Skagit valley tulip flight

Will Kumley

Will Kumley

Line Up and Wait
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Will
0C5B55BA-0D09-431C-B163-7715291308D6.jpeg B34134E4-4E94-42CD-9A5C-C9197330C005.jpeg The weather cooperated today and I was able to fly up to the Skagit valley and look at the flowers. The wife changed her mind at the last second and said she didn’t want to go but suggested I take our son. The flight was great. A little busy near skagit valley but nothing I couldn’t handle. 140 knots ground speed headed north, 80 knots headed south. However, the ride was smooth as silk the entire way. :)
 
Good thing that you used the aircraft, all access to the roads are blocked.
 
My wife and I flew up from KOLM last Monday. Other than some traffic in the pattern at AWO, nothing. BVS was quiet as all get out on Monday afternoon.

Great view of the tulips Monday, as well.
 
Nice pics/view! It has been pretty quiet up here. Even SEA center, which used to be pretty saturated pre-COVID, is nice and peaceful now. I'd imagine it is a great time to get out and do some GA flying around the area, not to mention the weather has been largely great for the last month or two out here in the Olympic "rain shadow" :)
 
35 AoA said:
Nice pics/view! It has been pretty quiet up here. Even SEA center, which used to be pretty saturated pre-COVID, is nice and peaceful now. I'd imagine it is a great time to get out and do some GA flying around the area, not to mention the weather has been largely great for the last month or two out here in the Olympic "rain shadow" :)
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Yep, SEA center was a bit quiet but I got the impression that due to how quiet it is there were less controllers as the one I was talking to on flight following was saturated pretty well even though the skies around SeaTac were a lot clearer than normal with. I noticed a couple times there was traffic fairly close to me, one passing below me by maybe 700 feet in the opposite direction with no call out from the Sea approach controller. Once I got switched over to SEA center and Whidbey approach they both kept a better eye on me and let me know when I was near any traffic. Not faulting SEA approach as I understand flight following is not required.
 
I think Whidbey approach radar is better up here (not surprising). That being said, here as well as anywhere may give you a late call out to non squawkers that are bouncing off the bottom of their coverage. I know when I go out under IFR from NUW, it is hit or miss whether they call out the dude at <2k that I have on my own A/A radar. Seemed to generally be the same story in other places I've flown. But it is nice to get the SA when they can send it for sure
 
Sounds like a nice place to live. With that nice river, probably lots of wild beaver in the area.
 
Bill Jennings said:
Sounds like a nice place to live. With that nice river, probably lots of wild beaver in the area.
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surprisingly, no, until you get into the smaller streams. the Skaget river is too swift.
 
Tom-D said:
surprisingly, no, until you get into the smaller streams. the Skaget river is too swift.
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The river looks peaceful from the pics. In any event, looks like a nice scenic area.
 
Bill Jennings said:
The river looks peaceful from the pics. In any event, looks like a nice scenic area.
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Great area. I was stationed at NAS Whidbey for 9 years and really enjoyed it. Did a lot of duck hunting and steelhead and salmon fishing on the Skagit. The GCA pattern was over the tulip fields so nice view in the spring.
 
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