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2015

After the trip to Oshkosh in 2014, 2015 turned out to be a pretty routine year staying much closer to home. The major trip of the year was a fall flight to the Grand Tetons. Cleo logged 153 flight hours for the year, which ended in mid-November when she went into the shop for new paint. Next summer, the goal will be Alaska!

Click image for larger view

Over Lebanon, OR, January 2015 Heading south from Salem, I found a thin layer of clouds over the hills. I was able to cut a swath in the layer with the downwash from the plane by flying just over it. It's hard to see in the photo, but I could see the cloud streamers cascading down over the edge like water over a waterfall. It was quite an interesting effect!

KSMO Santa Monica, CA, February 2015 A lunch visit to Santa Monica airport cost $10.93 in landing fees, which required someone to note my tail number, pull my address from a database, print an invoice, stick it in an envelope with 49 cents of postage and mail it to me. As an example of aviation user fees, wouldn't a simple gas tax be much easier to administer?

KCIC Chico, CA, March 2015 Bathroom art at Northgate Aviation.

6S2 Florence, OR, March 2015 I stopped into Florence to check out the Oregon Dunes. The marine layer was still hanging around when I was ready to depart the next morning. I decided to experiment with IMC in Class G a few miles offshore where the Class E overlay ended. There's not many places left where that's possible, and in fact, the 1200 AGL Class E overlay has since been extended much further offshore so it's no longer possible to do there.

KHWD Hayward, CA, March 2015 Hayward Airport finished a nice, shiny new terminal building.

KLMT Klamath Falls, OR, June 2015 After this year's Hayward Air Rally, I stopped in Klamath Falls to visit the National Wildlife Refuge there. These F-15's were waiting for me as I arrived.
Later on in the trip, I was back in Bend, and flew a 5h39m, 702nm non-stop from there back home to San Diego!

Over KIGM Kingman, AZ, August 2015 I stopped at Kingman to check out Straube's Aircraft Services and get a bid for a paint job. There was an extensive aircraft boneyard there.

Over the Great Salt Lake, UT, September 2015 The Spiral Jetty is an earthwork sculpture on the shore on the Great Salt Lake near the Golden Spike National Historic Site. I visited on the ground a few days before. I may or may not have had anything to do with the 42 in the middle of the spiral...

Over Promontory, UT, September 2015 The Orbital ATK (formerly Morton Thiokol) rocket garden. The facility is pretty much in the middle of nowhere. A good place for the occasional ground test firings of rocket motors they do at the facility.

Over the Teton Range, WY, September 2015 Grand Teton and Cascade Canyon. Jenny Lake is visible on the far side. The aerial views in the region were breathtaking!

KRAL, Riverside, CA, November 2015 Dropping Cleo off for her paint job at Flying Kolors Aero Paints. It's pretty clear one is needed!

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Click image for larger view
Over Lebanon, OR, January 2015	Heading south from Salem, I found a thin layer of clouds over the hills. I was able to cut a swath in the layer with the downwash from the plane by flying just over it. It's hard to see in the photo, but I could see the cloud streamers cascading down over the edge like water over a waterfall. It was quite an interesting effect!
KSMO Santa Monica, CA, February 2015	A lunch visit to Santa Monica airport cost $10.93 in landing fees, which required someone to note my tail number, pull my address from a database, print an invoice, stick it in an envelope with 49 cents of postage and mail it to me. As an example of aviation user fees, wouldn't a simple gas tax be much easier to administer?
KCIC Chico, CA, March 2015	Bathroom art at Northgate Aviation.
6S2 Florence, OR, March 2015	I stopped into Florence to check out the Oregon Dunes. The marine layer was still hanging around when I was ready to depart the next morning. I decided to experiment with IMC in Class G a few miles offshore where the Class E overlay ended. There's not many places left where that's possible, and in fact, the 1200 AGL Class E overlay has since been extended much further offshore so it's no longer possible to do there.
KHWD Hayward, CA, March 2015	Hayward Airport finished a nice, shiny new terminal building.
KLMT Klamath Falls, OR, June 2015	After this year's Hayward Air Rally, I stopped in Klamath Falls to visit the National Wildlife Refuge there. These F-15's were waiting for me as I arrived. Later on in the trip, I was back in Bend, and flew a 5h39m, 702nm non-stop from there back home to San Diego!
Over KIGM Kingman, AZ, August 2015	I stopped at Kingman to check out Straube's Aircraft Services and get a bid for a paint job. There was an extensive aircraft boneyard there.
Over the Great Salt Lake, UT, September 2015	The Spiral Jetty is an earthwork sculpture on the shore on the Great Salt Lake near the Golden Spike National Historic Site. I visited on the ground a few days before. I may or may not have had anything to do with the 42 in the middle of the spiral...
Over Promontory, UT, September 2015	The Orbital ATK (formerly Morton Thiokol) rocket garden. The facility is pretty much in the middle of nowhere. A good place for the occasional ground test firings of rocket motors they do at the facility.
Over the Teton Range, WY, September 2015	Grand Teton and Cascade Canyon. Jenny Lake is visible on the far side. The aerial views in the region were breathtaking!
KRAL, Riverside, CA, November 2015	Dropping Cleo off for her paint job at Flying Kolors Aero Paints. It's pretty clear one is needed!