WebRuss
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This article is part 3 of a multi-part review of our summer trip from Florida to Idaho then out to Tillamook Oregon then east to NYC then South to Tennessee then home to Florida.
Day 9 July 18th
We flew back from KBOI to Johnson Creek in the evening. It is OK to fly in the morning up until about 1 pm and then again after about 6 pm. I was not aware that just about this time in the evening the winds start shifting from the south to the north. In fact, the wind often gusts during this time.
Video of the go around:
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzOtwHj88tE[/ame]
I got my first taste of a downdraft & tailwind mixed together. While flying the downwind leg for 17 I observed that the windsock was hanging still. So I continued and planned to land runway 17. As we turned final for 17 and descended I had power all the way out to help with descent as I was again a bit high. All of a sudden we got pushed hard from behind and the nose dropped and the plane accelerated. I went max power and started climbing out for a go around. As luck would have it, just about that time the constable from Yellow Pine, the village north of the field, was passing by the field and I guess I flew over his vehicle close enough to make him take notice. He stopped by the airfield to make sure everything was OK.
I ended up landing 35 this time as the wind was strongly out of the north.
Video of Landing 35 Johnson Creek:
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrU2nwKYUsg[/ame]
Day 11 July 20th
Today we flew from Johnson Creek to Tillamook Oregon via the Columbia River. This route is often called "The Gorge" We departed Johnson Creek early in the morning and used the northern pass out of the mountains and flew over to McCall to refuel. We then headed out to the west going to the Baker City VOR BKE and the northwest to the Klickitat VOR. From this point on I was following the Columbia River. There was a cloud cover at about 1500 feet which required me to drop down below what flight following could track me so we dropped off flight following and went VFR.
We needed fuel and the recommended stop was 4S2 - Ken Jernstedt Airfield Airport in Hood River, Oregon, referred to as “Hood River” by the locals. This was a very challenging landing as the wind was gusting at 20 knots down the runway. I also found out that there is a huge museum right behind this airfield called Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum that we missed.
Video Piper Cherokee landing at Hood River:
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGWYQ_Gl5Zo[/ame]
After we took off and proceeded west, I contacted Portland Approach and we stayed on with them as far as we could. They were really nice and let me cut through the Class C airspace a little north of the airfield and river.
Link To Route on SkyVector
The cloud layer was pretty low at this point and we flew along under it at about 1000 feet using the Columbia River as our guide. Then we emerged out from under the clouds and we were almost to the coast. We flew over Astoria Regional Airport, and then turned south down the coast to Tillamook.
Sadly the museum did not live up to the hype. The museum owner had some dispute with the aircraft collection owner and he pulled all his airplanes out of the museum. That was really disappointing. There were still some really cool planes, but I did not get to see all the one I hoped to see.
Video of our landing at Tillamook
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiWAvCxRuEk[/ame]
Flying back was pretty much uneventful. Once clear of the low clouds, we bobbed along at about 9500 most of the way. We did get to see something very unique. There was a forest fire burning north of our route and it looked like a volcano erupting from the middle of the woods.
On this trip we flew to the north side of Johnson Creek and came into the airport through the northern pass, which starts just east of the McCall airport. There is a road which follows the river all the way from the town of McCall into Yellow Pine. I wish I had video as the experience of flying through this route was spectacular, however my camera operator and wife did not enjoy the experience as much as me. We were flying at about 6500 feet with peaks all around us and narrow deep valleys This made her a bit nervous. This landing at Johnson Creek was uneventful. This was out last night at Johnson creek and we planned to depart and start heading east.
Stay tuned Part 4 coming up!
Day 9 July 18th
We flew back from KBOI to Johnson Creek in the evening. It is OK to fly in the morning up until about 1 pm and then again after about 6 pm. I was not aware that just about this time in the evening the winds start shifting from the south to the north. In fact, the wind often gusts during this time.
Video of the go around:
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzOtwHj88tE[/ame]
I got my first taste of a downdraft & tailwind mixed together. While flying the downwind leg for 17 I observed that the windsock was hanging still. So I continued and planned to land runway 17. As we turned final for 17 and descended I had power all the way out to help with descent as I was again a bit high. All of a sudden we got pushed hard from behind and the nose dropped and the plane accelerated. I went max power and started climbing out for a go around. As luck would have it, just about that time the constable from Yellow Pine, the village north of the field, was passing by the field and I guess I flew over his vehicle close enough to make him take notice. He stopped by the airfield to make sure everything was OK.
I ended up landing 35 this time as the wind was strongly out of the north.
Video of Landing 35 Johnson Creek:
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrU2nwKYUsg[/ame]
Day 11 July 20th
Today we flew from Johnson Creek to Tillamook Oregon via the Columbia River. This route is often called "The Gorge" We departed Johnson Creek early in the morning and used the northern pass out of the mountains and flew over to McCall to refuel. We then headed out to the west going to the Baker City VOR BKE and the northwest to the Klickitat VOR. From this point on I was following the Columbia River. There was a cloud cover at about 1500 feet which required me to drop down below what flight following could track me so we dropped off flight following and went VFR.
We needed fuel and the recommended stop was 4S2 - Ken Jernstedt Airfield Airport in Hood River, Oregon, referred to as “Hood River” by the locals. This was a very challenging landing as the wind was gusting at 20 knots down the runway. I also found out that there is a huge museum right behind this airfield called Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum that we missed.
Video Piper Cherokee landing at Hood River:
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGWYQ_Gl5Zo[/ame]
After we took off and proceeded west, I contacted Portland Approach and we stayed on with them as far as we could. They were really nice and let me cut through the Class C airspace a little north of the airfield and river.
Link To Route on SkyVector
The cloud layer was pretty low at this point and we flew along under it at about 1000 feet using the Columbia River as our guide. Then we emerged out from under the clouds and we were almost to the coast. We flew over Astoria Regional Airport, and then turned south down the coast to Tillamook.
Sadly the museum did not live up to the hype. The museum owner had some dispute with the aircraft collection owner and he pulled all his airplanes out of the museum. That was really disappointing. There were still some really cool planes, but I did not get to see all the one I hoped to see.
Video of our landing at Tillamook
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiWAvCxRuEk[/ame]
Flying back was pretty much uneventful. Once clear of the low clouds, we bobbed along at about 9500 most of the way. We did get to see something very unique. There was a forest fire burning north of our route and it looked like a volcano erupting from the middle of the woods.
On this trip we flew to the north side of Johnson Creek and came into the airport through the northern pass, which starts just east of the McCall airport. There is a road which follows the river all the way from the town of McCall into Yellow Pine. I wish I had video as the experience of flying through this route was spectacular, however my camera operator and wife did not enjoy the experience as much as me. We were flying at about 6500 feet with peaks all around us and narrow deep valleys This made her a bit nervous. This landing at Johnson Creek was uneventful. This was out last night at Johnson creek and we planned to depart and start heading east.
Stay tuned Part 4 coming up!
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