Fall Color and Rain

Fall color has hit about its high point around the Willamette Valley, so we decided to make a morning flight down to Independence (7S5) for breakfast, spend a little time around the valley, stop at Mulino (4S9), and return to Twin Oaks.

As we were climbing out from Twin Oaks it began to rain a little, but the overcast cloud layer was still over 7,000 feet above our planned cruising altitude of 2,500. A quick check of the ATIS at Salem Airport (a continuous broadcast of weather and other non-control info) was overcast at 9,000 with wind from the east at 3kts, so the route looked good.

The rain continued off and on as we flew down the valley, with a few clouds and patchy fog below, but enough light that the colors really stood out.  The air was very smooth as well.

We landed at Independence, and taxied over to the Starduster Cafe for breakfast, where Audrey discovered that they serve airplane shaped pancakes. What else would the pancakes be shaped like at an airport cafe...

We departed about an hour later, good and full, and turned northeast to head over to Mulino (4S9).

About 15 miles out from Mulino I noticed that the clouds coming over the Coast Range looked darker than they had as we were climbing out from Independence, and decided to turn towards Twin Oaks.

As we entered the pattern at Twin Oaks, the rain began again, and increased as we were making our way around the pattern. Nothing too heavy, and didn't last long, but we were nearing the end of the time I had the airplane scheduled for anyway, and we had had a nice flight. Well, Heatherle and I did.... Audrey had fallen asleep about halfway through the return trip.

I'm not sure that Audrey has made an entire trip without falling asleep.

What a nice fall morning.

Aviation and Ice-cream

There seems to be some connection between free ice-cream sandwiches and aviation. We've been to a few events where every time you turn around, someone is offering you another. Ice-cream sandwiches are good.

This event was the annual open house at the Hillsboro Airport (HIO). Pumpkins to color, both RC model and full size planes to look at, a hook and ladder fire truck, airport ground tours, future plans for the runways, even the equipment that cuts the grass.
Audrey ended up with a backpack from The Department Of Homeland Security, that she filled with balsa gliders, candy, pencils, a colored pumpkin, and other goodies.

A fun afternoon for a spur of the moment trip out.

WAAAM 10/17/09

Matti, Dad, and I, took a trip over to Hood River to visit WAAAM (the Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum). I had hoped to fly into Ken Jernstedt Airfield (4S2), which is adjacent to the museum, but the October Oregon weather was uncooperative. The Columbia Gorge is always a nice drive anyway.

Matti and I had seen several of their aircraft and autos at an antique fly-in held at the McMinnville airport a year or so ago, and their collection includes more than 60 aircraft, 80 autos, 12 motorcycles, 6 tractors, and 8 military vehicles.

A long time favorite airplane of mine has been the the Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny".  WAAAM has in its collection a restored original 1917 Jenny that was located in a barn in need of restoration, but 100% complete. It is now occasionally flown, which would be great to see.

Also of interest (to me anyway) was a very rare 1938 Piper J-3P-50 (J3 Cub) powered by a Lenape three cylinder radial engine, rather than the common Continental flat four. This would make a unique subject for my 1/5 scale RC kit hiding under the bed.

The Boeing Model 40, of which I believe WAAAM has the only airworthy example, was a United States mail plane that became the first aircraft built by the Boeing company to carry passengers.  This is also the oldest flying Boeing.

There were many cars as well, a few with the windows down so you could stick you head in and breathe in that wonderful "old car smell", and imagine what it was like when that particular car was the latest in style. Probably not the reason the windows were down, but worked for me.

Before leaving Hood River, we made a stop at the Full Sail Brewing Co's pub for lunch and a beer. Good.

Painting on a Taxiway

The Mulino chapter of the OPA (Oregon Pilot's Association), of which Heatherle and I had just recently joined, has a clubhouse located on the Mulino airport property. As part of their service to the airport, the airport name located on the taxiway needed repainting, and it just so happened to be a beautiful October morning for some painting and flying stories.

As the paint was drying, Several of us hoped in a pickup to head across the field to a restaurant that is a popular fly-in destination, have lunch, and talk more flying.

A very enjoyable group of people.

Kelso-Longview 10/09/09

Friday was an in-service day for Oregon schools, so Matti and Lexie met me at work to head over to Twin Oaks and go for late afternoon flight.

We decided to fly north and follow the Columbia River north to Kelso-Longview airport.

Heading north after departing Twin Oaks, we needed to quickly listen to the ATIS for Hillsboro and contact the tower to request transition north (through Hillsboro's class D airspace). I hadn't worked with a tower for a while, but was happy that what I need to do quickly came back to me.

Leaving the north boundary of Hillsboro's airspace put us near Sauvie Island, and the farm that Matti has worked the pumpkin season for a few years.

Flying at 2,500ft we followed the river, enjoying views of the river, and the trees just beginning to turn their fall color.

As we approached Kelso-Longview (KLS), the pattern sounded pretty busy, so we overflew the field at 1,000ft above pattern altitude to get a good look at things (I had not yet been to KLS). Descending for a 45 degree entry on the downwind leg for runway 30 brought us over the Lewis and Clark bridge, and the turn to final took us over the Toyota dealership were we bought the Prius.

We taxied back past the FBO and hangers (nice looking place), waited for a couple of RV's to land, and took off headed for home.

The return trip took us SSW over the Coast Range and the towns of Mist and Vernonia, then turning east over the town of Gaston to return to Twin Oaks.

A very nice October afternoon.

Lunch Hour Flight 10/01/09

It was a nice day for a short tour of the Willamette Valley, so my coworker Aaron and I took off for a long lunch and went flying, stopping at Aurora and McMinnville.