If you have been reading a while, you may remember me blogging my last trip to Pagosa Springs for the 2012 Formation Flying Clinic. It is seriously and understandably, a mandatory clinic for those wishing to join the "Bonanzas to Oshkosh" flight in July.
You missed my first foray into aviation event "show and tell"? Catch up with these posts:
Formation Flying Clinic Day 1, 2012
Formation Flying Clinic 2012, Day 2: Flight 1
Formation Flying Clinic 2012, Day 1: Flight 2
Formation Flying Clinic 2012, Day 2: Flight 3
Formation Flying Clinic 2012, Safety Class
Formation Flying Clinic 2012, Day 3
And of course: Bonanzas to Oshkosh 2012
Then take another walk on the wild side with me as I recount the Pagosa Springs Formation Flying Clinic of 2013.
Not surprisingly, I had been saving my first weekend off in six months, specifically for this. Anticipation and excitement built over several months as Mark and I registered, then sorted details of transportation and lodging, and exchanged emails with organizer Jim Lane and a few other familiar names from last year.
The day had finally arrived, and although I was gimping along with a broken foot, I knew Mark would let me take control of 303B from the right seat for some of the mountain flying. Longmont (KLMO) to Pagosa Springs, Stevens Field (KPSO) takes just over 90 minutes. Its not a straight line flight as you can imagine and I have always enjoyed mountain flying on a clear morning when the air is still smooth.
My flight plan was KLMO-LARKS-GORJE-LUISS-KPSO. For the most part it gave us plenty of time to gain altitude while flying south down the Front Range, before heading south-west into the mountains. Staying no higher than about 12,000' and taking oxygen almost immediately was my best chance at avoiding altitude induced symptoms that I seem particularly partial to.
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| Not to far from here lies my wee house... Lucky girl, huh? |
Does life get any better than smooth flying over saddles and around peaks, marveling at those delightfully green crop circles in dry valleys, observing the Great Sand Dunes, following meandering rivers and dropping dramatically into Pagosa Springs to the sound of formation pilots on your frequency? Well, ok.... perhaps if I was completing the landing, like last year... But rudders and brakes require a working right foot and I conceded that handing back control to Mark when 10 miles out, was the right thing to do.
Pagosa Springs is still gorgeous from the right seat, after all. :-)
Landing runway 19, we taxied to the end and took Bravo taxiway to the east side of the runway and to Jim and Sheila Lane's hangar. Sweet memories were already flooding back and Boulder was now far, far away. Dallice had hit vacation mode!
We were greeted by warm familiar faces, some not unexpected (and good natured) ribbing and of course immediate plans to get up in the air. Yes, the first briefing had begun and just like in 2012 that warm weather was threatening a bumpy flight if we left it any later to depart.
Flight One:
Mark and Tim took to the skies in V-Tail formation for a 40 minute flight. The promise of lunch hung in the air... as did the threat of a summer storm.
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| Tim's take-off roll |
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| It takes all the concentration in the world for a wingman to match the lead and stay in position during take-off. |
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| Airborne and casting the most magical airplane shadow on the runway. |
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| Getting ready for gear to go up as we leave the runway together. |
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| Positioned nicely. I can still see him concentrating. Good man. |
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| Maneuvering together, making formation flying appear easy. |
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| The clouds start to build |
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| Pilots are the exact opposite of storm chasers! |
Just in the nick of time, aircraft were parked, chocked and pilots took cover at Jim and Sheila's hangar.
What sounded at first like hail, turned out to be big mean rain drops shed by a vicious but non-lasting storm. Wind ripped around us as we tucked into our first delicious meal together.
The stories began (and never stopped) and smiles abounded.
Then it was nap time :-)
The afternoon gave way to air conditioned hotel rooms and a chance for me to review photos. The first slide show would appear over dinner.
Flying was done for the day, but plans for an early start tomorrow were already formulated.
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