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First Trip Log

douglassmt

Well Known Member
After reading, and being motivated/inspired by, so many great trip logs, it's finally my turn to put up a few pics from a great trip we just took to Oregon in the recently completed plane. I hope there will be many more to come and I hope to get better about taking the right photos, and taking better ones.

It started as a short 2-day business trip to central Oregon. Work got done in one day instead of two. What to do? A call to Wally Anderson at Synergy Air in Eugene (who taught me everything I know about building RVs) and John Stahr (Stahr Design, who helped design my paint job) also in Eugene, revealed they would be around Thursday morning. Off we launched from Prineville to Eugene.

Sisters, OR - a future destination
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Crossing the Cascades between Sisters and Hood:
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Final approach into Eugene
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John's Plane - wow
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After visiting with Wally and lunch with John, still looking for something to do, we asked John if he knew anyplace to fly to/stay on the coast. As luck would have it, John recently painted an RV-10 for Doug Neibert, who with his wife Dee owns a great B&B on Oregon Coast (Tyeelodge.com). Make a call, rooms available, weather soon clears to get in to Newport. We're off!

Enroute Eugene-Newport
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First view of the coast:
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Tied up on the ramp at Newport:
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Doug picks us up at the airport and takes us to the B&B. What a great spot!
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View from the front yard:
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Gorgeous lighthouse a short walk from the B&B:
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to be continued
 
First Trip Log - 2

Fabulous dinner at Local Ocean - recommended by Doug:
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Maybe my best birthday ever, out of all 39 :)
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My bride and starting-to-see-how-much-fun-this-airplane-can-be flying partner:
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Napping on the front lawn waiting on the marine layer to clear - we're talking RELAXING:
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Flew to Aurora, parked in front of the Van's hangar. The plane returns home to the nest for the first time:
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The nicest gentleman was just getting out of his RV-12, came over to look at my plane and chat:
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Seemed pretty knowledgable:
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Liked what I'd done on a couple things:
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And also happens to be the founder/CEO/head guy of Van's Aircraft. How cool is that?
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A great trip, with a little spontaneity and adventure, a taste of the tight-knit RV community, and new friends. Not to mention a chance meeting with Van on the ramp at the MotherShip. Could it get any better?

to be continued...
 
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First Trip Log - 3

Could it get any better?

Yep, a close fly-by of Mount Hood on the way home, Aurora to Missoula in 2 hours, 28 gallons of gas.
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Sweet!

We stepped inside the factory and saw the sign that I saw during my tour before I started building. I took a picture of it and put it on the door of my shop so I would see it every time I left after working on the next part. Words to live by.
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Keep pounding those rivets!
 
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You were also at Three Forks Montana last Saturday

I looked for a photo but couldn't find one until I went to the Big Sky Air Race thread and saw you sitting behind me in the runway hold line where Brian Carroll took a photo of Jason sitting there smoke on waiting for release. You have a very fast RV-10.

I enjoyed your photos of your trip to Oregon - it is a very good destination. I organized a fly-in to Hood River in 1994 where I took this photo of Multnomah Falls by the upper bluff road on the south side of the river in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.

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There are several waterfalls along this road but this is the most spectacular.

Bob Axsom
 
BSAR

Bob, it was nice to meet you at the BSAR, and I really enjoyed my first race experience. It's pretty neat to start meeting in person the folks I've been "meeting" on VAF over the last few years. I definitely want to go back to Oregon....it's so much closer now :)
 
Lenexa

I'm planning to fly in to Lenexa in the week or two after OSH. Let me know if you want to get together.
 
You bet, Bryan, I'd really like to take a look at your build. Are you flying in to OJC or IXD? Just let me know and I'll plan to meet you. :D
 
Not sure

Im not sure. I grew up in OP, and will be coming down to see family. Tell me which airport you recommend. I'll keep in touch when my plans firm up.
 
If you have family in Overland Park, OJC would probably be a little closer for you. It's a popular airport on the KS side of the state line with two good FBO's, Air Associates and Kansas City Aviation Center (has self serve fuel). One active runway.

I have a 150 I keep at Advanced Aviation at IXD just south of Olathe. It's a larger airport (one runway is closed but two are active), although I think the annual traffic count at OJC is a little higher. Either airport will serve you well. At IXD, I'm very pleased with Advanced (also has self serve fuel).

Both are towered airports just south of the KC Class B airspace.
 
Sisters, OR - RV's welcome

Nice trip report. I'm generally a lurker here, but the first pic showing Sisters airport pushed me over the edge. Sisters is our home - right on the runway. Stop in if you are touring Central OR and say hi and enjoy an iced tea or whatever. My schedule requires that I work in the PDX area so commute back and forth (by RV4) but am home in Sisters most every weekend.

RV's are definitely welcome - give me an email in advance and we can likely set you up with a car to borrow if needed. Hangar space for 1 RV is probably easy to also accommodate.

Steve
RV-4
 
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