Where to? The Flying M of course. It wasn't nearly as wet as I thought it would be. A dozen or so planes showed up that morning, a record for 2005.
The usual suspects showed up - Marv, Dick, Roberta and Friend.
Below Right: Mt. St. Helens doing its thing Sunday Afternoon Jan 2 2005.
Sunday the 9th found remnants of the previous weather lingering.
Compare the secenery with the picture at top, taken a week earlier.
Left: Upwind at the Flying M Ranch
After breakfast the weather started deteriorating, so we didn't linger at the Ranch.
The winds at Hillsboro couldn't make up their mind when I returned at 1:30. At first I was directed to land on runway 30. When the wind shifted I was offered runway 2. The winds shifted again and I landed on 12.
I had an IPC Friday. Down to Salem, shoot the Back Course and the ILS at Salem, then the VOR/DME back into Hillsboro. The weather has generally been VFR or fog since.
Back to the Ranch for Sunday breakfast.
Left: Ponds near Gaston (click for larger).
A friend's Tri-Pacer was marooned at Newport for 8 days
until I flew Steve down there to retrieve it Aug. 22.
On the way down there was a layer of clouds a bit too
close to the mountaintops for comfort. I got a pop-up
IFR clearence. Steve got his first actual as we climbed
through the layer. All fourty seconds of it.
I also had an opportunity to further evaluate handheld
radios' VOR performance.
Returning, I flew up the coast past the Salmon River (left)
before turning inland.
Click on picture for glorious full size version suitable for framing.
The 24th I flew to Astoria for their annual fly-in and airshow.
My copilot captured the final approach and landing with my new
Canon S2 IS at 640x480 30 fps - broadcast quality with stereo sound.
Click on the freeze frame to enjoy the 30 MB Nero Digital MP4 file.
Roundup at the Flying M Ranch
On the way in I was given the choice of landing on the grass or waiting. I took the grass. Shortly before touchdown we realized the "grass" bordered the pavement, about 50 feet left of what I thought the strip was. A quick shift to the left took care of the problem.
After the airshow, Doug and I got Romeo out of its parking spot and into the space between the rows of airplanes. A Piper Arrow was in such a great hurry he sneaked around us on his way out. As we climbed out, Doug spotted him way below us, turning left. He appeared to be flying so low Doug was afraid he would crash. The Arrow pilot radioed that he was having trim problems and asked for an immediate return to the airport. Haste makes waste?
Left: Doug navigates with a paper GPS.
Below: Seattle skyline wih the Space Needle at right.
How quaint. Outdoor movie theaters.
Now there's a reason to keep that big old beater with the bench seats.
This is the Auburn (King County)
Washington Valley 6 Drive-in.
Below: Doug wanted to find this airstrip (86WA).
He was in that area once when thirty chutes popped out
in front of him, forcing him to take evasive action.
The last Sunday landing at the Flying M Ranch was the 29th.
The weather was not encouraging, so only a few flew in.
A bicycle event was in progress. Like their cohorts who impede traffic without paying road taxes, these ubercyclists ignored the signs to stay off the airstrip. One arriving aircraft had to buzz the strip to clear it. Another had to delay its takeoff.
And now the Flying M Ranch as we knew it is out of business.