On Friday, we spent a good part of the day waiting... yet again.
The forecasts were giving us some hope that we might break out of Pierre by noon. Going North was an impossibility, as IFR Conditions prevailed. However, a breakout to the west continued to look possible if things went as forecasted. The forecasts were off some.
We patiently waited for the cielings to lift, and eventually managed to break out sometime around 3PM. Heading west under ceilings of about 1000 feet, we eventually came to the clear air that the METARS, TAFS, and briefers were telling us existed.
We made a record time fuelling and planning stop in Hettinger, ND, and decided that it heading up to Minot would be a good idea. It was another move north, and one that might set us up for a return home On Saturday!
The people at the Minot Air Center were super helpful and freindly. Like us, (And most of you!) they have been under fog and low ceilings for what seems to have been an eternity... they know what it is like to be stuck and waiting, and they were most sympathetic to our plight! They did everything that they possibly could to make sure that we were taken care of!
Waking up on Saturday, things looked hopeful.. there were some VFR conditions in Minot, and some Marginal VFR conditions in Winnipeg. So we took off with hope that things would allow us to get home.
We had to turn back.
Although we heard that you experienced some great weather in southeastern Manitoba yesterday, another huge area of intense fog and low ceilings would not allow us to continue. We needed a port to clear customs, and Brandon, Piney, International Peace Gardens, and Winnipeg were all ruled out.
Back in Minot, the forecasted conditions did not at all look hopeful in the TAFS for a final flight on either Sunday or Monday. More fog and low ceilings to persist until probably Tuesday...
It wasn't long before a veteran of a previous Prov Trip (who was stuck for three days last year!) came along with help in the form of a Minivan. He and another Prov student drove the 5 hours to Minot, picked us up, and then drove back to Manitoba through dense fog. Thanks guys!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
Dull and Dreary Days
Back in '03, it was a little town called Hugoton that the students called home for a couple of days as they waited for the fog to clear out and the ceilings to improve. In '08 it was a place called Xenia, where a giant winter storm ripped through the region. This storm managed to dump amounts of snow that were measured in feet, not centimeters or inches. Last year's group had to contend with a snowstorm in Yankton, South Dakota.
This year's group hasn't been immune to its own share of weather woes. As you know, we have been stuck for the past few days in Pierre, South Dakota. However, what makes this year's trip unique is the amount of time that we have been stuck, (today is starting our SIXTH day!) and both the extent and amount of bad weather.
For a pilot, green is generally good weather. Blue can be alright as well, but problems start to creep in when you see red or pink. These are the IFR and Low IFR conditions, and for those of us who fly visually (like we do on this trip!) you had best stay in bed.
You can see from this that the conditions are horrible right from Oklahoma all the way to Manitoba. In fact, even a good chunk of Texas is in question, particularly the regions along the coast. As we talked about in the previous blogs, there is a low that has been sitting in the central plains sucking up moisture from the Gulf. Due to something that meteorologists call a Rex Block, this low has become detached from the jetstream.
For flyers, this isn't good.
Although an attachment to the jetstream will usually deepen a low and cause the weather to get even worse (high winds, lotsa precipitation and whatnot!) it will also help "steer" and move the low on a generally easterly path. Like a high speed freight train, a low connected to the jetstream will hit you hard and then move on quickly to smash into the next city or person down the line.
The low that has been holding us up is just one of these lows. A closed low. It has been sitting on the plains for days, barely moving. While it sits, it continues to feed moisture into the high plains, creating fog and low ceilings. If one looks a the photo at right, they will see that it looks not at all unlike all unlike a mini-hurricane.
We will know more as the day goes on!
Pierre is the Capital of South Dakota, and as the seat of government, the Capital Building is located here.
There is also a lot of history here. Explorers like La Verendrye, Lewis, and Clarke all charted the banks that we are near in the hopes of both expanding the fur trade and finding a route to the "Western Sea." Sitting Bull, Custer, and Buffalo Bill all had stints and starts in this area.
As some of you may know, La Verendrye also managed to explore portions of the Red and the Assiniboine rivers in his travels. As we close, we do so with the hope that we, too, can come a little bit closer to these two rivers.
Not so much to explore, but to finally arrive back in Manitoba!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
More Pea Soup! But Still a Highlight!
Three stripes down the highway. That's all that could be seen.
Waking up this morning, you could just sense that there wasn't a whole lot of sunlight outside. Even with the curtains drawn, one can often tell that nothing but grey lies out that window. Nevertheless, we woke up, and took a peek out... hoping for the best. Sure enough, grey!
So much grey that one was almost certain that their eyes were the problem, and that they were simply refusing to focus on the objects outside. Trouble is, there wasn't a whole lot for our eyes to focus on.
In order to make the most of the day, a few of us studied and worked on the homework that we have waiting on us when we return. It was also a good day to catch up with people and to send out E-Mails and update Facebook profiles.
Aaron D. also noted that (relatively speaking at nearly 218 miles!) the Black Hills of South Dakota were not all that far away... some of you might know that one of the showpieces of the Black Hills is Mount Rushmore.
A plan was rapidly hatched to drive out there, but there was one concern... Would the mountain even be visible? With the poor visibilites and heavy fog that was everywhere, it seemed like it would be a longshot that it would be visible... but it was certainly worth the try!
After a two and a Half hour drive, the weather was found to be slightly better in the Black Hills. Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, and Roosevelt were all looking boldly out over the expanse of the Black Hills, and were clearly and easily visible. About an hour and a half was spent in the vicinity of the mountain, and then it was time to start heading back... On the way back, a quick detour was taken to the Badlands... encroaching darkness, however, didn`t allow much of a stop, and the re-forming fog did not allow much scenery to be taken in!
The trip back was quite an adventure! Not because a rattlesnake looking for warmth crawled up in the car, but because of the thickening fog.
As the air cooled after sunset, the fog got thicker and thicker. It wasn`t long before all that was visible was three stripes down the highway... and the trip that took only two and a half hours earlier in the day now took nearly 4!
After such an exhausting drive, it was definitely time for bed... but not before checking the weather!
Sigh... Tomorrow looks like another grey day... but hopefully the morning will tell another story!
So much grey that one was almost certain that their eyes were the problem, and that they were simply refusing to focus on the objects outside. Trouble is, there wasn't a whole lot for our eyes to focus on.
In order to make the most of the day, a few of us studied and worked on the homework that we have waiting on us when we return. It was also a good day to catch up with people and to send out E-Mails and update Facebook profiles.
Aaron D. also noted that (relatively speaking at nearly 218 miles!) the Black Hills of South Dakota were not all that far away... some of you might know that one of the showpieces of the Black Hills is Mount Rushmore.
A plan was rapidly hatched to drive out there, but there was one concern... Would the mountain even be visible? With the poor visibilites and heavy fog that was everywhere, it seemed like it would be a longshot that it would be visible... but it was certainly worth the try!
On the way to Mount Rushmore there is a multitude of tourist attractions. 1880 Town, (which was actually closed!) and the town of Wall (Home of Wall Drug!) were looked at briefly. The town of Wall is impossible to miss. The signs start telling you that you are getting close to Wall literally more than 100 miles out, and there is a different and unique sign very nearly every mile. The town of Wall is basically based around a store called Wall Drug... or more correctly a collection of stores that are called Wall Drug. These include restaurants and various other retail stores, all set up with a late 1800`s look!
After a two and a Half hour drive, the weather was found to be slightly better in the Black Hills. Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, and Roosevelt were all looking boldly out over the expanse of the Black Hills, and were clearly and easily visible. About an hour and a half was spent in the vicinity of the mountain, and then it was time to start heading back... 
The trip back was quite an adventure! Not because a rattlesnake looking for warmth crawled up in the car, but because of the thickening fog.
As the air cooled after sunset, the fog got thicker and thicker. It wasn`t long before all that was visible was three stripes down the highway... and the trip that took only two and a half hours earlier in the day now took nearly 4!
After such an exhausting drive, it was definitely time for bed... but not before checking the weather!
Sigh... Tomorrow looks like another grey day... but hopefully the morning will tell another story!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Another Attempt to Push Northwards
Wow... this fog stuff is really hanging in there!
We spent the night in North Platte, Nebraska, home to the first lighted aerodrome in the US. Apparently, this field was the first field out of which a successful night flight was made. It all started when U.S. Army Air Service Lieutenant Donald L. Bruner had the idea of using bonfires and beacons to guide pilots. In 1921, Jack Knight put this to the test when he pulled an all-nighter with a flight to Chicago from North Platte. Knight was able to find his way across across the black prairie (remember, this was before the days of widespread hydro!) with the help of the many bonfires that were lit by Post Office staff, farmers, and the public.
We all woke to heavy fog... but with hope. The TAF showed that we would get clearing skies later in the day, and that these just might extend as far as mid South Dakota. Every mile closer to home is now a mile that we are closer to our own beds!
Sure enough, around 1230, the fog started to lift, and we were airborne within moments. First stop was only 100NM north, in a town called Valentine, Nebraska, which was still showing low ceilings and vis as we left. If the fog continued to burn off, then our plan was to stop and to re-assess the weather situation at that point. If it looked promising, then we would try and continue onward from there!
For such a tiny town, Valentine was a real charm. It had a brand new runway with nary a skidmark to be found anywhere. The FBO on site was great as well! Well stocked with sodas and snacks at a good price, we were able to refuel. It was also quite modern and very comfortable. There was no one around, but that was OK, since we only planned on being there a few moments.
Adam did a record time refueling of the plane as the rest of us took a look at the weather. Up ahead, Mobridge South Dakota was reporting very marginal VFR, but we all agreed that it was worth a shot. Another incentive to continue was the recent satellite images out of Manitoba...
Although the TAF for Winnipeg earlier in the day was predicting poor conditions with an overcast at 200-300 feet, we could see that it was totally clear! It certainly wasn't anywhere near what was forecast earlier. The fact that we were getting much farther than we thought, and that the weather was better on our end than was forecast also helped to buoy our spirits.
Devil's Lake was also reporting VFR, so if this trend was to continue, then there might be a chance that we would get home by the end of the day!
The tailwinds were a big help... and we were grounding nearly 130 knots at times... but as we went further north, we encountered weather that was continuing to deteriorate. 8 miles vis turned to 5.... 1500 foot ceilings turned to 1000... then 5 miles turned to 2, and 1000 to 800. The vis countinued to to drop, and we soon saw that banks of fog were below us... We realized about two thirds of the way to Mobridge that we were not going to get there.
Time to turn around while the getting was still good!
We set down in the Capital of South Dakota, Pierre. (Pronounced "Peer.") It wasn't long before the airport went IFR, and all hopes of continuing our journey were put on hold.
As we look out at the forecast for tomorrow, we see that there is more of the same. Low ceilings and visibilities. Ones that are not to be better than 400 OVC in any direction north, west, or east.
For tonight, we can only wait, hope, and pray that things get better!
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Warm Air... and Waiting...
Last blog, we wrote about how we were riding a ridge of warm air northwards.
For a Canadian in March, warm air is usually a welcome and much anticipated change. All of us know that warmer temperatures will bite into the snowpack, and hopefully do some serious damage to a winter's worth of accumulated snowfall.
However, warm air can also create some problems... and a special set of challenges for those of us who fly.
Technically, it really isn't the warm air that creates all of the trouble. When we were in Arizona, we had plenty of warm air. The flying was great! You may remember a spot two blogs ago where we mentioned that that visibility was at least 200NM! This is a high standard for someone who flies by way of visual references to the horizon like we do.
So then, why the sudden change? Why do we now barely see across the street, and suffer with clouds that at best scrape along the tops of the telephone poles?
In a word, moisture.
You see, this parcel of air that we have been following since yesterday was sent northwards on giant a conveyor belt--one that starts somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf is one of the most powerful generators of warmth and moisture on the planet, and boy has it been pushing truckloads of it north over this past week. Although it may be hard to believe, a lot of the foggy stuff that we have seen the past little while has originated in the deep south!
Meteorologists call such a mass of air Maritime Tropical. Like a sponge full of water, it is sopping wet, and it starts out warm just like it has come freshly out of the washbucket. When we have a pattern and winds aloft that are ridging in weather speak, then we have the mechanism to send all this air northwards into the chilly plains of the North American continent.
Just think, right now there is a taste of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas for y'all!
However, all this sopping wet stuff leads us to a particular challenge. Of course, these warmer temperatures will bite into the snowpack. This does give those of us a reason teo cheer... Winter is abating!
But...
This eating away of the snowpack also comes at a heavy cost to someone who hopes to get airborne. Flyers by way of Visual Flight Rules beware, for difficult things such as fog, low ceilings, and impossible visibilities may well be headed your way.
Why?
Well, warm air when put together with moisture exacts a price. Down in Arizona, the air contains little moisture. We were in the desert! However, now that we have put a lot moisture into the mix, it is going to cost us. In fact, we are charged not once, or twice, but THREE times in the scenario that we are now facing as we wait with low ceilings and heavy fog in Nebraska.
For a moment, imagine a hot muggy summer day. (Remember, such days are not all that far away!) Next, imagine a cold beverage of your choice as you sit out on the patio. What happens to that beverage as it sits in the sunshine on that patio table? We all know that the outside of that can or glass will appear to magically collect water, and that it will start to bead up with droplets of moisture. Companies like Pepsi, Coke, and many others take great pains to market their beverages with just such a picture. What could be more refreshing?
This, then, is the first charge that moisture exacts. Take warm moist air, pass it on over top of something cold... (whether it be a snowpack or one's cold beverage!) and the moisture will then get all "wrung" out of the air and turn into something that we can see... fog and cloud. It becomes moisture in a visible, palpable, and tangible form, instead of the hidden form that was in before cooling.
For those of you who have paid attention in ground school, you will recognize that something meteorologists call advection fog has just been described. This is not at all good if you are planning on flying... or for that matter, driving down the highway!
If this isn't bad enough, then allow me to describe the second charge that this moisture will levy on the aviator.
To understand this one, it is probably best that you think of nice hot shower. As one scrubs themselves clean, the showerhead pours vast quantities of moisture into the surrounding air. Eventually, the air becomes as full of moisture as it can possibly be moisturized, and reaches a point called saturation. We see this as fog.
It may be hard to visualize, but that snowpack that is melting is behaving much the same as the water that pours out of your shower head. Both methods are adding moisture to the surrounding air, and we will see the results of maximum moisturizing (or more correctly saturation!) as fog.
The final and third part of this moisture trouble is related to lift. If one lifts air, it cools. As we found out through our beverage example earlier, cooling moist air leads to trouble. Lifting air causes it to cool, and when we do this it will eventually condense and create visible moisture.
Some of the best lifting agents in nature are related to low pressure systems and their associated fronts... and this is exactly what we were flying towards today! A huge and relatively stagnant low--one that doesn't move much and has little upper level support--is currently sprawling across the prairies of the North American Continent. (Meteorologists like to call what we have right now a "Closed Low")
It isn't moving much.
It just keeps on sucking moisture up from out of the Gulf... warming the snow and adding moisture to the already sopping wet sponge... cooling it slightly as it runs across that same snowpack, and getting lifted as it slowly swirls into a Low of Continental Proportions.
So then, we are not moving much.
As this is being written, we are currently in North Platte, Nebraska. An early start out of Hugoton allowed us to ride a beautiful jet of clear, warm air towards home. The snowpack was non-existant in these more southern parts of the continent. The center of the Maritime Tropical Airmass was centered over the Oklahoma Panhandle. You can imagine that in Hugoton there wasn't a significant way to cool this warm, moist air that was rushing Northwards.
About halfway to North Platte, the skies were still clear. Enjoying the view, and having skipped breakfast to get out early, we remembered that we had some pizza onboard left over from last nights dinner. We enjoyed a hearty airborne breakfast.
It wasn't long before things started to change.
As we approached North Platte, however, we were nearing the snowpack and the low. Breifers warned us that IFR was only a few miles to left and a few miles to the right. We did not need to be told this, as we could very clearly see it. Things very quickly started to take a turn for the worse. We could actually see the moisture and clouds in the air to the left of us and to the right of us. It was almost like the biblical crossing of the Red Sea.
The lowering ceilings and decreasing visibilities caused us to carefully check the weather ahead as we stopped in North Platte. Could we continue?
Unfortunately, no! Ceilings ahead of us were only 200-300ft. Visibilities were reported to be 1/4 mile in snow and/or freezing rain. Not a good mix for a VFR pilot, and even many an IFR pilot would shudder with such conditions!
We waited the rest of the day... hoping for some sort of a break in the weather and the ability to work northwards... however, a solid wall of low ceilings and visibilities held us at bay. We finally gave up our vigil at the airport around 7PM and got a shuttle into town for a stay.
Oh... and what did we have for supper? Well, right across the street from the hotel there happened to be an Applebee's...
And it most certainly wasn't McDonald's!
For a Canadian in March, warm air is usually a welcome and much anticipated change. All of us know that warmer temperatures will bite into the snowpack, and hopefully do some serious damage to a winter's worth of accumulated snowfall.
However, warm air can also create some problems... and a special set of challenges for those of us who fly.
Technically, it really isn't the warm air that creates all of the trouble. When we were in Arizona, we had plenty of warm air. The flying was great! You may remember a spot two blogs ago where we mentioned that that visibility was at least 200NM! This is a high standard for someone who flies by way of visual references to the horizon like we do.
So then, why the sudden change? Why do we now barely see across the street, and suffer with clouds that at best scrape along the tops of the telephone poles?
In a word, moisture.
You see, this parcel of air that we have been following since yesterday was sent northwards on giant a conveyor belt--one that starts somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf is one of the most powerful generators of warmth and moisture on the planet, and boy has it been pushing truckloads of it north over this past week. Although it may be hard to believe, a lot of the foggy stuff that we have seen the past little while has originated in the deep south!
Meteorologists call such a mass of air Maritime Tropical. Like a sponge full of water, it is sopping wet, and it starts out warm just like it has come freshly out of the washbucket. When we have a pattern and winds aloft that are ridging in weather speak, then we have the mechanism to send all this air northwards into the chilly plains of the North American continent.
Just think, right now there is a taste of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas for y'all!
However, all this sopping wet stuff leads us to a particular challenge. Of course, these warmer temperatures will bite into the snowpack. This does give those of us a reason teo cheer... Winter is abating!
But...
This eating away of the snowpack also comes at a heavy cost to someone who hopes to get airborne. Flyers by way of Visual Flight Rules beware, for difficult things such as fog, low ceilings, and impossible visibilities may well be headed your way.
Why?
Well, warm air when put together with moisture exacts a price. Down in Arizona, the air contains little moisture. We were in the desert! However, now that we have put a lot moisture into the mix, it is going to cost us. In fact, we are charged not once, or twice, but THREE times in the scenario that we are now facing as we wait with low ceilings and heavy fog in Nebraska.
For a moment, imagine a hot muggy summer day. (Remember, such days are not all that far away!) Next, imagine a cold beverage of your choice as you sit out on the patio. What happens to that beverage as it sits in the sunshine on that patio table? We all know that the outside of that can or glass will appear to magically collect water, and that it will start to bead up with droplets of moisture. Companies like Pepsi, Coke, and many others take great pains to market their beverages with just such a picture. What could be more refreshing?
This, then, is the first charge that moisture exacts. Take warm moist air, pass it on over top of something cold... (whether it be a snowpack or one's cold beverage!) and the moisture will then get all "wrung" out of the air and turn into something that we can see... fog and cloud. It becomes moisture in a visible, palpable, and tangible form, instead of the hidden form that was in before cooling.
For those of you who have paid attention in ground school, you will recognize that something meteorologists call advection fog has just been described. This is not at all good if you are planning on flying... or for that matter, driving down the highway!
If this isn't bad enough, then allow me to describe the second charge that this moisture will levy on the aviator.
To understand this one, it is probably best that you think of nice hot shower. As one scrubs themselves clean, the showerhead pours vast quantities of moisture into the surrounding air. Eventually, the air becomes as full of moisture as it can possibly be moisturized, and reaches a point called saturation. We see this as fog.
It may be hard to visualize, but that snowpack that is melting is behaving much the same as the water that pours out of your shower head. Both methods are adding moisture to the surrounding air, and we will see the results of maximum moisturizing (or more correctly saturation!) as fog.
The final and third part of this moisture trouble is related to lift. If one lifts air, it cools. As we found out through our beverage example earlier, cooling moist air leads to trouble. Lifting air causes it to cool, and when we do this it will eventually condense and create visible moisture.
Some of the best lifting agents in nature are related to low pressure systems and their associated fronts... and this is exactly what we were flying towards today! A huge and relatively stagnant low--one that doesn't move much and has little upper level support--is currently sprawling across the prairies of the North American Continent. (Meteorologists like to call what we have right now a "Closed Low")
It isn't moving much.
It just keeps on sucking moisture up from out of the Gulf... warming the snow and adding moisture to the already sopping wet sponge... cooling it slightly as it runs across that same snowpack, and getting lifted as it slowly swirls into a Low of Continental Proportions.
So then, we are not moving much.
As this is being written, we are currently in North Platte, Nebraska. An early start out of Hugoton allowed us to ride a beautiful jet of clear, warm air towards home. The snowpack was non-existant in these more southern parts of the continent. The center of the Maritime Tropical Airmass was centered over the Oklahoma Panhandle. You can imagine that in Hugoton there wasn't a significant way to cool this warm, moist air that was rushing Northwards.
About halfway to North Platte, the skies were still clear. Enjoying the view, and having skipped breakfast to get out early, we remembered that we had some pizza onboard left over from last nights dinner. We enjoyed a hearty airborne breakfast.
It wasn't long before things started to change.
As we approached North Platte, however, we were nearing the snowpack and the low. Breifers warned us that IFR was only a few miles to left and a few miles to the right. We did not need to be told this, as we could very clearly see it. Things very quickly started to take a turn for the worse. We could actually see the moisture and clouds in the air to the left of us and to the right of us. It was almost like the biblical crossing of the Red Sea.
The lowering ceilings and decreasing visibilities caused us to carefully check the weather ahead as we stopped in North Platte. Could we continue?
Unfortunately, no! Ceilings ahead of us were only 200-300ft. Visibilities were reported to be 1/4 mile in snow and/or freezing rain. Not a good mix for a VFR pilot, and even many an IFR pilot would shudder with such conditions!
We waited the rest of the day... hoping for some sort of a break in the weather and the ability to work northwards... however, a solid wall of low ceilings and visibilities held us at bay. We finally gave up our vigil at the airport around 7PM and got a shuttle into town for a stay.
Oh... and what did we have for supper? Well, right across the street from the hotel there happened to be an Applebee's...
And it most certainly wasn't McDonald's!
Friday, March 5, 2010
No More American Sized Fast Food for us! And Bad Weather...
We woke up super early again today. And you guessed it...we went to McDonald's. What else is one to do when the prices at McDonald's here in the US are so good? The dollar menu has been our staple... but... umm... after our breakfast we realized we don't want to go to McDonald's anymore!!
Our goal for the day was to get to Nebraska... and to set ourselves up nicely for the final push into Manitoba for Saturday! The weather in Phoenix looked amazing. Clear skies, and visibility unlimited.
We got back to the airport for a quick start and were on our way home! As we were leaving the busy area of Phoenix, we were treated to an airliner airshow. An A-320 flew within a few miles of us during its approach into Sky harbour airport. Soon thereafter, we were treated to a 767 up close and personal. Little airplanes of every size, engine number, and colour were visible in every quadrant. The weather 'round here is generally gorgeous, and there is so much to see, so we can understand why so many people want to fly around here!
We left the busy area of Phoenix, and into the desert regions of Arizona. Initially, the visibility was greater than 200 miles!!! We know this because we spotted the 12,000 mountain peak west of Albuquerque when our GPS's were telling us that we were that far away!
Later on, we had to fly toward the big E instead of north because of some deteriorating conditions... We stopped in a town called Moriarty, which is just east of Albuquerque. Turns out the Moriarty airport is one of the top glider/soaring areas in the US! there were gliders on the field EVERYWHERE! However, there wasn't much flying, as the winds were now up to 20 knots. We had a quick turnaround and continued on towards Hugoton, Kansas. We had a few more mountains to dodge and then were on the flat prairies once again!
As we flew, we noted that big cumulus clouds were starting to pop up everywhere ahead of us. Sure enough, on of the HIWAS VORs was reporting that a convective SIGMET had been issued.
Once we landed in Hugoton we were greeted by Gary Cooper and some of the other nice locals. We checked the weather towards O'Neill, and noted that there was a wall of Thunderstorms topping 35,000. Thunderstorms down here generally don't move like the ones up in Canada. We tend to see squall lines up in Manitoba, but these guys were associated with a moist warm mass of air and moving in unison with a a front that is headed to Canada... (Cheer those of you up North... should mean that you'll get some real nice temperatures soon!)
Studying the radar returns we could see that they were pretty stuck in place. Since night was approaching, we elected to stay put. No Nebraska for us tonight!!
With that, we were promptly given a courtesy car and went out to search for our supper.
Initially, while we were on the way to McDonalds (imagine that!) we spotted and stopped at the neighboring Pizza Hut instead. We had a large supper because we had not eaten since 8:30 that morning. We also bought enough for breakfast tomorrow!
From there, we headed back to the airport, where we are currently staying the night. C-ya tomorrow!
BYYEEEE!!!!
Our goal for the day was to get to Nebraska... and to set ourselves up nicely for the final push into Manitoba for Saturday! The weather in Phoenix looked amazing. Clear skies, and visibility unlimited.
We got back to the airport for a quick start and were on our way home! As we were leaving the busy area of Phoenix, we were treated to an airliner airshow. An A-320 flew within a few miles of us during its approach into Sky harbour airport. Soon thereafter, we were treated to a 767 up close and personal. Little airplanes of every size, engine number, and colour were visible in every quadrant. The weather 'round here is generally gorgeous, and there is so much to see, so we can understand why so many people want to fly around here!
We left the busy area of Phoenix, and into the desert regions of Arizona. Initially, the visibility was greater than 200 miles!!! We know this because we spotted the 12,000 mountain peak west of Albuquerque when our GPS's were telling us that we were that far away!
Later on, we had to fly toward the big E instead of north because of some deteriorating conditions... We stopped in a town called Moriarty, which is just east of Albuquerque. Turns out the Moriarty airport is one of the top glider/soaring areas in the US! there were gliders on the field EVERYWHERE! However, there wasn't much flying, as the winds were now up to 20 knots. We had a quick turnaround and continued on towards Hugoton, Kansas. We had a few more mountains to dodge and then were on the flat prairies once again!
As we flew, we noted that big cumulus clouds were starting to pop up everywhere ahead of us. Sure enough, on of the HIWAS VORs was reporting that a convective SIGMET had been issued.
Once we landed in Hugoton we were greeted by Gary Cooper and some of the other nice locals. We checked the weather towards O'Neill, and noted that there was a wall of Thunderstorms topping 35,000. Thunderstorms down here generally don't move like the ones up in Canada. We tend to see squall lines up in Manitoba, but these guys were associated with a moist warm mass of air and moving in unison with a a front that is headed to Canada... (Cheer those of you up North... should mean that you'll get some real nice temperatures soon!)
Studying the radar returns we could see that they were pretty stuck in place. Since night was approaching, we elected to stay put. No Nebraska for us tonight!!
With that, we were promptly given a courtesy car and went out to search for our supper.
Initially, while we were on the way to McDonalds (imagine that!) we spotted and stopped at the neighboring Pizza Hut instead. We had a large supper because we had not eaten since 8:30 that morning. We also bought enough for breakfast tomorrow!
From there, we headed back to the airport, where we are currently staying the night. C-ya tomorrow!
BYYEEEE!!!!
A Massive Breakfast... F-16's, and Fifty Chicken McNuggets!
Our morning in Apple Valley started out nice with us getting a huge breakfast at the Airport. Although it was very tasty, it was also a breakfast that probably threw our weight and balance off! Mark Torri, who runs the restaurant (called "Skidmarks!") at the Apple Valley airport has one of the best portions per price we have ever seen. A few of us ordered what he calls the "Bomber Burrito..."
Wow! This thing is fit to be loaded and/or strapped to a B-52!
Adam took pictures, and it is TWICE the size of his forearm... it probably weighs about 4lbs, and this thing is packed with yummieness!!! Sausage, Ham, Bacon, Eggs, Onions, Peppers, Cheese, more Sausage, more Bacon, more Ham, more... you get the picture! Mark also prepares your meal as you watch, and he has a bunch of laughs for you as he puts the meal together...
Thanks Mark for a super meal! Way better than the well known and well worn $100 hamburger!
From there, we then planned our exciting flight to Phoenix! Apparently, Phoenix holds the 6th busiest airport in the world. Once again, we were treated to another scenic flight with lots of mountains and varying terrain... and another stop at the Desert Skies FBO!
As we were flying towards the the Phoenix airspace, we were surprised to hear our controllers say "Switch to Luke Approach on 118.5..." They were clearing us for an approach just past the "Tank Mountains" and through and towards the Airport that is used for the Air Force's jet transition training!
It was reasonably busy in that training area, and every time the controller called traffic for us, we looked out to see...
F-16's!
It was kinda neat to hear the F-16's working with the controllers, and it was a lot of fun to watch as they went whizzing by on their approaches.
Phoenix is a really great city. From the air, it looks like they took great care in designing it. A chain of 4,000 foot mountains sits in the middle of the city, and all around this mountain chain there are the flatlands in which the city is nestled. To the south, the Salt River flows, along with another chain of mountains. We also saw areas of green again, as irrigation is used for the local farms and orchids. Of course, they also use the water for the golf courses!!!
Once we reached Phoenix safely we quickly got an inexpensive rental car from the airport and drove to... you gusses it... Mcdonalds!!! .
Bretton, Adam, and Ryan shared a fifty chicken mcnugget meal with two large fries and two large sodas. All for just five bucks each.
After dinner, it was time to scamper off for the Phoenix Coyotes NHL game. On the way, we saw a few of the local orchids, and the oranges there looked like they were very nearly ripe and ready for the picking!!!
The Coyotes quite probably have the nicest arena in the NHL... everything is new and freshly painted, and the arena has outstanding sight lines wherever one sits! Adam bought some 50-50 tickets, only to discover that the fine print on the back of the tickets stated "Only permanent residents of the USA are eligible for the prize..." He was relieved and disappointed all at the same time that he didn't win.
We were treated to an evenly matched game, as two of the (surprisingly) better teams battled for fourth place overall in the NHL!! Phoenix jumped out to 1-0 lead, but the Avalanche were able to tie it in the second. Most of us were thinking that we were headed to overtime, when the Coyotes managed to pop in a goal with just 22 seconds left in the 3rd period! No overtime for us, but still, an exciting game!
Of course, we then went to McDonalds for ice cream... and to try and find a hotel!!
We then crashed early for a good nights sleep (no Internet here!)... and to hopefully get ready for the long flights to come in the next two days towards home.
Oh yeah... before we went to bed we finished our Chicken McNuggets. They really weren't all that bad cold!
Wow! This thing is fit to be loaded and/or strapped to a B-52!
Adam took pictures, and it is TWICE the size of his forearm... it probably weighs about 4lbs, and this thing is packed with yummieness!!! Sausage, Ham, Bacon, Eggs, Onions, Peppers, Cheese, more Sausage, more Bacon, more Ham, more... you get the picture! Mark also prepares your meal as you watch, and he has a bunch of laughs for you as he puts the meal together...
Thanks Mark for a super meal! Way better than the well known and well worn $100 hamburger!
From there, we then planned our exciting flight to Phoenix! Apparently, Phoenix holds the 6th busiest airport in the world. Once again, we were treated to another scenic flight with lots of mountains and varying terrain... and another stop at the Desert Skies FBO!
As we were flying towards the the Phoenix airspace, we were surprised to hear our controllers say "Switch to Luke Approach on 118.5..." They were clearing us for an approach just past the "Tank Mountains" and through and towards the Airport that is used for the Air Force's jet transition training!
It was reasonably busy in that training area, and every time the controller called traffic for us, we looked out to see...
F-16's!
It was kinda neat to hear the F-16's working with the controllers, and it was a lot of fun to watch as they went whizzing by on their approaches.
Phoenix is a really great city. From the air, it looks like they took great care in designing it. A chain of 4,000 foot mountains sits in the middle of the city, and all around this mountain chain there are the flatlands in which the city is nestled. To the south, the Salt River flows, along with another chain of mountains. We also saw areas of green again, as irrigation is used for the local farms and orchids. Of course, they also use the water for the golf courses!!!
Once we reached Phoenix safely we quickly got an inexpensive rental car from the airport and drove to... you gusses it... Mcdonalds!!! .
Bretton, Adam, and Ryan shared a fifty chicken mcnugget meal with two large fries and two large sodas. All for just five bucks each.
After dinner, it was time to scamper off for the Phoenix Coyotes NHL game. On the way, we saw a few of the local orchids, and the oranges there looked like they were very nearly ripe and ready for the picking!!!
The Coyotes quite probably have the nicest arena in the NHL... everything is new and freshly painted, and the arena has outstanding sight lines wherever one sits! Adam bought some 50-50 tickets, only to discover that the fine print on the back of the tickets stated "Only permanent residents of the USA are eligible for the prize..." He was relieved and disappointed all at the same time that he didn't win.
We were treated to an evenly matched game, as two of the (surprisingly) better teams battled for fourth place overall in the NHL!! Phoenix jumped out to 1-0 lead, but the Avalanche were able to tie it in the second. Most of us were thinking that we were headed to overtime, when the Coyotes managed to pop in a goal with just 22 seconds left in the 3rd period! No overtime for us, but still, an exciting game!
Of course, we then went to McDonalds for ice cream... and to try and find a hotel!!
We then crashed early for a good nights sleep (no Internet here!)... and to hopefully get ready for the long flights to come in the next two days towards home.
Oh yeah... before we went to bed we finished our Chicken McNuggets. They really weren't all that bad cold!
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