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  #11  
Old 10-05-2009, 09:30 AM
Michael Seager Michael Seager is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 52
Smile weather in Oregon

Paul and Louise, The weather is good here in Oregon so hopefully youll get in today. It is sunny and clear here in Vernonia. Mike
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  #12  
Old 10-05-2009, 09:46 AM
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Ironflight Ironflight is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Dayton, NV
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Default "Working the Weather"

Yup, it's morning in Winnemucca, and we're sitting the FBO, waiting on the weather to make me comfortable. "Working the Weather" is a term we use a lot in my business when we are trying to get a launch or landing to happen - and with the Space Shuttle, the weather has to be quite good! The thing I always remind people about this exercise is that no matter how hard you "work it", you can't change it! The weather is what the weather is, and no amount of hope is going to make a difference. Dealing with the cold, hard reality is what you have to do.

We actually had a pretty nice day in Winnemucca all day - quite nice for local flying. When we set out for the coast in the morning, there were VFR sites reporting along the route. Of course, the big problem is that there are virtually no reporting stations for 300 miles - it's mountain wilderness! We knew that our destination was clear, but what we didn't' have were ceilings along the way through mountainous terrain. Now I have spent most of my many decades of flying in the essentially flat center of the country - I deal with terrain by climbing, and have read thousands of stories of folks getting caught in canyons by bad weather, and I am not going to go there. It was clear as we headed out northwest of Winnemucca that the clouds were touching the peaks, so "below" wasn't going to work. But if we could get over the top, that might be an option. IFR was not an option due to Airmets for icing in the clouds from the freezing level up to FL220. It was freezing at the surface at sunrise.

With enough fuel to go all the way out to the coast and return (with reserves), it wasn't a dangerous option to try, so up we went. The tops were up around 11,000', level, and smooth. there was a band of precip showing on the XM up ahead in the cascades, but I figured if we just got over that, the coast was clear, and we'd be fine. Unfortunately, solar heating activated the atmosphere as the day went on, and the tops began to climb as we progressed. Up we went until it became clear that the day just wasn't going to work. The weather is what the weather is - not what we wanted it to be. the cruise back to Winnemucca was interesting, as the 11,000' level was now at 13,000', and rising! Nothing close - we just didn't have a chance to drop into anyplace closer to our destination. So close, yet so far. Without extensive local knowledge, I refuse to play sucker games - we'll be happy to wait it out.

I must make a plug here for the RV White Pages. I pulled them up while sitting in the FBO, and sure enough, there are three RVs based right here at KWMC. Interestingly enough, I didn't' have to use the list - I was closing up "Mikey" when up walks a gentlemen who asks "So, what kind of an airplane is that?" I start to answer, and he smiles and says, "Just Kidding - I'm Mark Andrews - I have an -8A!" From that, we had an instant offer of a place to stay the tonight, and a wonderful evening ensued. Rv'ing is much more than the airplanes - its the people!

So we sit and continue to "Work the Weatehr"....things are looking to get better today, and I expect we'll be on the coast this afternoon. But hey, the only hard and fast commitments we have are to be home in about 8 days....and to stay alive and in one piece. Destinations, events, and people can wait.

Paul
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Paul F. Dye
Editor at Large - KITPLANES Magazine
RV-8 - N188PD - "Valkyrie"
RV-6 (By Marriage) - N164MS - "Mikey"
RV-3B - N13PL - "Tsamsiyu"
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Dayton Valley Airpark (A34)
http://Ironflight.com

Last edited by Ironflight : 10-05-2009 at 10:38 AM.
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  #13  
Old 10-05-2009, 11:44 AM
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JoeBlank JoeBlank is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Molalla, Oregon (KOL05)
Posts: 529
Default Same system, different day....

Paul & Louise (and Mikey),

My wife and I returned from Ashland (southern Oregon) yesterday afternoon and had to deal with that same WX maker. ~4,000' freezing levels, icing, lots to freezing precip in the Cascades and points east. The system was forecasted to move slowly off to the south and east. Hang in there... It's good WX on the west and north side of it....
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Van's Aircraft Inc. Technical Support-Retired
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  #14  
Old 10-05-2009, 11:00 PM
Michael Seager Michael Seager is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 52
Default 164MS back in Vernonia (they call it mikey)

Louise and Paul, We really enjoyed the visit today. It was a fun afternoon and I did enjoy seeing and flying the plane again. Georgeanna and I got some really good pictures that i am sure will make it on to a shirt. Thanks again for stopping by. Mike and Georgeanna
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  #15  
Old 10-06-2009, 09:11 AM
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DarylT DarylT is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 438
Default Hey Mikey

Hey Mikey

How was it with Mike Seager back at the stick after all these years? Did Louise or Paul have to give him some recurrent training with the new panel and all.

I bet it was fun!
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RV-7A - N754RV: Status - Pink Slip is In! First Flight 8/23/12 - My First Flight 9/24/12!

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  #16  
Old 10-06-2009, 02:29 PM
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Mikey Mikey is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Dayton, NV
Posts: 57
Thumbs up Wonderful flight!

Quote:
Originally Posted by DarylT View Post
Hey Mikey

How was it with Mike Seager back at the stick after all these years? Did Louise or Paul have to give him some recurrent training with the new panel and all.

I bet it was fun!
What could Louise or Paul teach Mike Seager about RV flying????

Nope, Pop only needed a very short briefing and a few prudently cautious manuvers before he was working me pretty good. What a joy to be back in my birthplace and with Dad. However, I was pretty embarassed when Mike and Georgeanne pulled out my baby pictures! They have all these photos of me flying around with nothing covering me. I mean, don't they have any respect for my teenage dignity?

I've got to head out for another beautiful flight along the Oregon coastline with another of Louise's relatives. She tells me that she and Paul will post more photos when they have a chance.
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  #17  
Old 10-06-2009, 09:50 PM
Michael Seager Michael Seager is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 52
Default Mikey pictures

Louise, I sent pictures to your email as i couldn't figure out how to post them here. Mike
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  #18  
Old 10-08-2009, 01:29 PM
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Mikey Mikey is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Dayton, NV
Posts: 57
Default Across the Cascades

As reported earlier by Mikey, we launched once again from Winnemucca on an attempt to make the Oregon coast. The weather reports looked better everywhere EXCEPT the first 20 minutes out of KWMC. With a solid overcast at about 3500 AGL (over the basin), we flew as high as we could, watched constantly for bailouts (which were abundant) and deviated north, as necessary, around the upcoming ranges. The clouds were thin but right around zero degrees Celsius. A few holes appeared but we resisted the temptation to climb early. Finally, a clear path between two layers opened ahead of us and we climbed through it to quickly reach “on top.” Soon, the clouds below broke up and we gained confidence that we would make it to the Oregon Coast.




Solid overcast


Time to climb up


Breaking out on top

The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful but the scenery was fabulous. I was happy to be able to see the ground and all the volcanic features along the way.





Bachelor and the Sisters volcanoes (I think)
The Williamette Valley was still filled with fog but the coastal METARS looked fine, so we continued on. Finally, the Pacific Ocean came into view and we landed at Newport, Oregon (KONP).


Fog-filled central valley


Setting up to enter the pattern at KONP


Turning downwind at KONP
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Last edited by Mikey : 10-12-2009 at 09:17 AM.
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  #19  
Old 10-08-2009, 01:53 PM
Louise Hose's Avatar
Louise Hose Louise Hose is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Dayton, Nevada --- A34
Posts: 1,464
Default Up to the Seagers

After a short layover in Newport, we headed up to Vernonia, Oregon, Mikey?s birthplace, to visit with Mike and Georgeanna Seager. We mostly flew along the coast (that coastal range is a bit intimidating!) and then turned inland. Another gorgeous flight. This one followed by a rather ?non-standard? airport.


Yaquina Head with lighthouse


Little Whale Cove




Sea stacks, sea caves, and an arch

Soon after our arrival at Vernonia, I handed Mike the keys and we hopped into Mikey for a short flight around the area. As Mikey?s builder and the most experienced RV pilot in the world, Mike is one person that caused me no hesitation in turning over the keys and the PIC position. I think he enjoyed reconnecting with Mikey. It had been about 17 years since he last flew N164MS.


Mike Seager flying ?Mikey? out of Vernonia airport



Even after 9000+ hours of RV flying, the RV grin remains! Photo by Georgeanna Seager

Back on the ground, Mike shared his photo album of MIkey-as-an-infant photographs, much to Mikey?s chagrin! ;-) Paul and I learned a lot about the early N164MS years and RVs in general. Not surprisingly, Mike is a wealth of RV information. We also checked out his near-original-condition Model T.




On Mike?s office wall?..Mikey flying naked![/IMG]

We finished up with some photographs on the ground and in the air with Mikey's family, then departed for Newport, OR, where we began my family visit.


Foreground: Mike Seager, Louise Hose, and Paul Dye; Background: Mikey (N164MS)


Photo of Mikey by Georgeanna Seager

Lots of photographs of our trip are available at: http://picasaweb.google.com/DrKarst/...berOregonTrip#

Our Spot tracks can be viewed at:
http://share.findmespot.com/shared/f...6jrMhQyl4oO0dD
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Louise Hose, Editor of The Homebuilder's Portal by KITPLANES
RV3B, NX13PL "Tsamsiyu" co-builder, TMXIO-320, test platform Legacy G3X/TruTrak avionics suite
RV-6 ?Mikey? (purchased flying) ? Garmin test platform (G3X Touch, GS28 autopilot servos, GTN650 GPS/Nav/Comm,
GNC255 Nav/Com, GA240 audio panel)
RV8, N188PD "Valkyrie" (by marriage)
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