A dry lake bed in Southern OR. just for fun.

Bob Bement

Bob Bement

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Bob Bement
I wrote this story on my ramblings but I know it has been a long time with my wife sick and all the doctor appoint. going on. I just got away from it. Plus I had to cut back on my flying. But this was a lot of fun landing on this lake bed in the southern part of Malheur county, Oregon. It is just a little south of Crowley and Saddle Butte. Pictures are approaching the lake in the distance, a fly by and some pictures on the surface.
 

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Very cool. Especially to this flat lander.
 
This is what we picked up off of the surface of the lake. From WWII target practice they say.
 

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Cool Bob, my friend who flies gliders at Hood River goes down to the Alvord Desert every year for auto towing, they have a lot of fun.
 
Very nice!

I like the photo of your plane sitting on the lake bed. What a fun thing to do.
 
tonycondon said:
Cool Bob, my friend who flies gliders at Hood River goes down to the Alvord Desert every year for auto towing, they have a lot of fun.
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Yes, Tony they do a lot of that it is right up against the Steens Mountains. about 9,300 ft. and it drops right down to the desert at.about 4,000
 
it looks like they have a lot of fun and with the big lake they can use a LONG rope and get pretty high launches off an old chevy pickup
 
Sometimes it's just good to get away from everything. Very understandable. Great pictures.
 
tonycondon said:
it looks like they have a lot of fun and with the big lake they can use a LONG rope and get pretty high launches off an old chevy pickup
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Our every 6 month dry lake auto tow weekend is in two weeks. East side of Roach Lake, 5nm South of Jean. If the lake is dry. We had a good heavy rain yesterday, but it's got two weeks to dry out. We'll check on it tomorrow from the air.
 
BillTIZ said:
Our every 6 month dry lake auto tow weekend is in two weeks. East side of Roach Lake, 5nm South of Jean. If the lake is dry. We had a good heavy rain yesterday, but it's got two weeks to dry out. We'll check on it tomorrow from the air.
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I was going to ask that very question, can you tell if it's dry, or not a mud pit from the air?
 
Great pictures. Definitely an interesting experience.

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This was an old, old engine on some type of wood frame. Even the big 1" thick pieces of steel just crumbled, corrosion has gone completely through them:

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Sac Arrow said:
I was going to ask that very question, can you tell if it's dry, or not a mud pit from the air?
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If it hasn't rained for 3 months and you know the area, that is a good indicator. :)

A low pass that brings up dust is a good indicator. Or dropping a rock to see if it rolls or sinks. Lightly touching one wheel down to "feel" the surface can tell you.
 
Bob,those rounds look like 50 cal.I pick them up often while arrowhead hunting on a large ranch in south Texas.I've also heard the same story about the WWII trainers preparing to join the fight.These photos back that up I'd think.It would really be interesting to hear some firsthand account of this training.
 

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Reason #843108435160840815340891610248964064 to own, not rent.
 
housefly said:
Bob,those rounds look like 50 cal.I pick them up often while arrowhead hunting on a large ranch in south Texas.I've also heard the same story about the WWII trainers preparing to join the fight.These photos back that up I'd think.It would really be interesting to hear some firsthand account of this training.
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A friend told me that maybe Pappy Boyington of the Black Sheep Squad might of left some of that Ammo as he was trained in Burns, OR. just about 40 miles away.
 
This picture gives you an indication of the hardness of the dry lake bed surface.
 

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Sac Arrow said:
I was going to ask that very question, can you tell if it's dry, or not a mud pit from the air?
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Standing water is an obvious clue. Dark color when you are used to light tan color is the next level.

There was still standing water on parts of It, but I noticed a lot less at the end of the day than at noon. So it is drying out. Two good dry weeks to go, we just might make it.
 
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Very cool photos!

I just moved to Bend. If you ever make it this way, let me know!
 
Wow, what an awesome flight.

I've never heard of people landing on dry lake beds - are there any special rules I should be aware of before trying this? Other than making sure the lakes aren't on private property what am I missing?

"I'd like to cancel VFR flight following, I've got the dry lake bed insight."
 
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