Gaston's Return Trip Thread

Let'sgoflying!

Let'sgoflying!

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Dave Taylor
Thought I would start one so we could track everyones' travels home.
I made good progress (~165kts) on my 680nm trip home but bailed at Midland Tx around 10:30pm.
As the sun was setting and for the next hour after, the mist made it like flying in a bowl of milk until some ground lights appeared. They were very sparse however, and it was almost worse than imc - subconsciously trying to correct to the faint lines of misleading ground lights.
With 150 miles to go, I had to keep descending to stay vfr due to a cloud bank, and it soon became apparent I couldn't safely enter the mountains that low at night. Then I couldn't raise Fltwtch for an update to the tz's they had described earlier - so I sure didn't want to airfile, then blunder into the unknown.
Just as I decided to divert to maf, I entered a cloud. I called them up, and as usual the controllers were very accomodating and worked me in.
Just as well, home base weather was reported marginal, the winds were fairly stiff; up to 41kts. It will be a lot better tomorrow and I can get to my appointment rested and on time :)

WHAT A GREAT TIME I HAD AT GASTONS: THANKS FOLKS!!!
 
Dave:

I'm sorry I missed you! Had a tape to return; have brought it twice now. Guess I'll just have to send it back to you or give it to Troy as you last instructed <vbg>

Best,

Dave
 
We're looking at wheels up at 1500Z tomorrow morning. We'll be filing at least the first and last leg.

We may have issues with monsoons over the desert but so far it looks like:

KBPK (Mountain Home) to KWDG (Enid, OK) 1:31 proposed time off 1500Z.

KWDG-KDHT (Dalhart, TX) 1:28, proposed time 1715Z lunch

KDHT-KSJN (St Johns, AZ) 2:12 proposed time 2000

KSJN-KEMT (El Monte, CA) 2:33 proposed time 2300

All works well we should be on the ground and the plane put away at 2000 PDT. Although there's a good chance we'll be spending the night at a cheap hotel in TX and get home around noon on Monday.

Joe, Viveca & Felix
 
Chel, Joshua, Jordan and I had a WONDERFUL time! But, all good things must come to an end...

We departed Gaston's about 2115 local. Grass strips seem to get longer at night - or maybe that's just peculiar to Gastons as we kept looking for the "goal post" that we needed to be in the middle of! I followed my GPS track for all the daytime T/O and LDG's (it's my version of a homemade DP), and obviously didn't crash. Chel and I thought it was cool to look down into the restaurant where we had just enjoyed so much good company.

I climbed to 4500 and picked up my IFR from Memphis control, then climbed to about 5500, saw it was VMC, so we just converted the IFR plan to a VFR one and flew home at 8500 (where we were pleasantly surprised to find a 15 kt tailwind). Having had the FANTASTIC tailwind from the finger of God (max GS: 212 mph) on the way there, I just knew we were in for a butt-whoopin' on the return trip; But as Chel says, God just smiles on me a little more than most folks. I think he takes care of all drunks and fools...:D

3 hrs there; 3 hrs 45 min back. Not bad for 90 kt cruise in the 44 y.o. Cherokee 160. (425 miles)

Thank all of you for being just the really neat people I had imagined. Especially Diana for my first inversion experience. My family and I will have some great memories of some cool friendships around the freedom of flight. :hairraise: And THAT's what it's all about.
 
Looks like Tony/Matt and Jesse/Tristan might have some fun trying to get back back north of the Mason-Dixon Line today.
 

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CJones said:
Looks like Tony/Matt and Jesse/Tristan might have some fun trying to get back back north of the Mason-Dixon Line today.
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Well......... us stragglers are hanging out in cabin 8 waiting the storm to pass. We have Diana, Tom, Greg, Sharon, Tony, Matt, Nick and myself here. Tristan and Jesse are out in the humidity. Kate's in the pool and Kent and Mike are who knows where. That's it for now, stayed tuned for updates.
 
Dr. Bill said:
Chel, Joshua, Jordan and I had a WONDERFUL time! But, all good things must come to an end...

We departed Gaston's about 2115 local. Grass strips seem to get longer at night - or maybe that's just peculiar to Gastons as we kept looking for the "goal post" that we needed to be in the middle of! I followed my GPS track for all the daytime T/O and LDG's (it's my version of a homemade DP), and obviously didn't crash. Chel and I thought it was cool to look down into the restaurant where we had just enjoyed so much good company.

I climbed to 4500 and picked up my IFR from Memphis control, then climbed to about 5500, saw it was VMC, so we just converted the IFR plan to a VFR one and flew home at 8500 (where we were pleasantly surprised to find a 15 kt tailwind). Having had the FANTASTIC tailwind from the finger of God (max GS: 212 mph) on the way there, I just knew we were in for a butt-whoopin' on the return trip; But as Chel says, God just smiles on me a little more than most folks. I think he takes care of all drunks and fools...:D

3 hrs there; 3 hrs 45 min back. Not bad for 90 kt cruise in the 44 y.o. Cherokee 160. (425 miles)

Thank all of you for being just the really neat people I had imagined. Especially Diana for my first inversion experience. My family and I will have some great memories of some cool friendships around the freedom of flight. :hairraise: And THAT's what it's all about.
Click to expand...

Very nice to meet you Bill. Just you return with just the children you brought? Or, is there one extra <g>

Best,

Dave
 
Well looks like your staying put in cabin 8 for a while. Just looked at the Springfield MO Radar and looks like the color RED is movin your way. And the Red has a name Convective Sigment 80C. tops above FL450 Yikes
 
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The stuff up in Iowa looks like its weakening, but the exact opposite is happening just west of Gastons. Linky
 
Joe and I made it back to JWN in 2.9 as opposed to the 3.5 to get there. Ceilings dropped to around Jonesboro and we were buzzing along at 3,500 for about an hour. Good thing we left when we did as storms were building behind us.

Thanks to all of you who made this weekend a great time!
 
I'm home.

Lance and Eric dropped me off at KCBF about an hour and a half ago. Looks like they're just now landing in Minneapolis.

I had a fantastic time meeting all of you. I can't wait for next year! :D
 
The IAR landed on its home field at 1902 UTC today, greeted by 97° temps. 2.2 enroute, a duplicate of the trip out. 7500' kept us at the top of the haze layer for most of the flight.

A good flying and fishing weekend. Much learned from doing both.

(Dave S., Kathleen told me hanging out with your "people" was the highlight of the stay for her. Is there something I should know??) :rolleyes:

Thanks to all who made a contribution, in whatever form that occurred.
 
Hope the stragglers at Gaston's have their hatches ?battened down?.
 

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Just sittin' here on the floor of the Gaston's office watching the storms backbuild and intensify along our proposed route. Looks like we might be here another night.
 
Had a nice flight home, despite not enjoying or receiving a tailwind in either direction to Gaston's; whheels down at 15:30 Z. I really enjoyed meeting folks that I hadn't before and seeing othewrs that I had. It was a very nice weekend.

Scott
 
well the gang is still down here in cabin 8. f'ing thunderstorms still out and about. mountain home is at 2 miles vis and 600 scattered or some crap like that. looks like if we can get out of extreme southern MO it is clear to Iowa. charger is on Kents battery and the runway has big puddles. we are just waiting for a hole...
 
Cabin 15 is dry. Diana and Tom I have a free bed.

I'm thinking I'll order a pizza....anyone?
 
Bill, Brook and I are back in Chattanooga. Went through a little bit of weather but no head wind...yeah. We dropped Brook of at the Terminal so she can catch her commercial flight to NC.
 
oh yea, and fricking moutain home is one of 3 IFR airports in the whole damn country!!! grrrrrrrr
 
tonycondon said:
oh yea, and fricking moutain home is one of 3 IFR airports in the whole damn country!!! grrrrrrrr
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Well, at least you're taking it well. :D

Severe clear here in IA. Not sure how far south that reaches, though.
 
We made it back safe and sound. We hit some moderate turbulence around St. Louis and my daughter hit her head pretty darn hard. We diverted to Decatur, Il to use the potty and make sure she was able to walk straight. All was well, we gassed up and went on our way only to find some good build ups around Spencer. I announced downwind for 12 and on comes the pilot of a B-25 that was at spencer for the airshow this morning. How cool to follow him in!

Thanks to everyone for the wonderful experience, Dr. Bill summed it up best. Special thanks to Diana for all the time and effort.


James Dean
 
Had to pick up an IFR near Cape Girardaux, but not too much turbulence. Thanks to Jane for the idea to go over Cape Girardaux. Back on the ground near Chicago in the Mighty Apache (0ne of only three twins at Gastons).
It was great to meet everyone.:blueplane:
ApacheBob
 
We made it safely to Lee Bottom Flying Field, our stop for the night. We had to deviate a little to the south to avoid the thunderstorms and stayed low at 2,500 for about 40 miles. It was pretty much clear from that point.

We had a great time! Will post pictures and comments later. I need to take a shower and go eat.
 
I'm home on my couch. After the brutal hedwinds on the way there, I was hoping for some killer tailwinds on the way home. No such luck. I took off from Gaston's and went up to 5500, but then the undercast started to lift. The overcast above me looked to be really high, about FL200 or so, so I went to 7,500 and still had a very smooth ride, then had to go up to 9,500 because the undercast kept rising, then up to 11,500 and then milky goodness all around, as the overcast and undercast pinched me. Had about 10 seconds of IMC, came back down, was in between layers, at 9500 again, but looked like it was closing up ahead

Well, enough of that, diverted about 14nm to the SE, pulled the power, nosed over, found an opening and got back down through the layer, and popped out where there was no radar coverage. I wonder if ATC was freaking out seeing 3000fpm descent and then no radar return? I wasn't talking to anyone, so maybe that was some discussion for Memphis Center ARTCC. After that I cruised into Fredericktown Missouri at 3,500, filled up for $3.35 and continued on. All the AWOS to my north and west were reported lightining in the vicinity, but I stayed just ahead of everything at 7500 and so smooth that I took my hands off the yoke and throttle for about 10 minutes and just sat there and did nothing. Around the Michigan/Indiana border the high overcast cleared out, and I landed at 9D9 under sunny skies.

No wind numbers from 3M0 -> H88 -> 9D9 not including the diversion were 4:17, and I did it in 4:30. For the last 3 hours and change of the trip my TAS=GS and my HDG=CRS, so after the 40-50kt headwinds on Thursday I will take that every day of the year.

Trip down: 6:30
Trip home; 4:30

(Yes, I know I am instrument rated and current, but I had no L charts for the area.)
 
We made it back to Fargo a while ago. No problem on the trips, but have to dodge big storms (as you all know!) north and west of Gastons, and then up near the South Dakota border. We were 2+45 to Lincoln and 2+47 from Lincoln to Fargo. Hope everyone else is home safe, or staying dry!

Thanks again for sharing a great experience!

Josh and Susan
 
Sue & I are in my mother's apt in Arlington, TX. We ened up at 12K to avoid weather. Had to deviate a lot due to a hot MOA and buildups everywhere. Spike was chasing me, but the Mooney held its own. We had a great time. Thanks to all that make this possible.
 
Steve said:
The IAR landed on its home field at 1902 UTC today, greeted by 97° temps. 2.2 enroute, a duplicate of the trip out. 7500' kept us at the top of the haze layer for most of the flight.

A good flying and fishing weekend. Much learned from doing both.

(Dave S., Kathleen told me hanging out with your "people" was the highlight of the stay for her. Is there something I should know??) :rolleyes:

Thanks to all who made a contribution, in whatever form that occurred.
Click to expand...

Quite a young lady you have there Steve. We really enjoyed having her join us for lunch and visiting. Reminds me of being with my nieces which just warms my heart. She's so talented and ahead of folks her age. Hope she continues to make good decisions; sounds like a pilots' certificate is in the works.

I really appreciate you, Troy and Lance coming to Mountain Home to pick us up. Morgan was stuck on grin for quite some time after riding back with you! So many wonderful folks there make this trip great fun, and none of us have enough fun!! Would love to see you and your family anytime. You have a very special family!

Best,

Dave
 
Steve said:
The IAR landed on its home field at 1902 UTC today, greeted by 97° temps. 2.2 enroute, a duplicate of the trip out. 7500' kept us at the top of the haze layer for most of the flight.

A good flying and fishing weekend. Much learned from doing both.

(Dave S., Kathleen told me hanging out with your "people" was the highlight of the stay for her. Is there something I should know??) :rolleyes:

Thanks to all who made a contribution, in whatever form that occurred.
Click to expand...

Steve, I have to tell you that I only talked to Kathleen a couple of times, but she impressed me very much. It's obvious that you've done a good job of raising a fantastic daughter. She was incredibly polite and social. All in all she was just plain pleasant. You should be proud...
 
jwynne said:
We made it back to Fargo a while ago. No problem on the trips, but have to dodge big storms (as you all know!) north and west of Gastons, and then up near the South Dakota border. We were 2+45 to Lincoln and 2+47 from Lincoln to Fargo. Hope everyone else is home safe, or staying dry!

Thanks again for sharing a great experience!

Josh and Susan
Click to expand...

Josh,

It was a pleasure to meet you and Susan this morning. Too bad you got to Lincoln before I did. :)
 
Kaelyn and I made it home in 4:17, compared to my flight plan of 4:25. Oh well. maybe I should stop doing the math in my head.

And for the record, I stood next to my plane, called 800-WX-BRIEF to file my flight plan, was on hold for 3 (that's right, THREE) seconds. Filed without major incident although the briefer was an idiot, and off we went.

Also, for those of you chuckling over my "air conditioner", we sat for a while waiting takeoff in cool comfort. And when I got home, there was enough ice left for landing and taxi in 90 degree heat.

Kaelyn declared the weekend an excellent adventure, which is good enough by me. Dr. Bill, methinks Jordan and Kaelyn will be pen pals for a while.
 
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