Short Trip to Scranton

Flight Info
Date:	6/9/07	KYNG - KAVP
Legs:	1	Total Duration:	1.5 Hours	Type:	IFR

This was my final leg to Scranton-Wilkes Barre, PA (KAVP) I was looking forward to landing at Wilkes Barre because this is the airport where I learn to fly about 15 years ago in a 1980 Piper Warrior (N8085A). It was really cool to say the words over the radio: "Wilkes Barre Tower, Cirrus, four five six, sierra sierra, Landing Wilkes Barre...", from the left seat of my own airplane. I was even welcomed back to AVP with the same old gusty crosswinds.

A C-130 was taxing in front of me on the way out of Youngstown.

Lil' Mountains (Aren't they cute?)

Harvey's Lake (I used to practice maneuvers over this lake when I was learning to fly in high school.)

Salt Lake to Youngstown and not much else...

Flight Info
Date:	6/8/07	Route of Flight:	KSLC - OGD - BFF - KSUX - JOT - KYNG
Legs:	2	Total Duration:	9.9 Hours	Type:	IFR

This was the first leg of my trip to Scranton, PA. Everything went well, I picked up some fuel and lunch in Sioux City and made it as far as Youngstown, OH. As I got closer to Youngstown the visbitly was decreasing to under 3 miles. I was prepared for an ILS approach but I was able to land visually. I decided to spend the night in Youngstown because of thunderstorms all across PA and the fact that I was getting tired. That left me with only 1.5 hours of flight time remainging for the next day.

Started this Flight at 11,000 ft becasue of the high terrain east of Salt Lake City.

Outside of Fort Bridger, WY (You can see that even at 11k I am not that far from the ground.)

The terrain started droping about an hour outside of Sioux City. (Note the map going from tan to green.)

After some lunch and fuel in Sioux City I saw a whole lot of... this! (This was the view out the window for the next 3 hours.)

Southwest of Chicago (More of the same...)

Clinton, Iowa (Out of nowhere, came this city I never heard of. I posted this picture because there was nothing else to post for most of this flight.)

A Southwest jet headed north, on its way to Chicago.

Storms east of Youngstown (I decided i would spend the night in Youngstown, OH. XM weather makes cross-crounty flying much easier.)

Sunset on Lake Erie

Avalon Inn's Lobby (I spent the night here in Youngstown, OH)

Some Friends and Some Flying

Flight Info
Date:	4/21/07	Route of Flight:	KSLC - KTVY - KSLC
Legs:	1	Total Duration:	1.8 Hours	Type:	VFR

I know I haven't posted in a while, but I haven’t abandoned this blog just yet. I have only been getting out to fly every three weeks or so just to practice approaches and keep current, so I don't have a lot to report. A few weeks ago I did take Justi and Kent (a friend from work and her husband) for a ride, so here are some pictures from that trip...

(Thanks to Justi for the great picts!)

Kent and Yours Truly

Larry Miller's (owner of the Utah Jazz) new race track

There were some pretty cool lookin' clouds...

That's Utah Lake on the other side of the mountain in the foreground.

Wow, that was a long airplane ride, Daddy.

Flight Info
Date:	02/10/07	Route of Flight:	KSLC - OGD
Legs:	1	Total Duration:	0.3 Hours	Type:	VFR

I took the family for a Hundred Dollar Hamburger, a few weeks ago. We flew to Ogden Airport to eat at the New Kemp Jet Center. It is, the nicest facility I have ever seen at a general aviation airport, they also happen to have the nicest restaurant inside an FBO I have ever seen. The food was great.
When we landed in Ogden, which is literally a 10 minute trip (the "Total Duration" listed in the box above is not a typo), my son said to me, "Wow, that was a long airplane ride, Daddy." Ok, so I have this airplane, it can travel 1000 miles (~700 nautical miles) without refueling, however it would seem we are currently limited to 30 mile trips, as the kids don't seem to like flying in the airplane all that much. I think part of it has to do with the fact that they don't get the immediate attention they are used to when we are in the air. And the other part is, that our first trip took place mid-summer when it was 90+ degrees on takeoff so they were hot and miserable until we reached cruising altitude (then they were just miserable), but that's a different story... We ended up spending the night in Ogden because the weather was bad, the kids (and the Woman) thought spending the night in a hotel was cool. The flight back the next morning was uneventful and every one did fine. Maybe next time we'll see if we can make it 20 minutes...

Here are a few pictures...

The Frozen'ish Salt Lake

The Kids
(And they look happy!)

The Boy
(Looking slightly annoyed)

The Woman
(Lookin' Good!)