Morey's West Coast Adventure

flyersfan31

flyersfan31

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Freiburgfan31
I just finished a week flying through the west with Field Morey on his West Coast Adventure. What an amazing trip!!! OR to WA to ID to MT to WY to CO to NM to AZ to CA and back to OR.

It was a real privilege to fly with someone like Field. Over 30,000hrs, he's flown every piston model Cessna ever built, and a bunch of others to boot. He has a very practical approach to flying, no nonsense just good common sense.

For me, a low-time flatlander with no more than fixed gear/prop experience, it was a bargain at twice the price. Mountain waves, low IFR, VFR on Top, icing, turbulence, shear, hi density altitudes, LA basin traffic, you name it. I came away with my complex, hi perf, and my bfr and a lifetime of experience in a week. Highlight had to be landing in Telluride in gusty swirly snowy crosswinds (I'm man enough to admit I needed a little help with that one). The takeoff was pretty exciting too, not in a fun way but in a "oh man a fully laden turbo 182 still needs a cat shot to launch out of KTEX!" way. Yeah, I could have gotten the endorsements a lot cheaper, but the experience was priceless.

I recommend flying with Field. They don't make 'em like him anymore!
 
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When it warms up I'll bring the beer to the hanger and you'll tell me about it. Do you have any pics to post.
 
flyersfan31 said:
I just finished a week flying through the west with Field Morey on his West Coast Adventure. What an amazing trip!!! OR to WA to ID to MT to WY to CO to NM to AZ to CA and back to OR.

It was a real privilege to fly with someone like Field. Over 30,000hrs, he's flown every piston model Cessna ever built, and a bunch of others to boot. He has a very practical approach to flying, no nonsense just good common sense.
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Wow! I am officially jealous. I've always wanted to fly with him, and especially do a west coast adventure.

Their family history is amazingly cool. Field's father, Howard Morey, received the first license to operate an airport in the state of Wisconsin, Royal Field in Madison, WI (that location is now South Towne Mall, but there is a plaque commemorating the airport anyway).

That also just happened to be the day Field was born. Howard figured he couldn't exactly name his kid "Airport" so he named him "Field." Field Morey operated Morey Field (C29) for many years as a privately owned, public use strip. The old runway 12-30 was 2912 x 28 feet IIRC - I landed on it once.

In 1998, Field sold Morey Field to the city of Middleton, and helped to get it where it is now: FAA grants available once the city bought it paid for a brand new runway 10-28 which is 4,000 x 100 and a nice new terminal. Many new hangars have been built and Field's field is now a wonderful, thriving GA airport. Field's son, Rich Morey, has been a big part of it for a long time and is now president of the family business, Morey Airplane Co. which is the lone FBO on the field. Sometime after the sale, Field moved to Medford, OR where he now does the West Coast adventures and Alaska adventures (you gonna do that one too?).

Both Howard Morey and Field Morey are in the Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame. There is a great picture of Howard, Field, and Rich in front of an airplane hanging in the terminal at Morey Field.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Field Morey operated Morey Field (C29) for many years as a privately owned, public use strip. The old runway 12-30 was 2912 x 28 feet IIRC - I landed on it once.
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I landed there once as well in my Mooney many moons ago. After landing, my wife said it was the only time she ever got scared when flying with me. (She thought we were going to hit the trees at the approach end.)

Since then, I've given her many, many more opportunities to be scared!!!!
 
Some pix for you all. Field has his TR182 equipped with a Chelton Synthetic Vision System, and all I can say is, with an unlimited budget I would have the same. What a piece of technology. Field has more than 30k hrs, and has flown every Cessna ever built. He was an incredible source of knowledge for me. recommend his course wholeheartedly. You could spend years screwing around with a garden-variety CFI and not learn what I did with Field.

Pix are: Coeur d'Alene, ID; Chelton PFD/MFD; Sedona, AZ; Arcata, CA
 

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I guess I'll give that a whirl. I can tell you that pictures cannot do justice to the scenery!
 
Kent, that is some fantastic history. Thanks for sharing. I too have wanted to hook up with Morey. IIRC, there is a discount if you sign up as more than one person. What do you say we coordinate a time and date?

I mean, it's time I git er done with my desire to fly with Morey. It would be on heck of an IPC.
 
Did it change *to* IPC ? I couldn't find ICC in the FAR, but I did find this:
61.57 (d) Instrument proficiency check. Except as provided in paragraph (e) of this section, a person who does not meet the instrument experience requirements of paragraph (c) of this section within the prescribed time, or within 6 calendar months after the prescribed time, may not serve as pilot in command under IFR or in weather conditions less than the minimums prescribed for VFR until that person passes an instrument proficiency check consisting of a representative number of tasks required by the instrument rating practical test.
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Which I believe is partially up for comments.
 
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