Passion for Flight

Dolores River near the city of Dove Creek, CO. Dark brown color on sectionals, indicating high elevations, used to worry us. After all, our Zenith 601HDS has a Rotax 912 engine whose 80 hp output at sea level rapidly declines with altitude. For example, for 14,000 ft altitude at 45 deg F, density altitude is 16,500 ft; Rotax engine output then drops from 80 hp to 30 hp. But maybe flying with minimal luggage and without a passenger, the plane could be coaxed to the higher elevations. This summer, we tested that idea on an extended trip to Colorado. This post is the first of two reporting the results. We fly to Grants, NM, to meet the FBO again, this time consisting of three very friendly and helpful persons: Ray, Lynn, and Rory. Grants always has hangar space available and allows a very early departure: We just open the hangar, pull out the plane to get under a strong ramp light, preflight, and take off, without anybody else in attendance.  Shortly after landing at Grants, R...

Route portion Albuquerque, NM - Las Cruces, NM - Andrews, TX A recent trip from Dallas to Albuquerque, NM, to visit my daughter Ingrid went well. The weather cooperated for the flight except for a modest headwind.  During the visit, we hiked the first two thirds--the easy part--of the Pino Trail in the Sandia Mountains.  Start of Pino Trail, Albuquerque, NM. Photo courtesy Jeanette Bynum Bushes were in bloom; a perfect day. Banana Yucca Creeping Mahonia Fendlerbush When we fly to Albuquerque, we typically visit friends Lynn and Philip near Deming on the return trip. But this time, the schedule was tight, and we had to get back to Dallas in a hurry. However, the weather was not cooperating. The direct route to Dallas was blocked by nasty IFR weather; see above screenshot. An alternate route via El Paso seemed possible, but how could we plan it with rapidly shifting fronts? To the rescue came a feature of the Garmin Pilot that previously we had use...

Hesler-Noble Field in Laurel, MS When flying without a co-pilot, we usually throttle back our 601HDS, N314LB, to 4,400 rpm. This produces about 40 hp and requires 3 gal/hr of fuel. A light load on the 80 hp engine indeed. Speed is close to 90 kts.  In automotive terms, speed is more than 100 mph, and we get 33 mpg. Once en route, the autopilot takes over.  ADS-B supplies radar weather and details about airports. The Garmin Pilot displays the map with the icon of the plane. Endurance is more than 6 hours. Urgency of fluid output is no longer a problem, thanks to a simple solution: a bottle.    With the problems of old times—piloting, weather, navigation, endurance, and fluid pressure—solved, we just sit back and enjoy the views for hours on end.   Compared with driving = work, we have flying = vacation. Now and then such a trip takes us back in time:  When airports were bustling with activity, service was provided beyond the call of duty, and the vis...

Denny Creek Trail at Brown's Pass It is in late August. My wife Ute and I stand on one of the many 12,000+ ft peaks of the Continental Divide in Colorado. Looking almost straight down, we see the Cottonwood Pass 300 ft below, where we just started a day hike along the Continental Divide Trail. The sound of an airplane makes us look up. A dot west of us quickly turns into a single-engine low-wing plane approaching the Cottonwood Pass. In fact, it will fly very near to us since it is just a bit higher than us. To line up with the road crossing the pass, the plane banks 30 deg to the left. We see fuselage, wings, tail feathers; it sure looks like an RV8. As the plane completes the turn and flies level again, right over the pass and no more than 600 ft away from us, we see the pilot in the cockpit. We raise our arms and wave wildly. The pilot waves back just as enthusiastically, clearly pleased by our greeting. And then, the pilot does a barrel roll, just for us. How nice! Wing...