The palpable blackness

Let'sgoflying!

Let'sgoflying!

Touchdown! Greaser!
Joined
Feb 23, 2005
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west Texas
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Dave Taylor
It was one of those dark west Texas nights for tonight's flight. Departed the city for home (~135nm), at 10:30 pm. Bit of a breeze; light traffic. Clear and a million. Leaving the city lights behind, the towns become fewer and fewer, the ground lights disappeared and I was flying into an inky-black sea. There was no moon at all, the sky was slightly brighter than the ground with a kabillion stars. I had the panel lights on bare minimum to help me out. Hey, there is the glow of El Paso, 200nm away!
Thoughts of Lance's emergency passed through my mind more than once, I wondered what an unplanned set-down on the ground below would bring. I knew oil fields (with their pumps, pipes, wires), thick mesquite patches, sand hills, some hills and canyons were below.
The engine did its thing, and I continued at 8500. As I approached the mountains, I mentally drew the flatter places in the blackness from memory in case the worst would happen. Having flight following gave some small relief. Seemed like the taller parts were reaching up to scratch the bottom of the fuse fabric at times -- just silly imagination, quit pulling. Field in sight! A beautiful row of lights surrounded by ebony nothingness.
Passing 7miles to go I descended to 7000, then pattern altitude past 5miles. A shooting star right in my path made me jump!
A decent arrival, then unpack my wife's 18(eighteen) sacs of shopping which had filled the cabin to the roof! A great day and a wonderful flight.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
It was one of those dark west Texas nights for tonight's flight. Departed the city for home (~135nm), at 10:30 pm. Bit of a breeze; light traffic. Clear and a million. Leaving the city lights behind, the towns become fewer and fewer, the ground lights disappeared and I was flying into an inky-black sea. There was no moon at all, the sky was slightly brighter than the ground with a kabillion stars. I had the panel lights on bare minimum to help me out. Hey, there is the glow of El Paso, 200nm away!
Thoughts of Lance's emergency passed through my mind more than once, I wondered what an unplanned set-down on the ground below would bring. I knew oil fields (with their pumps, pipes, wires), thick mesquite patches, sand hills, some hills and canyons were below.
The engine did its thing, and I continued at 8500. As I approached the mountains, I mentally drew the flatter places in the blackness from memory in case the worst would happen. Having flight following gave some small relief. Seemed like the taller parts were reaching up to scratch the bottom of the fuse fabric at times -- just silly imagination, quit pulling. Field in sight! A beautiful row of lights surrounded by ebony nothingness.
Passing 7miles to go I descended to 7000, then pattern altitude past 5miles. A shooting star right in my path made me jump!
A decent arrival, then unpack my wife's 18(eighteen) sacs of shopping which had filled the cabin to the roof! A great day and a wonderful flight.
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nice story!! Isn't night flight wonderful? I love it so much. I suspect that by the end of next year, I'll probably be almost 50/50 between day and night flight.
 
Nice story, Dave. It is good when the engine does its thing. 18 shopping bags -- and where did your wife sit?!
 
I had to leave her behind, no room.

Well actually she needed to stay so I checked her into a hotel and came back alone.
 
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Let'sgoflying! said:
then unpack my wife's 18(eighteen) sacs of shopping which had filled the cabin to the roof!
Click to expand...

Nice story up to here...;)
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
... my wife's 18(eighteen) sacs of shopping which had filled the cabin to the roof! A great day and a wonderful flight.
Click to expand...

This kind of thing is what makes flying so expensive!:D
 
Before anyone thinks badly of my wife's shopping habits I am obliged to mention most of it was essentials for the business which we cannot obtain at home.
No rule against enjoying that kind of money-spending is there?:D
 
and who are you to complain anyways..she let you buy the plane :)
 
Great story Dave. The stars at night ARE big and bright deep in the heart of texas. When I was in Marfa, the night view was one of the most amazing things. Spent many hours looking for those elusive Marfa Lights, and star gazing. The only thing that was better was the good soaring in March! Can't wait to get back.

Did you get any inversion illusion? I was told when i was there that night flying around Marfa can cause a lot of Spatial D because there are more lights above you than below.

Tony
 
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