My flight plan for the day was to depart Evanston and hopefully make it to Fallon Nevada (FLX). It was an ambitious flight for me, almost five hours, plus a fuel and food stop. .
Original flight plan for the day - Evanston Wy to Fallon, Nevada
In almost all previous cases my flight plans have been cut short by weather, or my aching body. However, today I would fly much farther than I had planned.
I was determined to get an early start. I woke up at 5:15 and was in the air by 6:30 am. I took a minute to capture this photo on the ramp.
N972GL on the ramp at Evanston, Wyoming
The weather forecast from here to Salt Lake City was for light winds and no turbulence. Even the winds aloft at 9000 feet were forecast under 10 knots, which is very unusual. Yet, I was suspicious. The weather has been screwing with me this whole trip. I knew better than to accept an FAA weather briefing as anything more than "one possible outcome".
Have you ever noticed that the things you worry about most turn out not to be a problem at all? This turned out to be one of those times.
I launched into a beautiful and calm Wyoming sky. It was only about forty minutes to the mountain pass into Salt Lake City. I would be flying Highway 80 through Park City.
I climbed up to 9000 feet (yes, that is a legal altitude when you are less than 2500 feet above ground %^) ). As I approached the pass I called up Salt Lake Approach and got flight following. As I entered the higher terrain near Echo, the air was still and smooth as glass. It would stay that way all the way through the pass!
Echo Reservoir
As I approached Park City I got a pic of the ski jump that was used in the 2002 Olympics.
The Olympic ski jump in the center of the pic
The final part of the pass was a right turn at Park City and a short leg into Salt Lake City.
Salt Lake City in the background
The air through the narrowest part of the pass was still dead calm. I could not believe my luck! Apparently the goat and chicken sacrifices had worked! The smooth air let me really enjoy this dramatic part of the flight.
Almost through!
At this point I was hoping that Salt Lake Approach would clear me through the Bravo airspace. Apparently they were busy and I, once again, heard the dreaded words, "Experimental 972GL, remain clear of Bravo airspace."
I did plan for this. I would hug the windward side of the mountains to the south and then drop down to 5500 feet to skirt under the Bravo shelf. This worked out fine.
Skirting the Bravo southward along the windward side of the mountains
If you've never been here, Salt Lake City is a beautiful place - in the air or on the ground. I can see why people love it here.
Salt Lake City
The Great Salt Lake is something to see. It is almost 75 miles long and 28 miles wide. The white salt shoreline is like nothing I've ever seen. It was hazy in this area so I didn't get great pictures.
Great Salt Lake
The salty shoreline
Western shore of the Great Salt Lake
My next planned stop was Wendover Airport (ENV). Wendover is known for a couple of reasons. First it is next to the Bonneville Salt Flats. Secondly, during World War 2 it is where they prepped the Enola Gay for her terrible mission over Hiroshima. The former Air Force base is now a civilian airport. They have preserved the hangars and many of the artifacts from the war. They conduct tours of the facility as well.
The Bonneville Salt Flats, site of most of the world's land speed records
Wendover Airport
As I entered the pattern I heard an unusual call sign from an approaching aircraft. The call sign began with "Lockheed" which was strange in that most Lockheed aircraft have more specific names (Hercules, Constellation, Eagle, etc.). The pilot was announcing a low pass and asked my position. He was 10 miles out and I was on downwind so I figured there wouldn't be a problem. As I turned base about a minute later, he called out "5 miles". Huh? I realized this was some kind of fast-mover so I cut my base leg short, landed, and made a quick exit from the runway.
As I did, this beautiful fighter jet screamed low down the runway at high speed. He then returned to the airport and landed. I got a chance to see it up close. It was a T-33 Shooting Star.
The very sexy T-33 Shooting Star in polished aluminum
I was anxious to get back in the air so I re-fueled, grabbed a snack bar in the pilots lounge, and took a pic on the ramp before heading out.
My next planned stop was Fallon, Nevada. Along the way I wound around a series of mountain ranges.
On the way to Fallon
Approximately 5-1/2 hours after leaving Evanston Wyoming I landed at Fallon. This airport is immediately adjacent to Fallon Naval Air Station, the site of the Navy's Fighter's Weapons School made famous by the movie Top Gun. I was hungry, but feeling surprising good considering this had been one of my longest flights of the whole trip.
I was able to borrow the courtesy car and found a Filipino restaurant for lunch. My trip to the Philippines many years ago left me with an appreciation for their food.
My plan had been to spend the night here, but as I chewed on my lumpia I realized my pain level was very low. Also, the entire flight had been low stress. Calm air, no weather to deal with. Just fun flying. It was still early, about half past noon.
I opened the IFly GPS app on my phone and saw home was only one hour and forty-five minutes away. I made a quick decision to sleep in my own bed this night!
I called Linda and told her I would be home a day early. I hurried back to the airport, took off, and pointed the nose to Lake Tahoe.
As I approached the leeward side of the Sierra Mountains I knew there was the potential for turbulence. Perhaps a lot. In the past this thought would have caused me some level of anxiety. I'm not sure if I was a bit hypoxic at this moment or not. (Hypoxia, or lack of oxygen caused by flying at high altitudes, can make you feel peaceful and overly-calm. It can be a deadly trap that has led many pilots to their demise.) Yet for some reason I looked at the massive mountain range ahead and thought, "Bring it on! I don't care how bad the turbulence is, I'm going home!" This is generally not a good attitude for a pilot to have and I'm not sure where it came from. I think I just wanted to be home with my Linda.
Bring in on, Sierra's!
I did approach the mountains at about a 45 degree angle in case the turbulence or downdrafts were too great. This would allow a quick left turn to fly away from any serious problem. As it turned out I only had a few bumps as I came over Lake Tahoe.
South Lake Tahoe and the Tahoe Airport in the upper right
The mountains on the western shore of Lake Tahoe. About 9000 foot elevation
An hour and forty minutes after departing Fallon my home airport of Pine Mountain Lake (E45) came into view.
As I approached home a feeling of nostalgia came over me. I thought back to all the things I had seen and done on this trip. All the physical and flying challenges I had faced, and all the people I had met. When I was in the middle of it I was so busy I never had the time to think about what I was accomplishing. There was just the next task in front of me.
Now that it was almost over it sunk in just how far I had travelled in this plane I had built myself. She had never skipped a beat the entire 5000 miles we had flown. I had seen things I would never forget and met some amazing people. I got to spend time with my nephew Denny and his wonderful family. And I got to hug my son for the first time in a number of years.
To be a pilot is a privilege, not a right. I feel incredibly fortunate and grateful for all the experiences this privilege has afforded me. N972GL is more than just an airplane, she has been my beautiful adventure machine. Together we have seen the world from a perspective few others are able to experience. At times she has scared me, but she has always brought me home.
I first wrote this perspective on flying some years ago. Today it seems more relevant to me than ever before:
Every flight in a small plane, no matter where you go or for how long, is an adventure. When your wheels leave the ground you become encompassed in the great aerial ocean. You are not just separated from the ground; you have entered another world. A world that challenges and amazes you like the dreams of childhood.
My beautiful adventure machine N972GL
