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Mike
THE LAST SEVEN CONTIGUOUS STATES (A FLYING ADVENTURE)
July 14, 2005 through July 27, 2005
The last seven states to have landed in and taken off from in my own plane in all the contiguous states were: Colorado, Wyoming, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, California and Arizona. I began a concerted effort to land and take off in all the contiguous states in 1996.
There were 22 flights. The airports in their chronological order were: Tallahassee FL, Andalusia-Opp AL, Tunica MS, Pittsburg KS, Atwood KS, Wray CO, Laramie WY, Salt Lake City UT, Burley ID, Baker OR, Walla Walla WA, Baker OR, Burley ID, Salt Lake City UT, Mesquite NV, Blythe CA, Tucson AZ, El Paso TX, Fort Stockton TX, College Station TX, Lafayette LA, New Orleans LA and Tallahassee FL.
Susan did between 5% and 10% of the flying and all of the chart following.
The highest flying altitude was 12,000’. The longest leg was 3.7 hours. Both of these occurred between Laramie and Salt Lake City. With full fuel load, the plane was 56 pounds under gross weight. The highest density altitude was 9,700’.
1992 Maule MXT-7-180. The last nine states were flown in this plane. The first thirty-nine were flown for the most part in a 1968 150 hp Cessna Cardinal (however, a few were flown in a 1976 Cessna Skyhawk). All of my flights originated in Tallahassee, Florida.
100LL varied in price between $2.99 and $4.09 a gallon. We burned 478 gallons.
The main weather problem was haze. Heading NW from Alabama to Colorado the haze was marginal VFR. We circumnavigated some thunder storms in the Las Vegas area. The haze was very bad between Lafayette, Louisiana and New Orleans, Louisiana; and again from New Orleans, Louisiana and Tallahassee, Florida. The “Weather Channel” says that a dust storm in Africa sent particles all the way across the Atlantic, and that made the haze problem between Lafayette and Tallahassee even worse.
Tallahassee FL: Home field.
Andalusia-Opp AL: 100LL $3.43. 1.6 hour leg (KTLH to 79J).
Tunica MS: Kept Susan’s driver’s license (she called back and had them mail it to Salt Lake City). 100LL $2.99. Best courtesy car. 3.0 hour leg.
Pittsburg KS: 100LL $3.19. Courtesy car. 3.1 hour leg. Remained overnight. Left new AOPA Airport Directory on the FBO counter.
Atwood KS: There was not a FBO. Bought 100LL from a crop duster for $3.00 a gallon. 3.2 hour leg. Crop duster gave us a 2000 AOPA Airport Directory.
Wray CO: Didn’t purchase any fuel. 0.6 hour leg.
Laramie WY: 100LL $3.25. Great motel. Rental car. 1.6 hour leg. Remained overnight. Field elevation: 7284’. FBO gave us a 2005 AOPA Airport Directory. Ed Guthrie’s technique of “pursed lips” will increase the blood oxygen saturation significantly in a short period.
Salt Lake City UT: My daughter lives in Salt Lake City. Had to wait 27 minutes to get “ground” to clear me to taxi. It appears that someone taxied the wrong way and caused a big problem for the controller. 100LL $4.09 & $3.99. 3.7 hour leg. Remained for several nights. FBO gave us tee shirts with their logo.
Burley ID: A woman in her late forties along with her multiple cats and a dog ran the FBO. 3% off for fueling yourself and 3% off for a check or cash. 100LL $3.15. Very friendly FBO. Offered a courtesy car, but we didn’t need it. 1.5 hour leg. Low price on oil (bought enough for the rest of the trip).
Baker OR: Very friendly FBO. They said the courtesy car might not stop if the transmission locks up unless you put the transmission in neutral (it didn’t lock up). 100LL $3.35. 2.4 hour leg.
Walla Walla WA: Didn’t purchase any fuel. 0.9 hour leg. Spectacular entry into the valley to land.
Baker OR: Return trip. 1.0 hour leg. Remained overnight. Great motel.
Burley ID: Return trip. 2.2 hour leg.
Salt Lake City UT: Return trip. 1.6 hour leg. Remained for several nights.
Mesquite NV: Wayne, the aerial fire fighter, could talk your ear off. 100LL $3.42. My landing was judged by a row of folks seated in the shade of an open hangar. They were associated with the sky divers who were jumping there and the fire fighters. 2.0 hour leg.
Blythe CA: The FBO guy had a tee shirt that read “Do I look like a people person?”. He wasn’t. 100LL $3.09. 2.1 hour leg. Remained overnight. The motel folks provided transportation. Had to walk out of a restaurant due to very slow service. Flew over Michael Driggs’ home field.
Tucson AZ: A tiny, young woman brought the fuel truck out and fueled the plane. 100LL $3.08. 2.5 hour leg.
El Paso TX: The FBO folks drove us to McDonald’s and back. 100LL $4.03. 1.9 hour leg.
Fort Stockton TX: The FBO guy said to taxi right into the big hangar and tie down in there. We pushed the plane into the hangar. 100LL $3.28. Very friendly FBO. Courtesy car. The wind blew well into the night. 3.1 hour leg. Remained overnight.
College Station TX: Worst landing of the trip. 100LL $3.14. 2.2 hour leg.
Lafayette LA: After an alternator failure (about 20 minutes out), met a sheriff department pilot (Scott) who flies a MXT-7-180 and a mechanic (Jeff) that worked on the sheriff’s plane. How lucky can one get? 100LL $3.79. Top notch mechanic. Broken wire repaired in short order. 1.3 hour leg.
New Orleans LA: On takeoff, was off the ground before we got to the end of the “overrun” part of the runway (before coming to the threshold). 100LL $3.59. Rented a car. 3.3 hour leg (KNEW to KTLH). Remained overnight.
Tallahassee FL: Home field.
-- Mike
July 14, 2005 through July 27, 2005
The last seven states to have landed in and taken off from in my own plane in all the contiguous states were: Colorado, Wyoming, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, California and Arizona. I began a concerted effort to land and take off in all the contiguous states in 1996.
There were 22 flights. The airports in their chronological order were: Tallahassee FL, Andalusia-Opp AL, Tunica MS, Pittsburg KS, Atwood KS, Wray CO, Laramie WY, Salt Lake City UT, Burley ID, Baker OR, Walla Walla WA, Baker OR, Burley ID, Salt Lake City UT, Mesquite NV, Blythe CA, Tucson AZ, El Paso TX, Fort Stockton TX, College Station TX, Lafayette LA, New Orleans LA and Tallahassee FL.
Susan did between 5% and 10% of the flying and all of the chart following.
The highest flying altitude was 12,000’. The longest leg was 3.7 hours. Both of these occurred between Laramie and Salt Lake City. With full fuel load, the plane was 56 pounds under gross weight. The highest density altitude was 9,700’.
1992 Maule MXT-7-180. The last nine states were flown in this plane. The first thirty-nine were flown for the most part in a 1968 150 hp Cessna Cardinal (however, a few were flown in a 1976 Cessna Skyhawk). All of my flights originated in Tallahassee, Florida.
100LL varied in price between $2.99 and $4.09 a gallon. We burned 478 gallons.
The main weather problem was haze. Heading NW from Alabama to Colorado the haze was marginal VFR. We circumnavigated some thunder storms in the Las Vegas area. The haze was very bad between Lafayette, Louisiana and New Orleans, Louisiana; and again from New Orleans, Louisiana and Tallahassee, Florida. The “Weather Channel” says that a dust storm in Africa sent particles all the way across the Atlantic, and that made the haze problem between Lafayette and Tallahassee even worse.
Tallahassee FL: Home field.
Andalusia-Opp AL: 100LL $3.43. 1.6 hour leg (KTLH to 79J).
Tunica MS: Kept Susan’s driver’s license (she called back and had them mail it to Salt Lake City). 100LL $2.99. Best courtesy car. 3.0 hour leg.
Pittsburg KS: 100LL $3.19. Courtesy car. 3.1 hour leg. Remained overnight. Left new AOPA Airport Directory on the FBO counter.
Atwood KS: There was not a FBO. Bought 100LL from a crop duster for $3.00 a gallon. 3.2 hour leg. Crop duster gave us a 2000 AOPA Airport Directory.
Wray CO: Didn’t purchase any fuel. 0.6 hour leg.
Laramie WY: 100LL $3.25. Great motel. Rental car. 1.6 hour leg. Remained overnight. Field elevation: 7284’. FBO gave us a 2005 AOPA Airport Directory. Ed Guthrie’s technique of “pursed lips” will increase the blood oxygen saturation significantly in a short period.
Salt Lake City UT: My daughter lives in Salt Lake City. Had to wait 27 minutes to get “ground” to clear me to taxi. It appears that someone taxied the wrong way and caused a big problem for the controller. 100LL $4.09 & $3.99. 3.7 hour leg. Remained for several nights. FBO gave us tee shirts with their logo.
Burley ID: A woman in her late forties along with her multiple cats and a dog ran the FBO. 3% off for fueling yourself and 3% off for a check or cash. 100LL $3.15. Very friendly FBO. Offered a courtesy car, but we didn’t need it. 1.5 hour leg. Low price on oil (bought enough for the rest of the trip).
Baker OR: Very friendly FBO. They said the courtesy car might not stop if the transmission locks up unless you put the transmission in neutral (it didn’t lock up). 100LL $3.35. 2.4 hour leg.
Walla Walla WA: Didn’t purchase any fuel. 0.9 hour leg. Spectacular entry into the valley to land.
Baker OR: Return trip. 1.0 hour leg. Remained overnight. Great motel.
Burley ID: Return trip. 2.2 hour leg.
Salt Lake City UT: Return trip. 1.6 hour leg. Remained for several nights.
Mesquite NV: Wayne, the aerial fire fighter, could talk your ear off. 100LL $3.42. My landing was judged by a row of folks seated in the shade of an open hangar. They were associated with the sky divers who were jumping there and the fire fighters. 2.0 hour leg.
Blythe CA: The FBO guy had a tee shirt that read “Do I look like a people person?”. He wasn’t. 100LL $3.09. 2.1 hour leg. Remained overnight. The motel folks provided transportation. Had to walk out of a restaurant due to very slow service. Flew over Michael Driggs’ home field.
Tucson AZ: A tiny, young woman brought the fuel truck out and fueled the plane. 100LL $3.08. 2.5 hour leg.
El Paso TX: The FBO folks drove us to McDonald’s and back. 100LL $4.03. 1.9 hour leg.
Fort Stockton TX: The FBO guy said to taxi right into the big hangar and tie down in there. We pushed the plane into the hangar. 100LL $3.28. Very friendly FBO. Courtesy car. The wind blew well into the night. 3.1 hour leg. Remained overnight.
College Station TX: Worst landing of the trip. 100LL $3.14. 2.2 hour leg.
Lafayette LA: After an alternator failure (about 20 minutes out), met a sheriff department pilot (Scott) who flies a MXT-7-180 and a mechanic (Jeff) that worked on the sheriff’s plane. How lucky can one get? 100LL $3.79. Top notch mechanic. Broken wire repaired in short order. 1.3 hour leg.
New Orleans LA: On takeoff, was off the ground before we got to the end of the “overrun” part of the runway (before coming to the threshold). 100LL $3.59. Rented a car. 3.3 hour leg (KNEW to KTLH). Remained overnight.
Tallahassee FL: Home field.
-- Mike
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