Flying/Photography Hobbies

[mbauer]

June 15, 2021 Yellowstone

Yellowstone National Park Photos

Didn’t get to see any geysers erupting, but plenty of other views.

90 degree right turn to head east into Wyoming from Idaho.

Photo 303 Yellowstone as I turned east


Photo 309 Yellowstone Lake


Photo 313 Yellowstone with big wildfire in the distance


Photo 319 Zoom on fire


Photo 320 Yellowstone heading towards Wyoming side


Photo 322 Yellowstone mountains to the east


Photo 326 The wildfire again


Photo 331 Yellowstone eastern mountains in the smoky haze


Photo 337 Yellowstone mountains almost to the eastern edge in Wyoming


Photo 341 Smoky haze again


Heading towards Devil's Tower and Mt Rushmore -Wyoming photos next.

Mike

[mbauer]

June 15 2021 Wyoming

Wyoming is a beautiful place. After seeing the following photos, I think you agree. After clearing the western mountains, I saw a speck in the distance that rapidly became a Red Tailed Hawk. It was soaring along at 13,500ft as I was.

Before I realized what it was, it peeled off and got out of my way. I would have given it a wide berth if I would’ve known what it was. Actually was in formation for about 1.5seconds before it saw me. Incredible flyer!

Don’t know the names of these photos, but adding them so you can see.

Photo 344 Wildfire again


Photo 347 Zoom of wildfire


Photo 348 Wyoming Mountains (MTNS)


Photo 351 WY MTNS


Photo 357 WY


Photo 358 WY


Photo 362 Wildfire again


Photo 366 Bad place to land if you have too


Photo 369 No Place to land


Photo 382 Smoky Haze


Devil's Tower Next.

Mike

[mbauer]

June 15 2021 Devil’s Tower Wyoming near Hulett W43 airport

After seeing this and getting some photos, time for a right turn to head towards Custer, South Dakota and Mt Rushmore.

Photo 405 Devil’s Tower in the distance


Photo 418 DT


Photo 420 DT Zoom close


Mt Rushmore Next

Shadows in the evening made it hard for camera to focus. Could not find Crazy Horse. Thought to look on the map and try to find it in the morning. You’ll soon see why I couldn't find it in the morning either.

Photo 432 George Washington and the visitor center


Photo 453 All four


The next morning I woke up before the sun was lighting the sky. Left the hotel where I was staying in Custer. Drove the rental car to the airport. Had to stop for some deer that decided to cross the road in front of me right as the sky was getting light. Boy are deer easy to see after looking for moose all the time. Bright and shiny, easy to see.

Finally at the airport, sky getting lighter and lighter. Perfect will be in the air as the sun comes up!

Take off and I’m immediately in a thick smoky haze. Oh, boy is this going to be fun trying to find the monuments!

Okay, lets head towards Mt Rushmore. Hopefully can find it in this thick smoke. The first photo shows what it looked like in the distance.

Photo 469 Mt Rushmore in the distance completely surrounded by smoke, it was really hard to see them as you can see. If I had been any later the sun would not have been on their faces, but angling down through the smoke. Sometimes it pays to get up before the sun!


Photo 474 Zoom on faces, wow morning sun lighting them up! Yabadaba


Photo 482 Distance shot as I leave


Next stop: Crazy Horse. No joy can’t find it anywhere, map says I should be directly over it. Can't see it at all, way too much smoke and haze. If I go lower I will be in the thickest part of smoke, plus you have to stay a certain altitude above or you get in trouble, decided not to get in trouble.

Mike

[mbauer]

After leaving Mt Rushmore most of the morning was spent trying to outrun the smoke and haze from all of the wildfires out west.

GPS of track:


Photo 533 says it all; IAS 149 mph, GS 199mph yes, had a 50mph tailwind!, 12,600ft altitude at 52.6 degrees F:


Smoke and haze photos:



This route was heading to a place that has some emotional meaning for me. Just as I turned 14 years old back in 1971, my father was killed in an airplane accident. He was flying a converted WWII airplane that had been converted to fight wildland fires; a TBM Avenger.

His crash site was on the outside of Mapleton, IA. I was planning on landing there and going out to the crash site. This was not possible, the airport was closed for repairs. I took a few photos and continued on to Belle Plaine.

Mapleton with the airport in the background:


The crash site is just in the dirt near the T-intersection where the pavement is dark but turns to a lighter color, center of photo:


From Belle Plaine continued south east to the Wright Brothers Airport near Dayton, OH.


Wright-Patterson Museum location is near this airport.

Mike

[mbauer]

Rest stop for a few days. Museum visit to Wright Patterson AFB Museum.

Arrived in the afternoon of the 16th. Tied down and went inside main building. Asked about a courtesy vehicle.

Courtesy vehicles are vehicles most airports have to use, instead of getting a rental car. When you return them, you make sure the fluids, gas, oil, radiator are all full. Sometimes the airport has an agreement with a local hotel for lodging at a discount.

There wasn't a courtesy car available when I got there. Hotels were full, except for one in Dayton. After a $50 taxi ride I spent the night at the downtown Radisson. While there I looked up a different hotel in the phone book closer to my airplane, found one with available rooms the next night.

On the 17th I went back to the airport to see about an available courtesy vehicle, they had one. Since I had reservations at the Springhill Suites, very nice hotel room-stove, dishwasher, full size refrigerator, awesome view, friendly people. It also had a really awesome desk to flight plan from.

While I was at the airport I asked the owner, Justin, about an oil change. My plane was due to have one soon. Thought since I would be there a few days they might get it done for me.

Justin said, "I don't have all my mechanics at this time, a new one will be starting on Tuesday. However; if you want to bring your RV into my hangar you can change it yourself."

Wow, that kind of stuff just doesn't happen very often!

I told him I'd never changed the oil before, the filter has to torqued to a specific value and then safety wired once installed. I did not have the tools or know how to do this.

Once again Justin saved the day. You get it changed and one of my mechanics will help.

As you can see Justin was a really awesome person!

He showed me where I could get a hose to drain with bucket, tank to dump used oil in. I purchased the oil and filter and went to work.

First issue was how to change the oil, my plane has a quick release oil drain, I didn't know how to operate, finally Justin reaches in and pushes the drain up, instant oil flow, however the hose came loose and Justin received a hand covered in oil. Not the way to impress him.

From that point on I was able to get the job done, one of the mechanics let me use his oil filter torque wrench, then he safety wired the filter.

While talking he said that the crew after hours usually had a beer before heading home, I was invited for this evenings session.

Quickly moved my RV out to the tie downs and hopped in the courtesy car and drove to the nearest place to buy some Alaskan Amber. Getting back in time to make the session.

We stood around in a back room and the conversation was great. Ended up showing some photos of my paper models.

About this time Justin received a text, he needed to leave to meet someone. After the session was breaking up, I walked out of the backroom through the hangar towards the open doors. There was Justin talking to someone. I didn't have my glasses on, but I thought I recognized who he was talking too. No way could it be, after all I was 4000miles from home.

I go into the office and was talking with the fuel crew about topping my plane with fuel.

In walks Justin with a super huge grin on his face, he asked, "Mike how many people are in Alaska?"

My reply,"about 750,000 give or take a few."

Behind him, in walks Sean, someone I know from Kenai. He was the new mechanic!

While they were walking out of the hangar, Sean saw my airplane and asked Justin, "where is Mike, there's only one airplane in the world painted like that."

Was able to give Sean a hard time about being late for a beer....

The next day, June 18, 2021 a Friday, went to museum in the morning. A huge cloud burst on the way happened.

Lots of photos taken, already did a short thread in the Museum and Airshow section.

Here are a few more photos:











Drove back to motel room.

Next post has what happened next.
Mike

[mbauer]

After leaving the museum, drove back to my air conditioned hotel room and took a nap. It is hard work trying to take photos of everything in that museum!!!

Fast alseep and my phone woke me up with a Tsunami alert, what the! There isn't an ocean anywhere near Dayton! Going to my phone it says Tornado in the area!

Heading to the windows to see, it is pitch black outside. Yea, I know windows are a bad place to be in a tornado, but I was spell bound. Cops pulled up, and I thought, they're going to evacuate us. So grabbing everything spread out and began stuffing in my bags just in case.

Back to the windows to watch, rain was thick, could hardly see through it, wind had it coming down sideways. Total dark, when the rain hit the street lights, it turned into a wall of water showering off the lights.

The the wind quit. Just like someone had turned a switch off. Bam next couple of seconds wing changed 1800 degrees and coming from the opposite direction. People started to show up from vehicles left in the parking lot and side roads. They were parking and running into hotel.

Could not see any traffic on nearby freeway. Cops were shutting traffic down and heading them into any shelter they could find.

After several minutes, it calmed down. Danger had passed.


People began to leave, traffic could be seen on freeway again. Then just I was thinking about checking my airplane, the clouds opened up and there was a sunset.


The whole time this is going on, I'm thinking better call the commercial airlines and see about a flight to Kenai.

No, way my airplane survived what I saw out the window. It was only about three blocks from the hotel.

I drove to the airport and my RV was right where I left it.

Before leaving Kenai I bought some Spectra rope to use as tiedown rope. It is smaller in diameter than the 1/2' braided nylon I use at home. Small and lightweight perfect for my trip.

It has the same breaking strength and workload as the 1/2".

I bought more for my tiedowns at home after this.

Convinced it is the best tiedown rope available!

Mike

[mbauer]

Due to the storm on Friday I had some flight planning to do.

It was dissipating like the weather briefer said, when I called on Saturday morning the 19th of June, but I wanted nothing else to do with it.

Problem was it was going to where I wanted to fly, then the briefer told me of another storm coming out of the Gulf of Mexico. Boy this is not looking good.

Checked with the hotel clerk, hotel was going to be full, I would have to leave.

Went to the official FAA weather website to look at the charts. It looked like I could head to northern North Carolina for the night and miss both storms as they continued to the east.

I picked a spot on my map, KSIF Rockingham County NC, Shiloh. A quick call confirmed a courtesy car and hotel available. Great I have a plan of action.

Before take off, a very thorough pre-flight inspection took place. Used a flashlight to look things over real good, opened up the fairing between my fuselage and wings to look at the wing spars. Screwdriver work. Everything looked okay.

GPS:


Lots of clouds and wind, once again 200mph speed at times on the way.

The Shiloh airport is located in Stoneville, NC. My hotel was in a town a few miles away, Eden, NC.

I landed taxied up to the fuel pumps before tying down for the night. Went inside the FBO building and ran smack dab into the local flyers lying club. Several people sitting around inside have a bull session. All looked like they had been flying for years and years.

One of them, Emery, asked me, "Hey sonny where are you from?". I'm 64 if you know what I mean, not used to getting called sonny...

My reply, "Kenai, Alaska".

Immediately he asks me if I know a fellow by the name of Terry.

Yep, sure do, he has a RV-6 like mine, only it is a nose dragger and flies C-46 Commandos delivering fuel to Alaskan villages not on the road system.

He gets on his phone to call Terry. No answer but he leaves a voicemail. They talk every week.

Soon we were talking just like we knew each other for years, the whole group was amazing.

Finally I beg my departure to the hotel. They give me some interesting directions on how to get there, you just don't get on one road and go straight there.

I jotted everything down and departed in a Lincoln town car. Air conditioning blew hotter air than outside and it was Hot outside!

With the windows down it was just bearable. After taking several turns, a couple of different highways, I'm driving through an area that has a few homes and businesses.

On a section of road marked 35mph, a sharp turn to the left and then was a sign right in the middle of the turn that caught my attention. SHAVE ICE

Good thing there wasn't anybody behind me, a swift fluid, coordinated motion ensued: Turn signal to the right (left hand), and brakes (right foot) to make the turn as I was turning the steering wheel (right hand) to make the driveway on the right side...Richard Childress would have been impressed.

Not only did I find out all I had to do was go through 4-more stoplights and a right turn to my hotel, but they also had fresh fruit as well as Shave Ice.

Bought some tree ripe peaches, haven't had those for over 40+years, and a vine ripened watermelon.

The shave ice had home made syrup for flavoring. One of the best I've ever had!

The next morning left before the airport was open, while leaving the traffic pattern received a call from the office, wishing me a safe flight. He was opening just as I was leaving. I'll be back! Great people once again.

Gps:


Low clouds for a while kept me down to 1500ft which isn't very high when some towers are that high above the ground. Not used to flying near any towers like that. Luckily didn't see or hit any.

As I got closer to the Coast, clouds lifted and I was able to climb higher.

Plenty of Restricted Airspace near the coast, these are areas you can't fly over for any reason.

Following are a few photos showing the sky condition as I neared my destination. Clouds and rain over big bays of water.

Now I know why they call it the Outer Banks!



Monument in sight!


Mike

[mbauer]

The weather was going to get bad. If I was going to leave today, only had a couple of hours to visit.

With clouds it was still hot, but I didn't care. Always dreamed of visiting this place. To see where the Wright Brothers first flew was amazing.

The winds they wanted, even if in the summer, didn't disappoint. Nasty crosswind for landing, as soon as I was below the trees it dropped in intensity, but my landing was a perfect 3-pointer. Tires rolling and no bump. Sure can't say that about some of the other ones on this trip!

Photos will speak volumes more than I can:


Pilot building. Need to know the code to get inside. Signed the log book inside. Interesting to see how many and where the other pilots were from.










My airplane. You can see the aux fuel tank sitting in the passenger seat in this photo, not to mention the greenhouse canopy....


On the fuel tank you can see the black stripe. It is Velcro, used this to hang a notebook and other things as needed. Not much room within the cockpit, so the front and side with the velcro helped keep things in reach.

The return trip to Alaska was just as beautiful for sight seeing.

Leaving Kittyhawk, was in rain for a hundred miles till crossing the Blue Ridge/Smokey Mountains.

Mike

[mbauer]

Low clouds and rain when escaping to the west after taking off from Kittyhawk.

June 20 2021
KFFA – KMGY
First Flight Airstrip at Kitty Hawk, NC to Dayton, OH

Into the rain right after take off. Flew first hour dodging thick rain clouds. Finally some blue sky ahead.

Plan to spend the night in Dayton, take-off early for flight back to Idaho in stages.

GPS:


Photo 272 Leaving Outer Banks where Kitty Hawk is located.

275 Rain and windmills


277 Rain / Low visibility


281 leaving rain behind


287 Yuk, cloud layers to the left


298 Appalachians


305 Edge of weather front over Appalachians


312/318 Appalachians



Mike

[mbauer]

Bad day of flying. Low cloud bases, had to fly at 3500ft the whole way. High head winds, almost every airport I went by had high winds and high wind gusts. Not many small airplanes flying this day.

GPS:


Really bumpy!

When I tried to climb over clouds, didn't work so good, had to turn around and find a hole to get underneath.

Once on top there was a super huge wall of clouds that couldn't go around, through, or over. Turn around only option.

Head wind was slowing progress over ground. Camera wouldn't focus to take any photos. Although fairly clear, it just wasn't a good day to fly anywhere.

Began to look for a runway with the winds going straight down it, almost all I looked at had cross winds.

Winds were a constant 25kts on the ground with gusts to35kts. These translate to 28.77mph and 40mph. More than my airplane can handle as a cross wind.

I tried a couple of runways that were not 90 degree crosswinds. Wind kept blowing me off the centerline, while setting up for landing, with full deflected controls. Not good!

Finally found an airport at Lacon, IL, Marshall County with the winds going directly down the runway. I landed and was hoping a hotel was close and that they had a courtesy car. Landed around 2pm in the afternoon, boy was I glad to be on the ground!

First thing I noticed, fuel was cheap! Filled all the tanks to take advantage of this.

After filling the aux tank, started filling my mains, just as switched to the right side tank the airport manager walked towards me. First thing he said, "kind of windy to be flying today."

Yep.

Next thing he asked was where I was headed, told him, "Alaska as fast as I can get there, this heat is finishing me off!".

Within a few minutes everything I wished for and then some was provided.

No tie downs tonight! RV got to spend the rest of the day and night inside a hangar.

Courtesy car available and hotel about 16-miles away.

Barry the manger was awesome! Once again meeting incredibly interesting and helpful people.

Mike