North OF OPL, 6500 Ft 8 AM Beautiful

Morning flying is very hard to beat!!!

Unless it is evening flying.....or middle of the day flying...or night flying....flying is always GOOD.
If you're faced with a forced landing, fly the thing as far into the crash as possible.
(Bob Hoover)

Opelousas LA. OPL

I landed at Opelousa for fuel.

It was getting late, I was going to fly on to New Orleans area and spend the night.

There were some issues with the fuel pump, so I decided to just spend the night. Well as luck would have it, all the motel rooms in the area were taken because of the hurricane several weeks ago.
But that was no problem for the prepared, cross country traveller, I had a pilots lounge with high speed internet, a nice couch for my sleeping bag, a good book to read, Without Fail by Lee Child.......all the comforts of home. Life is good.

Airplane Cockpit

This is what us pilots are looking at as we fly.

This is a Garmin 496, see the little airplane on the screen? That shows my position. With the GPS I am able to program in where I want to go, the GPS draws a line to that place. You can also subscribe to real time weather on the 496...
My 140 has a very clean, easy to use panel.

When a flight is proceeding incredibly well, something was forgotten.
(Robert Livingston, "Flying The Aeronca")

KITFOX

When I landed in Lordsburg,NM there was a KITFOX there.

I went to lunch and to visit the ghost town, when I got back the KITFOX was gone.
My next stop was in El Paso, Horizon City. When I landed, there was the KITFOX again.

I met the proud new owners, Marilynn and George McDowell, they are from Houston, TX. they bought the KITFOX in California and were flying it home.

They left and I visited the musuem. I decided to fly some more, I headed to Pecos TX. to spend the night. When I was about 20 out and called in to the unicom, who do you think was doing the same. Yep, it was the KITFOX. We shared a courtesy car and found the last 2 rooms in Pecos.

Kirbyville, TX.

I stopped in Kirbyville, TX. to have Sunday lunch with my cousins, Mercedes and Thomas Hall.
As you can see, their idea of traveling is completely different from mine...give me my Cherokee any day of the week....to each his own....they have a beautiful motor home.

Taylor ,TX. T74

I was really getting tired, it was getting close to dark. I did not have a stopping place planned.

I heard some chatter on the unicom, so I ask a local pilot if there was an airport in the area that had a hotel with in walking distance of the runway....He sent me to Taylor. It was a great choice.

Very nice motel, 50 yards from the runway....wonderful Mexican restaurant.......mark it on your sectional if you are in the area and need a place to eat or sleep.

I met Stacie there, she is a student pilot with 14 hours, she is about to solo...

C.A.F. Will Be At The Little Rock AR. Airshow

The C.A.F. will be at the Little Rock Airshow in Oct. or you can come to Burnet, TX. and see their planes........
The C.A.F. will be at the Little Rock Airshow next month.........or you can come to Burnet, TX. was view them at their hanger.....

C>

Lake Buchanan, Colorado River BMQ

Hot and hazy...8 miles

COCKPIT VIEW AT 4500' NEAR BRADY TX.

THIS IS WHAT AN AIRPORT BUM LOOKS LIKE IN ACTION....

OIL WELLS EAST OF REGAN CO. TX E41

The white spots are oil wells.......I know the pilots in the area may find these pictures boring but just think about the pilots that have never flown this area....they will love them.

More Pecos History

There is a lot of history in Pecos TX.

El Paso To Pecos, TX PEQ. Lonesome Country

There were no towns, airports no anything for this 165 mile stretch.

Talk about lonesome and open....I now know what people are talking about when they talk about West TX.

being open.

Horizon/El Paso, TX. T27

We have come a long ways in the computer world....
This plane made a crash landing here and just stayed.

This is an open air pilot's lounge.

Lordsburg, NM. KLSB

Anne Lee, the airport manager at Lordsburg, NM. Super nice lady.
I stopped here of visit this ghost town but it was closed....

This is hot, lonesome, windy country.

Stops I Have Made So Far and Some Pilot Thoughts

This gives you a general idea of the areas I have flown over. Every red dot is a place I have landed. But in reality it is not my exact path.

In the mountains I could not fly straight from point a to point b. I usually was following a road or a river. When I get home and have more time I will plot my exact course.

Some thoughts about my trip.

I think one of the most enjoyable things about this adventure is the fact that I have not had a definite planned route. I try to find a local pilot and tell him my general direction and ask for a place of interest in that direction....it has worked out real well using this approach.....no one knows an area better than local pilots....

I have taken 100's of pictures....but I am covering of much real estate that when I start looking at the pictures, I don't know the exact spot I took them....To fix this problem I started writing in my log book the area I took the picture in, this has really helped.

I had planned to camp some, but at the end of the day the lure of a good bed and hot shower has been overwhelming....a sure sign of OLD age. Believe it or not, serious airport bumming is exhausting.

The AOPA feature on the 496 is helpful but not always accurate, I have stopped at several places where courtesy cars were [according to the data base ] but there were none.

As for eating, I try to get a good breakfast, lunch in the plane is usually a banana, then I look for a good dinner......[GORDY at Rolla,ND had spicy cheese crackers at his FBO...I should have never bought a box...bet you can't eat just one]

Tannis, my wife, send me a e-mail suggesting I should start toward home...What were those famous words I remember from school....."WE HAVE JUST BEGUN TO FIGHT'. "I HAVE JUST BEGUN TO FLY". If that makes any sense.....BTY, Tannis please sell some real estate....I might be needing some funds soon......your loving husband.

GOD BLESS THE INVENTOR OF THE 496 WITH WX

I flew over Tucson, going to Tombstone, AZ. the weather was 10 miles and clear.


I was flying valleys at 4500, so you can't see around the mountains.


I noticed about 40 miles out on the 496 some yellow and orange that came out of nowhere.


Guys this was a beautiful.....

I barely got Romeo tied down before the bottom fell out.


















These 2 pictures were from the air, needless to say I was looking for an airport.