>
<p>I flew from Garden Valley up into the Sawtooth Valley and landed at a grass strip at Smiley Creek (U87). This strip is at 7,100 feet. There is camping with hot showers etc. You can walk to the lodge for food if you get tired of your own cooking.</p>
<p></p>
<p>The headwaters of the Salmon River are located a few miles south of Smiley Creek airstrip. The “baby” Salmon River (looks like a creek) runs through the campground. I decided to fly the river all the way to Johnson Creek (3U2), which is off the South fork of the Salmon River. Along the way I flew up the middle fork of the Salmon and also into one of its tributaries, Big Creek. I also flew up to Cold Meadows (U81 – 7,000 feet) to take a look. I did not land there. The trip from Smiley Creek to Johnson Creek was 405 miles the way I chose to go. As the crow would fly, it is 80 miles.</p>
<p></p>
<p>It is said you should not fly in the Idaho Mountains after 11:00 am to avoid possible extreme turbulence. Flying in the canyons “for no good reason” is also not recommended. I got into Johnson Creek about 2:30 pm and yes, flying in the canyons in the afternoon can be exciting; 21 knot winds one way followed by 14 knot winds the other. Climbing 700 ft/minute sometimes, descending 700 ft/minute at other times, looking for lift, not always finding it were you would expect it. This was not my first rodeo in the mountains. The Zodiac and I held up OK. Still, I can’t recommend afternoon canyon flying. Enjoy this fool’s pictures. Don’t be one yourself.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Speaking of fools… I landed a Johnson Creek a few hours too late to observe the excitement of the day; a Piper 150 which ended its flight from California in the trees. According to the accounts offered to me as I walked the field, the pilot of this plane made a "few" mistakes. Collectively, they just did not work out for him.</p>
<p>1) Had never been to the Idaho mountains before and got no training</p>
<p>2) Did not read up on the airport at Johnson Creek (clear runway advice is given)</p>
<p>3) Did not call in on the radio asking for runway info</p>
<p>4) Did a straight-in without checking the windsock or field conditions</p>
<p>5) Landed downhill</p>
<p>6) Landed downwind</p>
<p>7) Came in high (many folks do that the first time in the mountains)</p>
<p>8) Touched down 2 3rds of the way down the wet grass runway</p>
<p>9) Skidded off into the trees near the end of the 4,933 foot runway. <strong><em>4,933 feet!</em></strong></p>
<p></p>
<p>The poor fellow must have been frightened out of his mind to make all these mistakes all at the same time. He and his two friends walked away OK. The plane’s flying days are over (two pictures of the plane are in the slide show). Something like this happens at least once per year at Johnson Creek, according to the locals. Don't make this strip your first mountain landing. If you don't like Garden Valley, forget about Johnson Creek.</p>
<p></p>
<p>I spent two nights at Johnson Creek then flew home – mostly direct. I stopped for fuel at Cascade (U70). I stopped to water a bush at Rome State (REO). The bush was thankful – it’s that dry there.</p>
<p></p>
<p>All around, a good adventure except it was too hot – into the 90s each day even at 7,100 feet at Smiley Creek. Probably July and August are not the best times to visit.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Another challenge was the forest fires. In Idaho they were ominous looking but did not happen to block my path or my view. On the way home to California however, I ran into a wall of smoke hundreds of miles long. I was able to climb above it at 15,000 ft. But still, my handy little portable CO meter read 32ppm at one point and ranged from 6 to 16 for about two hours. Unpleasant to say the least!</p>
<p></p>
<p>I took many hundreds of pictures along the way, as I often do. When I got home I cleaned up the collection and got it down to about 400 pictures worth keeping. Instead of picking out a few to post, I decided to make a few slide shows out of all of them. The slide shows were then turned into movies so I could upload them. Links to the "videos" are below.</p>
<p></p>
<p>You can view the picture collection on my SmugMug account <a href="https://stephen-smith.smugmug.com/Airplane-Trips/2012-07-Owyhee-River-and-Idaho-with-Les" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">here</span>.</a></p>
<p></p>
<p>Steve</p>
<p></p>
<p>Here is an overview of my GPS track, Starting and ending in Santa Rosa, CA.</p>
<p></p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231396918?profile=original"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231396918?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a></p>
<p></p>
<p>Below are 7 links to 7 video slideshows. These videos were produced and uploaded in HD (high definition). They are best watched full-screen. The default playback in your browser is not necessarily in high definition; you may need to click the gear icon in the video player to switch to HD each time a video starts.</p>
<p></p>
<p>The first video slideshow contains just a few pictures taken Along i80, near Donner Summit, Donner Lake, and Lake Tahoe. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=mEMfjaWvwsE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to watch.</a></p>
<p></p>
<p>The second video slideshow documents about 3 hours and 300 miles of desert flying. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=aDmCnJxbeS8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to watch.</a></p>
<p></p>
<p>The third video slideshow contains pictures taken as we traveled north-east of Battle Mountain on our way to the Owyhee River headlands. The video includes pictures of a monstrous open pit mining operation. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=xz2-G7grY_o" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to watch.</a></p>
<p></p>
<p>The forth slideshow is of the 380 miles flown along the Owyhee River. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=xz2-G7grY_o" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to watch.</a></p>
<p></p>
<p>The filth slideshow shows the grass strip at Garden Valley, the flight to Smiley Creek and my time on the ground at Smiley Creek. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=8r0sjjmYLTY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to watch.</a></p>
<p></p>
<p>Slideshow 6: These pictures were taken on the 405 mile flight from Smiley creek to Johnson Creek along the Salmon River. This includes a side trip up the middle fork and Big Creek. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=07HpD0z_kYw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to watch.</a></p>
<p></p>
<p>Slideshow 7: These pictures were taken on the 631 mile flight from Johnson Creek to Santa Rosa. There were several fires burning in northern California which made for lots of smoke in the later pictures of the flight. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=yzkbH3DtBhI" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to watch.</a></p>
<p></p>
<p>Steve</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>1,368 mile round trip from KSTS to KSHN and back.tag:zenith.aero,2012-07-12:2606393:BlogPost:2246332012-07-12T17:00:00.000ZStephen R. Smithhttps://zenith.aero/profile/StephenRSmith
<p></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">I spent the last week in Shelton WA, visiting my brother and his wife and helping with the re-assembly of their Jabiru motor. <span class="font-size-2">(Early top-end because of stuck piston rings with only about 300 hours <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231359925?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231359925?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="383"></img></a> on the Hobbs. My engine had the same problem but I did not understand what was going on soon enough so the cylinders…</span></span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">I spent the last week in Shelton WA, visiting my brother and his wife and helping with the re-assembly of their Jabiru motor. <span class="font-size-2">(Early top-end because of stuck piston rings with only about 300 hours <a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231359925?profile=original"><img width="383" class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231359925?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="383"/></a>on the Hobbs. My engine had the same problem but I did not understand what was going on soon enough so the cylinders were trashed on my motor. We caught the problem early enough on his engine to save the cylinders which saved my brother a few thousand dollars.)</span></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">The round trip from KSTS to KSHN and back to KSTS was 1,368 statue miles. The GPS track is pictured on the right. I flew up on the easterly leg and came back home down the coast. The trip up included a single 20 minute fuel stop, after 6.2 hours, and took a total of 7.6 in-air hours. The trip home was non-stop 6 hours. Yes, my Zodiac can fly much faster than this but burns way more gas when flown fast – so I don’t unless I am really pressed for time. All the fuel burned was premium auto gas except 5 gallons.<br/></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">When I plan a trip like this, I try to find a path over the ground I have not flown yet. That is getting nearly impossible close to home but a few hundred miles out I can usually find something of interest I have not seen before or at least not recently.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">The trip up included some low flying in central Oregon. There are wide-open areas that can be flown safely at 30 feet if you like. The Zodiac is very good at low-level terrain following or scooting down an empty country road where it can take tight corners much like a sports car.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">On the trip back, in northern California, I had to climb to 10,000 feet to avoid heavy smoke from forest fires. It was nice and clear up there and very murky below. As I arrived home it was 8:00pm and the tower closed down. I took the opportunity to practice a dead-stick landing from 10,000 feet into my home airport. That went well with touchdown about a 1/3 of the way down the runway. I coasted off the active runway and then taxi to my hanger. Another trip over and done with.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Here are a few pictures. Nothing special, just some of what I saw along the way.<br/></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Wind mills along Bunch Grass Lookout Road.<br/></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231363707?profile=original"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231363707?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a></span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Mt. Shasta - 50 miles away but always a treat.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231364986?profile=original"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231364986?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">A cinder cone just south of Lava Beds National Monument. (Got some massive lift here at 6,000 was climbing between 900 and 1,700 feet per min for several thousand feet. This was a huge thermal above the south-facing dark lava fields).<br/></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231368085?profile=original"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231368085?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"> A typical view of the country side in central Oregon. Mostly wide open spaces with a few farms where the water flows.<br/></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"> <a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231376710?profile=original"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231376710?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a></span></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Summer Lake - often dry. First the view looking south. Next picture the view looking north.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231378732?profile=original"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231378732?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a></p>
<p></p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231379456?profile=original"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231379456?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a></p>
<p></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Painted Hills, Oregon.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231379790?profile=original"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231379790?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a></p>
<p></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">I flew along the John Day river for about 20 miles. Low enough to wave at the folks floating along in rafts and canoes but not so low as to alarm them.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231380756?profile=original"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231380756?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a></p>
<p></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">The view of Mt. Hood. Taken while on final into my fuel stop at Hood River (4s2).</span></p>
<p></p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231382061?profile=original"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231382061?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a></p>
<p></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Just after the fuel stop, looking north at Mt. Adams. No time to buzz that one. The sun is going down soon. Maybe next time.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231382413?profile=original"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231382413?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Looking north to Mt. St. Helens - the one that blew its top off in 1980. I had intended to pass it to the right - not this time: IFR that way.<br/></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231416121?profile=original"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231416121?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a></span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">The view out the window on the way home was often hazy. Here is the loan picture worthy of posting. Saddle Mountain, Oregon. Did not get close enough to wave at the hikers this time.<br/></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"> </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231418202?profile=original"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231418202?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a></span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Here is a picture from 10,000 feet of the smoke in northern CA. Not a pretty picture - just documentation.<br/></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"> </span></p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231421796?profile=original"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231421796?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a></p>
<p>Thats all folks</p>
<p></p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231426156?profile=original"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231426156?profile=original" width="255"/></a></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>Playing with the wind: The big circletag:zenith.aero,2011-05-09:2606393:BlogPost:1208632011-05-09T06:15:17.000ZStephen R. Smithhttps://zenith.aero/profile/StephenRSmith
It is said that when making a round trip any wind is a disadvantage. While you may have a tail wind in one direction, you will have a headwind in the other. You will spend more time in the headwind then in the tailwind so overall, the wind will increase your trip time and increase your fuel burn. I have found sometimes this is true, other times it is not.<br></br>
<p> </p>
<p>Today’s pilot has powerful weather tools to help fly safely and sometimes more efficiently. Now if your only going up…</p>
It is said that when making a round trip any wind is a disadvantage. While you may have a tail wind in one direction, you will have a headwind in the other. You will spend more time in the headwind then in the tailwind so overall, the wind will increase your trip time and increase your fuel burn. I have found sometimes this is true, other times it is not.<br/>
<p> </p>
<p>Today’s pilot has powerful weather tools to help fly safely and sometimes more efficiently. Now if your only going up for a few minutes perhaps it is good enough to just look up and decide if the weather is ok to fly. If you’re planning to be out for a while, a little research before leaving can cut your fuel costs and perhaps make the trip more interesting. If you're planning a multi-day trip, learning what the weather is expected to be and keeping an eye on the weather during the trip is a must.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I use a variety of tools depending on what type of flight I am taking. I always use the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.weather.gov/forecasts/graphical/sectors/pacsouthwestWeek.php?expandweek=ON#tabs" target="_blank">NOAA Graphical Forecast</a></span> no mater what type of flight I am taking. It is exceptionally easy to use. It’s great for checking today’s “local” weather or examining the expected weather over a multi-day cross country adventure.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I also like <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://runwayfinder.com/" target="_blank">Runway Finder</a>.</span> You can check official aviation charts, Goggle terrain, Google Satellite, Goggle road maps, airport weather, terminal area forecasts, and airport information. A simple route planer is also included for checking distances. It also has links to <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.airnav.com/" target="_blank">AirNav</a></span> for additional airport info including fuel info.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>For detailed winds aloft data, it’s hard to beat <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://weather.aero/tools/desktopapps/flightpathtool" target="_blank">Flight Path Tool</a>.</span> Once you learn how to use it, this is the tool that may let you beat the wind.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Last weekend I flew several hundred miles south then back north again. I used <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://weather.aero/tools/desktopapps/flightpathtool" target="_blank">flight path tool</a></span> and noticed that the wind was blowing to the south at all altitudes. By climbing up high where the wind was strong I was able to fly south with a 50 MPH tail wind. This gave an average ground speed of 148 MPH with an average RPM of only 2,665. On the way home I stayed down on the deck and suffered only a 10 to 15 MPH headwind.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Today’s flight was quite interesting. I flew in a large circle for nearly 5 hours. I covered 467 miles and had a good tailwind most of the day. I got 25.9 statute miles per gallon while averaging 99.3 MPH. Average RPM was 2,280.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Flew in a large circle and had a tailwind most of the day”? How is that possible? This morning I noticed, while using <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://weather.aero/tools/desktopapps/flightpathtool">Flight Path Tool</a>,</span> that the winds below 6,000 feet in north/central California were depicted as rotating in a large counter clockwise circle. I simply flew the circle and sure enough, that is what I found.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And now for some pictures.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Here is the big circle I flew today</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231355703?profile=original"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231355703?profile=original" width="614"/></a></p>
<p>I flew over Travis AFB</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231356317?profile=original"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231356317?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>New Bullards Bar Dam</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231356453?profile=original"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231356453?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a></p>
<p>Here is the fateful sight of my off-field landing a few weeks ago. Yes I did land at the first available spot and yes, I was out of time (oil pressure) when I picked it</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231359253?profile=original"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231359253?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a></p>
<p>And finally I spotted this little lost 750 up in the clouds just south of Cloverdale. The guy sure looks familiar.</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2131606461?profile=original"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2131606461?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a>Steve</p>
<p> </p>Keeping fuel costs downtag:zenith.aero,2010-11-08:2606393:BlogPost:794612010-11-08T04:42:54.000ZStephen R. Smithhttps://zenith.aero/profile/StephenRSmith
<br></br>
<br></br>
<p class="MsoNormal">I love to fly and have logged 892 hours in 3 and a half years. That’s a lot of fuel.</p>
<br></br>
<p class="MsoNormal">I have never liked the lead in aviation fuel. It trashes the spark plugs and the engine oil and of course it’s bad for the environment. My 601’s Jabiru 3300 engine does not need the lead.</p>
<br></br>
<p class="MsoNormal">A few months ago I started burning premium automotive fuel. I bought two plastic 14 gallon fuel tanks from Costco for about $80…</p>
<br/>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal">I love to fly and have logged 892 hours in 3 and a half years. That’s a lot of fuel.</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal">I have never liked the lead in aviation fuel. It trashes the spark plugs and the engine oil and of course it’s bad for the environment. My 601’s Jabiru 3300 engine does not need the lead.</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal">A few months ago I started burning premium automotive fuel. I bought two plastic 14 gallon fuel tanks from Costco for about $80 each. The gas tank comes with a long hose which has a gas station-like nozzle on the end, which I cut off and discarded. <br/></p>
<img style="float: right;" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231347396?profile=original"/><p class="MsoNormal"><br/></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On my way to the airport I stop at the Chevron station and buy up to 28 gallons of gas. I set one tank on each wing walk and run the hose out to the filler opening and let the gas drain into the wing tanks while I preflight the plane. It’s a bit of a hassle but not too bad and I save a lot of money.</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal">Today I tried something different. I put 5 gallons of premium in the pilot’s-side tank and 14 gallons of regular in the passenger’s-side tank. I almost never have a passenger so I tend to put more fuel in that side.</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal">I took off using the premium fuel then throttled back and switched to the tank with regular fuel. I kept the RPMs below 2,500 at all times and flew most of the time at about 2,200 RPM. CHTs were generally below 300. The engine ran just fine.</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal">At 2,200 RPM my 601 is going about 80 miles per hour while burning about 3.3 gallons per hour. That<br/>
works out to about 25 miles per gallon. Not bad at all. Using regular automotive fuel the cost per hour is under $11.</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal">All automotive fuel sold in California contains 10% ethanol. The Jabiru motor’s stock Bing carburetor comes with white colored floats which turn to mush over time when exposed to ethanol. The white floats need to be replaced with black colored ones. These are available from <a href="http://www.bingcarburetor.com/">Bing</a>.</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal">The only issue I have encountered due to ethanol is that the Zodiac’s gas caps are made of a plastic that is not ethanol resistant. They are getting a bit gummy and are now hard to open and close. I have not found replacements for these yet.</p>
<br/>
<p class="MsoNormal">Steve</p>
<br/>Two upgrades in 13 days at QSPtag:zenith.aero,2010-03-02:2606393:BlogPost:488852010-03-02T06:30:00.000ZStephen R. Smithhttps://zenith.aero/profile/StephenRSmith
Would you pay this man to help you upgrade your airplane? We did and it worked out much better then the picture would suggest.<br></br>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img alt="" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231340193?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="721"></img></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br></br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This blog is not a how-to. There have been plenty of well done how-to blogs. It’s just some pictures with a few words attached.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br></br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Three years ago my brother Alan and I (with lots of help) built a pair of 601s…</p>
Would you pay this man to help you upgrade your airplane? We did and it worked out much better then the picture would suggest.<br/>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231340193?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br/></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This blog is not a how-to. There have been plenty of well done how-to blogs. It’s just some pictures with a few words attached.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br/></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Three years ago my brother Alan and I (with lots of help) built a pair of 601s from Super-Quick-build kits in 4 months at Quality Sport Planes in Cloverdale California. You can read about that adventure <a href="http://www.qualitysportplanes.com/qsp-2006_072.htm">here</a>.<br/></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br/></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So who is that guy with the Michelin tire hat? That’s Doug Dugger who, with his wife Lori, operates Quality Sport Planes. Doug has owned many planes and has built a 601, a 701 and is half done with a 750. How does he do all that and help folks with their projects at the same time? With lots of energy, experience and a sense of humor, obviously.<br/></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br/></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When Alan and I decided to install the upgrade to our experimental 601s we considered a few options but in the end it was clear that the why to go was another high-energy project at QSP. <br/></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="">We talked to Doug and he blocked time out on his calendar and arranged the resources to get the task done in as short a period as possible. We were hoping to get most of the work done in 9 days, which was the amount of time Alan could get off of work. Well it took about 400 man-hours and 13 days to get both planes done. I snuck a few extra projects in during the upgrade: New battery, landing & taxi lights, main tires, 650 style L angles in the back.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br/></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="">Now, more pictures, fewer words...</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br/></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="">Here I am draining the gas with Sedrick’s help. Sedrick is not officially part of the crew but he pitched in from time to time. Sedrick is building a Subaru powered 801 at QSP.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231340676?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
<br/><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">Alan’s ailerons come off. Can’t fly this thing no mo.</span><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231345042?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/>
<br/><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here is a view of our crowed hanger. Mike and Gracie’s 701 project on the right, Sedrick’s 801 project and the left and our 601 upgrade project in the front of the hanger.</span><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231345409?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/>
<br/><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">Wings come of quickly and the skins too. Below a template is being used to correctly position the nose ribs. The template is custom made for each wing before the ribs are removed.</span><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231345543?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br/></p>
<br/>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">From time-to-time it’s good to READ THE PLANS. Here Doug and I actually do that.</span></p>
<img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231345901?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/> <br/><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here the main spare is being upgraded on Alan’s wing.</span><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231346226?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br/>Here is my longer web doubler positioned above
the stock one. I made mine 5 inches longer which was what could be done easily. This mod is not sanctioned by Zenith.</span><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231346860?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/><br/>
<br/><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here is the longer web doubler installed.</span><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231347287?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
<br/><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">Working into the evening. We started each day at 8:00am and ended no
earlier then 6:00pm, sometimes much later. No days off.<br/></span><p style="text-align: left;"><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231358556?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
<br/><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here Alan and Ron Asbill install the bottom skin
doubler. Ron and his wife Sharon dropped by for a few days. They are good company and great help. They have a flying 601, and have the upgrade kit already – just need to find the time.</span><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231359007?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
<br/><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here I am back-drilling the center spar.</span><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231359857?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
<br/><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ron and Alan riveting in the center spar.</span><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231360391?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
<br/><p style="text-align: left;"><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231360721?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
<br/>St<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">eve Barnes, Alan Smith and Doug Dugger work on a
center spar. Steve builds and flies RV airplanes. He has logged thousands of flight hours.</span><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231367536?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
<br/><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">Alan Smith, Steve Barnes and Ed Dalbec work on a
center spar. Ed Dalbec is a flight instructor and an A&P. He worked for American airlines as a mechanic. He has built several airplanes including a 601.</span><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231368638?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
<br/><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">Speaking of the center spar, you can’t see it in
this picture but in my dual-stick airplane, the front torque tube barring was quite worn. Apparently it was not greased when originally assembled. Keep in mind that the tension on the elevator cables is pulling against this surface as you operate the ailerons back and forth. Grind, grind, grind takes it toll.</span><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231369404?profile=original" alt=""/></p>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br/>Don Shaw works on a main spar. Don has built several airplanes. He was an international pilot for a major airline. In the background is Russ Bens, a 601 driver who is part way through his upgrade. He is about half done building his 750 also.</span><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231370014?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
<br/><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">Man, this thing used to fly? Sure is torn up now! Good thing we did not run any wire through
the center spar – ok two little wires did run through the center spar. Could have been much worse!</span><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231371485?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
<br/>Upgrade<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">d bellcrank.</span><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231373531?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
<br/>Our factory-built wings allowed the wire to rub on the bottom skin. You can see the dark splotches on the skin. We made standoffs attached to the new L angles to keep the wires from touching the skins.<br/><p style="text-align: left;"><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231377807?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
<br/>Here is an aileron balance.<br/><p style="text-align: left;"><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231377833?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
<br/>Ed is working on fitting the L angles.<br/><p style="text-align: left;"><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231378144?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
<br/>Sharon is removing the old paint around each rivet hole. This was done with a paint removing tool Doug made by welding a nut onto a drill bit which is loaded into the drill upside down so it does not cut. It worked quite well. We called it the paint twirler (as in, "ok who has the paint twirler now?"). It got used a lot!<br/><p style="text-align: left;"><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231378819?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
<br/><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here Doug is asking for Divine guidance -
silence. In the end we had to read the plans</span><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><img width="540" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231379147?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
<br/>Ron, Alan and Doug putting a tank back into a wing. All 4 tanks had leaks at the welds and needed rework at the welding shop ($480). The two that had been "inspected by RM" were not so bad: one leak in one, two in the other. The two tanks from Alan's plane did not claim to have been inspected by anyone: 4 leaks in one, 6 in the other.<br/><br/>The leaks were noticed because of the blue stains the evaporated fuel left behind. While it was disconcerting to see these I suspect they posed no real safety hazard. I say this because the stains seem to indicate the fuel evaporated before it could run very far. From that evidence I conclude the leaks were very slow and the fumes dissipated quickly.<br/><br/>Also of concern in the factory wings; no cork was used between the back of the tank and the bottom row of rivets on the main spar. On two tanks, the rivets had been rubbing on the backs of the tanks and small indentations on the tanks were evident. Perhaps this could have gone on for a long time before something bad happened. Anyway, cork is cheep - use it well to prevent metal to metal contact.<br/><p style="text-align: left;"><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231379769?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
<br/>New rear spar attachment is in. Much beefier - just push it in: it fits ok.<br/><p style="text-align: left;"><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231379850?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
<br/>Alan's wing is all ready to rivet. Now that's a lot of clecos.<br/><p style="text-align: left;"><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231381912?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
<br/><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">I don’t think it will fly like that. More work to do.</span><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231382542?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
<br/>Don gives Doug words of encouragement as Doug gets those pesky bolts in. What helped is that we trial-fitted the center spar and bolts to each wing before the center spar was re-installed into the plane. It actually went well. Doug has a set of pointy little fitting pins that help. I did a little grinding and polishing on them things: pointier pointy things are more better.<br/><p style="text-align: left;"><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231383631?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
<br/>Time for the bad news: VERY accurate airplane scales. Sad truth: 830 pounds - both planes match to the pound. How's that for twin airplanes? How much did they gain? We don't know because the original weight and balance was done with Wal-Mart scales. They seem to be designed for folks who don't want the truth.<br/><p style="text-align: left;"><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231384153?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
<br/>Two upgraded 601s; mine on the left and Doug's on the right. Doug's 701 is in the background.<br/><p style="text-align: left;"><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231385486?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
<br/>As of now, QSP has upgraded 3 601s and they are all flying again. The folks are QSP are very knowledgeable and most accommodating. Where else can you find a group of pleasant, Zenith-knowable people who will put in 13 days straight 8:00am to 6:00pm just to help meet a tight schedule? If you're looking for help on the west coast, look no further then QSP.<br/><br/>How do these upgraded 601s fly? Speaking for myself, I find the plane now has a stiffer, busier ride. It did not take long to get accustom to it. Otherwise, nothing notable.<br/><br/>Handling and installing all these upgrade parts leaves no doubt; the plane is much stronger in key areas. I am glad my upgrade is done and I can get back to flying.<br/><br/>Steve<br/>Another 13.8 Hours And 1,254 Miles For The Log Booktag:zenith.aero,2009-07-02:2606393:BlogPost:261442009-07-02T16:48:08.000ZStephen R. Smithhttps://zenith.aero/profile/StephenRSmith
Last Saturday morning about 11am my trusty <a href="http://www.zenith.aero/photo/my-plane-at-ruth-airport-t42?context=user" target="_blank">Zodiac XL</a> carried me away from my home base at Santa Rosa California (STS) looking for adventure. After stopping in Cloverdale (O60) for a load for fuel it took me out to the coast hoping for cooler air. She headed north along the Pacific Ocean past <a href="http://www.zenith.aero/photo/photo/show?id=2606393%3APhoto%3A26134" target="_blank">Shelter…</a>
Last Saturday morning about 11am my trusty <a href="http://www.zenith.aero/photo/my-plane-at-ruth-airport-t42?context=user" target="_blank">Zodiac XL</a> carried me away from my home base at Santa Rosa California (STS) looking for adventure. After stopping in Cloverdale (O60) for a load for fuel it took me out to the coast hoping for cooler air. She headed north along the Pacific Ocean past <a href="http://www.zenith.aero/photo/photo/show?id=2606393%3APhoto%3A26134" target="_blank">Shelter Cove</a> to southern Oregon. We spent a few hours investigating the many picturesque valleys in the Medford area. After 650 miles and 7.5 hours in the air she was asking for a quart of oil and another load of fuel. The airport at Ashland (S03) provided. With daylight waning, it was time to head south past the <a href="http://www.zenith.aero/photo/shelter-cove-0q5/prev?context=user" target="_blank">Trinity Alps</a> and <a href="http://www.zenith.aero/photo/flying-in-the-trinity-alps/prev?context=user" target="_blank">Lake Shasta</a> for the day’s final destination Doug and Lori’s house at Rancho Tehama (49CN) for a cold beer and a dip in the pool. At the end of Saturday the plane had logged 815 miles in about 9 hours.<br />
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Sunday morning Doug in his Quality Sport Planes 701, Bill Massey in his 601HD and I in my 601XL flew to the Fall River Mill’s flyin which was well attended. Later in the morning, Brad DeMeo arrived from Santa Rosa in his <a href="http://www.zenith.aero/photo/lake-shasta-at-sunset/prev?context=user" target="_blank">601XL</a>.<br />
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At 1pm it was time to fly home. With our radios turned to 122.75 we stayed in touch for about 40 minutes as we went our separate ways. My 601 took the long way home, flying southeast through the northern Sierra Mountains. When she got to <a href="http://www.zenith.aero/photo/brad-demeos-601-and-the-qsp/prev?context=user" target="_blank">Lake Tahoe</a> she turned for home arriving tired but with the need for adventure well satiated.<br />
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Steve<br />
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<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231332251?profile=original" alt="" width="616" height="820"/></p>From California to Sun-N-Fun 2009 and a few other places along the waytag:zenith.aero,2009-05-05:2606393:BlogPost:216772009-05-05T15:00:00.000ZStephen R. Smithhttps://zenith.aero/profile/StephenRSmith
<p style="text-align: left;"><img alt="" height="870" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231330455?profile=original" width="1479"></img></p>
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On April 18th my brother David and I left Santa Rosa California heading east over the snow covered Sierra Nevada mountains on an adventure of a lifetime. We left with great confidence in my sturdy Zodiac XL. After all, last year it had safely taken me and my brother Alan to Oshkosh, why would it behave differently on this trip?<br />
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In thirteen days we flew 8,490 miles in 75 hours. Average speed was 113 MPH. Along the way we took over 1,500 pictures. A…
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231330455?profile=original" alt="" width="1479" height="870"/></p>
<br />
On April 18th my brother David and I left Santa Rosa California heading east over the snow covered Sierra Nevada mountains on an adventure of a lifetime. We left with great confidence in my sturdy Zodiac XL. After all, last year it had safely taken me and my brother Alan to Oshkosh, why would it behave differently on this trip?<br />
<br />
In thirteen days we flew 8,490 miles in 75 hours. Average speed was 113 MPH. Along the way we took over 1,500 pictures. A few can be viewed in this <a href="http://www.zenith.aero/photo/albums/8490-mile-trip-to-sunnsun-2009">photo album</a>.<br />
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The airplane was fully loaded with both wing lockers stuffed and the back completely filled with lighter bulky items like sleeping bags, pillows, a tent and the many things we want to get to while in the air – camera, binoculars, cell phones, snacks and drinking water. Loaded like this the Jabiru 3300 is able to claw its way to 15,000 feet when you ask it to. It can also fight its way over a 6,500 foot mountain pass with a 45 MPH head wind if necessary.<br />
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The airplane performed flawlessly with never a hint of trouble. Along the way we encountered a wide variety of weather: heat, cold, high clouds, fog, 50 mph head winds, abrupt turbulence and a thunderstorm or two.<br />
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Pilots love to talk about how fast their airplane will go. I am no exception. My Zodiac will go 140 miles per hour in level flight with no wind. I have had it up to 181 MPH in a dive. I don’t really fly like that though. I don’t suggest anyone else fly like that either. I like to fly at about 110 MPH. That is about as fast as she will go without fuel consumption rapidly increasing. At 110 MPH she burns about 4.7 gallons per hour which is a respectable 23 miles per gallon. At full throttle the plane only gets 15 miles per gallon – not worth it in my opinion.<br />
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The challenge of the trip: Weather, weather and more weather. The route home from Washington DC was not at all as planed. Every day we encountered weather which required a delay or a course alteration. Having the best weather information in the cockpit was barely good enough. Flying around bad weather added over 1,000 miles to the trip and caused us to log 1,133 miles on the last day to make it home on schedule.<br />
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Highlights of the trip: For us it was the sights we saw along the way – the perspective you just can’t get from an automobile or out the window of a commercial jet. Controlling your own view – making a tight turn over a point of interest – flying down into a canyon you happen upon – that is the joy of flying a Zodiac. Most of the eye candy is in the west but flying down the keys in Florida and over the blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico was a true delight. It is always a treat to fly over a major river or near a national land mark. We flew over the tallest peaks in the Great Smoky Mountains and the Appalachians. We buzzed along northern Nebraska farmland for hours at 500 feet. (If you choose to fly like that watch out for the happy little airplane killers – radio towers. No, they are NOT all identified in your GPS!)<br />
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Conclusion: This was a grand adventure, a trip of a lifetime. A journey with beauty and challenges; challenges well met by my Zodiac XL. I have need of no other airplane.A quick trip to Washington and back (Another 1,330 miles for the log book)tag:zenith.aero,2009-04-06:2606393:BlogPost:180682009-04-06T16:25:55.000ZStephen R. Smithhttps://zenith.aero/profile/StephenRSmith
On Friday I flew 664 statute miles from <a href="http://www.airnav.com/airport/KSTS">Santa Rosa</a>, CA to <a href="http://www.airnav.com/airport/KSHN">Shelton</a>, WA to visit my <a href="http://www.zenith.aero/profile/AlanSmith">brother Alan</a> and his wife Nathalie who have a Zodiac XL which is a twin of mine. The flight north was one of the more challenging I have experienced. In <a href="http://www.zenith.aero/video/flying-in-northern-california">Northern California</a> I got to choose…
On Friday I flew 664 statute miles from <a href="http://www.airnav.com/airport/KSTS">Santa Rosa</a>, CA to <a href="http://www.airnav.com/airport/KSHN">Shelton</a>, WA to visit my <a href="http://www.zenith.aero/profile/AlanSmith">brother Alan</a> and his wife Nathalie who have a Zodiac XL which is a twin of mine. The flight north was one of the more challenging I have experienced. In <a href="http://www.zenith.aero/video/flying-in-northern-california">Northern California</a> I got to choose between a 50 MPH headwind up where it was smooth or heavy turbulence down lower where the head wind was a more manageable 20 MPH. I kept my seatbelt tight and chose the turbulence. As I reached southern Oregon the wind subsided and was replaced with low clouds, snow, rain and marginal VFR. This necessitated seeking out passes through the low mountains. This went on for about 80 miles and then conditions became more pleasant with only the occasional need to dodge low clouds.<br />
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On Sunday I enjoyed near perfect flight conditions as I flew home via a different route. <a href="http://www.zenith.aero/photo/alans-plane-n601fw-with-mt?context=user">Alan flew along</a> with me in his plane as far as Mt. St. Helens where we took some pictures of the <a href="http://www.zenith.aero/photo/mt-st-helens-wa?context=user">volcano</a>.<br />
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In northern California I stopped at Rancho Tehama (<a href="http://www.airnav.com/airport/49CN">49CN</a>) and spent an hour with <a href="http://www.zenith.aero/profile/BillMassey">Bill Massey</a> and his wife who have an HDS.<br />
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I got home just after sundown, another happy adventure in my Zodiac XL safely ended.<br />
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<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231330112?profile=original" alt="" width="334" height="821"/></p>What is your experience using automotive gas in airplanes?tag:zenith.aero,2009-04-01:2606393:BlogPost:173912009-04-01T14:57:03.000ZStephen R. Smithhttps://zenith.aero/profile/StephenRSmith
I fly a 601XL with a Jabiru 3300 engine. The other day I ran into an old-time pilot who has been using automotive gas in his airplane for many years. He reports no problems, in fact he had only good things to say – like longer engine life since he switched. Jabiru does permit the use of premium auto gas in the 3300. I am contemplating the switch for the following reasons:<br />
<br />
1) Longer sparkplug life. I have gotten 170 hours out of my last two sets of spark plugs which is hours 70 more then Jabiru…
I fly a 601XL with a Jabiru 3300 engine. The other day I ran into an old-time pilot who has been using automotive gas in his airplane for many years. He reports no problems, in fact he had only good things to say – like longer engine life since he switched. Jabiru does permit the use of premium auto gas in the 3300. I am contemplating the switch for the following reasons:<br />
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1) Longer sparkplug life. I have gotten 170 hours out of my last two sets of spark plugs which is hours 70 more then Jabiru calls for. Last time I changed them I installed iridium plugs which I expect to last the life of the engine – unless they get too fouled up with lead to work that is. The last plugs I pulled had very significant lead deposits on them.<br />
2) Reduced air pollution. The engine does not need the lead. Why spew it into the air then?<br />
3) Less muck on the bottom of the plane? Even though I have exhaust pipe extenders, the underside of the airplane is impossible to keep clean. I suspect most of this is not lead but still, when I am under there on my creeper scrubbing the stuff off I wonder what is in the goo that runs down my arms.<br />
4) Reduced cost. My plane has about 430 hours on it. If I had been burning auto gas instead of 100LL I would have saved about $4,000 dollars on fuel over the past 2 years – wow that’s not small change.<br />
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On the down side hauling up to 30 gallons of auto fuel to the airport in my car seems like a pain and possible safety issue. I have been contemplating using existing gas tank in my car for transport and use a purpose-built 12 volt electric fuel transfer pump to move the fuel – I see them on-line for about $140. I don’t tend to land my plane with the tanks completely empty – I hear it’s a bad idea – so chances are my car’s tank would almost have the fuel I need to fill the plane.<br />
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On cross countries I would revert to using 100 LL since automotive gas at airports is hard to find.<br />
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I would love to hear from those who use auto gas in their planes to learn your experiences and tricks to make this as painless as possible.<br />
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Thanks, SteveAnother 1,288 statue miles added to the log booktag:zenith.aero,2009-03-18:2606393:BlogPost:158302009-03-18T15:00:00.000ZStephen R. Smithhttps://zenith.aero/profile/StephenRSmith
My mother turned 91 last week which provided the excuse to fly to Southern California and back.<br />
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The trip down on 3-7-9 was 444 miles non-stop which I flew in a beeline on auto pilot at 9,500 feet because there was a nice tail wind up there. My average speed was 126 statue miles per hour and the plane got a solid 33 miles per gallon. Try to beat that performance in a car! Flights like this provide lots of looking-out-the-window time and you can literally see half of the state’s width as you fly…
My mother turned 91 last week which provided the excuse to fly to Southern California and back.<br />
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The trip down on 3-7-9 was 444 miles non-stop which I flew in a beeline on auto pilot at 9,500 feet because there was a nice tail wind up there. My average speed was 126 statue miles per hour and the plane got a solid 33 miles per gallon. Try to beat that performance in a car! Flights like this provide lots of looking-out-the-window time and you can literally see half of the state’s width as you fly along. It is very un-usual to see any airplanes up at this altitude so it makes for peaceful effortless flying.<br />
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On 3-13-9 I took my brother Wayne for his first ride in my plane. He had helped build the plane two years ago but lives on the east coast so this was his first opportunity to fly in it. We flew 346 miles with one stop at imperial county airport for a potty break. It was a lazy sight-seeing flight. Our average speed was 101 MPH. We flew for miles just off the deck along the Salton Sea and also spent some time at 10,000. A couple of times we found ourselves climbing effortlessly at over 1,200 fpm in desert thermals. We flew over Joshua Tree National Park which is actually more interesting from the ground. We ended our flight by flying down a steep 11 mile canyon which starts at 8,500 feet and ends at about 2,500. Most of the descent was done with full flaps and low power.<br />
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On 3-16-9 I flew 498 miles non-stop back to Santa Rosa. Most of the flight was done between 1,000 and 2,000 AGL because that provided a modest tail wind. (Yes if you plan your route carefully you often CAN have a tailwind in both directions!) I flew up the state over the sierra foot hills in lovely weather. When I got to within 40 miles of home I ran into a wall of low clouds and occasional rain. My direct path to Santa Rosa was blocked by clouds streaming across the low mountains. I had to divert to the south along the San Francisco Bay to stay below the layer. Luckily the Santa Rosa airspace was VFR and I landed safe and sound, another 1,288 miles and 12 hours for the log book. The Hobbs now reads 426 hours.<br />
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<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231333231?profile=original" alt="" width="946" height="872"/></p>02-21-2009 Today's Adventuretag:zenith.aero,2009-02-22:2606393:BlogPost:117052009-02-22T05:30:00.000ZStephen R. Smithhttps://zenith.aero/profile/StephenRSmith
02-21-2009<br />
<br />
With just over 400 hours on my plane, today it was time for yet another oil change. While I was at it I installed an oil drain valve on my Jabiru 3300 engine. In the future this will allow me to change the oil without removing the bottom cowling.<br />
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<p style="text-align: left;"><img alt="" height="207" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231326812?profile=original" width="317"></img></p>
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After the oil change I went for a 130 mile flight. There was an overcast at 3,000 today so this was a low and slow flight over the coastal mountains and out over the ocean.<br />
<br />
You can download a…
02-21-2009<br />
<br />
With just over 400 hours on my plane, today it was time for yet another oil change. While I was at it I installed an oil drain valve on my Jabiru 3300 engine. In the future this will allow me to change the oil without removing the bottom cowling.<br />
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<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231326812?profile=original" alt="" width="317" height="207"/></p>
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After the oil change I went for a 130 mile flight. There was an overcast at 3,000 today so this was a low and slow flight over the coastal mountains and out over the ocean.<br />
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You can download a <a href="http://earth.google.com/">Google earth</a> re-flyable <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231333403?profile=original">here.</a><br />
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Below is a screen shot of my flightpath.<br />
<br />
Steve<br />
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<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231333603?profile=original" alt="" width="852" height="894"/></p>02-14-2009 Today's Adventuretag:zenith.aero,2009-02-15:2606393:BlogPost:103882009-02-15T06:00:00.000ZStephen R. Smithhttps://zenith.aero/profile/StephenRSmith
Today I flew 310 miles under cloudy skies, and occasionally in Marginal VFR conditions. It rained lightly off an on with winds gusting up to 18 knots. I was able to dodge the bad stuff. It was a lovely experience with lots of low altitude flying. For the most part I had the skies to myself.<br />
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Before I fly in wet conditions I clean the canopy and treat it with <a href="http://www.plexusplasticcleaner.com/frames.html">Plexus</a>. It helps the water bead up and stream off which improves…
Today I flew 310 miles under cloudy skies, and occasionally in Marginal VFR conditions. It rained lightly off an on with winds gusting up to 18 knots. I was able to dodge the bad stuff. It was a lovely experience with lots of low altitude flying. For the most part I had the skies to myself.<br />
<br />
Before I fly in wet conditions I clean the canopy and treat it with <a href="http://www.plexusplasticcleaner.com/frames.html">Plexus</a>. It helps the water bead up and stream off which improves visibility.<br />
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Before I fly I use a variety of tools to plan and investigate. I start with the weather. I get the big picture <a href="http://weather.aero/metars/displaySfc.php?unix_time=1234674000&region=US&prod_string=metarsNCVAfcat">here</a> or <a href="http://www.wunderground.com/US/Region/US/2xFlight.html">here</a>. I often use <a href="http://www.weather.gov/forecasts/graphical/sectors/conusWeek.php?expandweek=ON#tabs">this</a> page to see current and projected temps, general weather, hazards, cloud cover, and wind. If I am going on a long flight I use <a href="http://adds.aviationweather.gov/fpt_application/">The New Flight Path Tool</a> to study winds aloft. You can save lots of time and fuel by picking a route and altitude that is wind favorable. The tool has many other features that make it worth while. For airspace and general airport information I use <a href="http://www.rmstek.com/">RMS Flightsoft Professional</a>. To scout out a route through the mountains or to inspect an airport before I leave home I use <a href="http://earth.google.com/">Goggle Earth</a>. If I am going to need fuel I use <a href="http://www.airnav.com/fuel/">AirNav's Aviation Fuel</a> web page.<br />
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One goal of today’s adventure was to land at airports new to me. I planed a loop into the big central valley of California.<br />
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As it turns out I landed at a total of 9 airports today, 7 new to me. I had planed for a total of 10 but one airport, on a mountain top ridge, turned out to be too MVFR for my liking so I skipped it.<br />
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The only misadventure occurred at an airport where there was a direct cross wind which made the traffic pattern ambiguous. I used my radio starting 10 miles out as I usually do to announce my approach. As I got closer and wind conditions became obvious I announced my intended pattern and started to fly it. Another plane whizzed past flying the pattern in the opposite way. Turns out the plane had no radio and no transponder. If he had had a radio I would have heard him or he me. If he had had a transponder my <a href="http://www.zaon.aero/">Zaon traffic computer</a> would have picked him up. I chose to abort my pattern and follow him instead. As I turned final I saw him taxing back on the runway even though there was a perfectly good taxi way to use so I aborted my approach. Second time for this guy! Sure would enhance safety if folk would use modern equipment in their planes and learn to use taxi ways!<br />
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Near the end of my flight I stopped at the <a href="http://www.airnav.com/airport/O60">Cloverdale airport</a> and <a href="http://www.qualitysportplanes.com/">Quality Sport Planes</a>, the birth place of my airplane. No one home on this rainy day. But I topped off my plane's tanks so it will be ready for the next adventure.<br />
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When I get home from a flight I upload the track from my GPS and save it to the hard drive on my home computer. I sometime re-fly my trip in Google Earth. I also use the track information to update my Pilot's log book.<br />
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Below is my flight path for today.<br />
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Steve<br />
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<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2231328241?profile=original" alt="" width="1149" height="809"/></p>