Saturday September 28 we flew to Newport for a salmon feed.
It was too soon to return to Hillsboro.
We diverted to McMinville. I entered the pattern behind the Hughes Racer
(replica) and got to see him taxiing by.
The Hughes Racer was built in the mid thirties.
65 years later no plane in its class has flown faster.
Sadly, pilot Jim Wright was killed and the racer destroyed the next August. See All Aviation Flightline Online for more information.
After admiring the Hughes Racer replica, we walked across a field
to the Evergreen Museum to see a larger plane - the Hughes "Spruce Goose".
While newer aircraft fly heavier weights faster, higher and further,
the Spurce Goose remains unmatched in wingspan.
Time to see my stockbroker in Tucson.
The flight down was in clear weather except for
scattered to broken clouds over the Phoenix area (left).
Getting back wasn't so easy.
A series of storms one after made safe bugsmasher flight impossible
to plan.
A couple of times there was an opening in the weather somewhere
along the route but other parts were unflyable with low clouds and
low freezing levels.
Finally the forecast improved and I started out shortly after midnight. The first refeuling stop was at North Las Vegas (VGT). With full tanks I took off for Lakeview (LKV) as the sun was rising.
The clouds lowered as I approached the Oregon border.
For a while it lookd like I would have to land at Cedarville (O59)
and wait for the weather to improve.
But I could see Goose Lake through a pass just north of Cedarview (left).
I refueled at Lakeview and got another briefing. Freezing levels were low but weather was basic VFR east of the Cascades so I continued. The plan was to fly to the Dalles and then down the Columbia to Hillsboro.
Below: The valley entrance as seen from the Lakeview airport
Left, below: Flying up the valley between Lakeview and Redmond.
A snow shower south of Redmond.
Soon after turning west at The Dalles the visibility worsened. Near Hood River a wall of scud forced me back to The Dalles.
Below: The scene at The Dalles (DLS).
(The scuzzy stuff is 15 miles west, out of sight.
The Gorge leading to Portland is near the left of the picture.
The Dalles was VFR.)
Come morning the reported freezing level was 8000 feet.
I filed an IFR flight plan with the 7000 foot Minimum Enroute Altitude
(MEA) to Battleground (BTG) and Hillsboro.
ATC assigned me 8000 feet.
I climbed in the Klickitat (LTJ) holding pattern,
wallowing in the turbulence. I picked up some ice
as I neared 8000 feet.
I could see the cloud tops just above me and continued
climbing to 8700.
I asked for higher and ATC gave me 10000.
(Sorry no ice pictures - I was too busy flying the plane.)
Over several minutes the temperature dropped to 2 degrees below freezing. When I saw a clump of clouds ahead I again asked for higher. (The worst ice is usually near the top of the clouds.) ATC couldn't give me higher right away but did allow me to deviate around the clouds. I received excellent service from ATC that morning. Left: Mt. Hood hiding under clouds.
The descent was less dramatic but no smoother. I broke out not too far inside of ABATE on the ILS approach to Hillsboro. The winds were still acting up a bit. I would have made the usual first turnoff if I hadn't been tired from the turbulence and ice management.
Sunday the 19th and time for breakfast at the Flying M.
Areas in the valley had temprature inversions that
trapped fog or smoke.
The air was calm at the Ranch. I made the driveway.
Charlie of Borg at the 2003 Northwest Aviation
Conference and Trade Show Saturday, Feb 22.
Flying M Ranch is in the next valley, just past that puffy white cloud on the horizon. By afternoon a healthy east wind cleared out the clouds.
Sunday the 16th the morning forecast read (in part) as follows:
TAF KHIO 161134Z 161212 17004KT P6SM VCSH BKN035 BKN060
FM1500 17006KT P6SM SCT025 BKN050 TEMPO 1820 -SHRA BKN025
As you can see, the clouds were somewhat lower.
Below: Highway 47 south of Gaston.
My "scud running route" follows highway 47
turning right, thru the pass just ahead.
Yamhill
lies just
beyond the pass.
Above: Yamhill River about 6 miles northeast of the Ranch.
Left: This was low enough to be the final approach, but it was just the upwind segment.
Below: A closer look
at the river and air strip from upwind.
Above:
Yamhill River passing behind the lodge.
The lodge is mostly hidden by trees
near the west end of the runway.
The real final approach under low clouds. Note the vehicle on the driveway to the left of the runway. He was long gone by the time I touched down.
Below: Romeo's new digs at the Hillsboro Airport northeast T's.
